Birkin Rally, 2013

The Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin Celebration Rally (in Germany) 2013: A tribute to his achievements 80 years after his passing away

Bentley 4.5 litre; 1930; ch.no. PB3547; very rare original works LeMans style 4 seater sports tourer; 4 cyl.; heavy crank engine

Participating Team: Ralf Storandt and Barbara MCihlemann; Germany/Switzerland

Carovana Romantica, Cortona Italy, 2013

History of the Bentley 4½-litre, Chassis PB3547

PB3547 is one of the very few original "Le Mans replicas" built by Bentley Motors.

It left the works in February 1930 to the joint Managing Director of Bentley Motors, the Marquis de Casa Maury (the other joint Managing Director being W.O.Bentley). As a Cuban banker he raced cars in the 20´s including the 200 Mile Race at Brooklands. He was remembered as being more interested in cars and women than running the company. But in such a position he could demand the best the Company had to offer.

Wanting a sports car, he ordered a full 4 ½ Le Mans split pinned chassis, D-type gear box, hour-glass-pistons, electron heavy crank engine, special instrumentation, autopulse pumps instead of autovac... thus giving himself all the best racing bits for his car (detailed in chassis cards).

He specified the body (No. 1652) to be built by vanden Plas — to sketch 1502 — 1502 was the body for YW 5758, the 4½ No.8 Le Mans car of the year before (1929). This was exactly, what the Marquis wanted.

By August 1930 having tired of the Le Mans body, and being a bit eccentric he had a special Salon Body built to his own design by Million-Guiet SA, Paris. He was known, to be very fond of making his own style of bodies. And a short time later again in 1931 he sold the car.

Three owners followed and in 1956 it was bought and restored by Jack Leeney, Brighton. The body was rebuilt by Foster to the original style as specified in the chassis cards: panelled completely in aluminium and the body sides 1" higher than standard.

Jack Leeney took part in many meetings like the Festival of Motoring, Goodwood 1962 or the BDC Firle Hill Climb 1964.

1967 PB3547 was bought by Virgil M. Campbell, Omaha, USA. He wrote, that this was the car he liked best of all his cars - it drove better than his Duesenberg. In 1988 he sold the car to a new owner in USA.

1996 the car came back to Europe and since then PB3547 is in Switzerland. It is used very often - for example it took place in 3 Klausen Rennen (pictures).

There was no further restoration in the last 50 years and from engine to instrumentation it is still as specified by the Marquis in 1930.

Photograph was taken during 2006 Bentley Drivers Club Annual General Meeting in Switzerland.

"This is the large Bentley ornament. The car on which this Flying B rests in Virgil Campbell's 4½ litre Foster LeMans tourer, PB3547" — From the article 'Bentley Mascots' by Bob Gegan, Fla.

1963 Bentley Drivers Club.