British couple drives 1927 Bentley from sea to shining sea across US
From South Carolina to Washington took 22 days
A coast-to-coast road trip is on many car enthusiasts’ bucket lists, but a British couple was able to cross that item off after driving across the United States in a 1927 Bentley.
The drive from Charleston, South Carolina, to Seattle, Washington, took Bill and July Holroyd 22 days to complete, according to a news release. Their trip was part of the Endurance Rally Associations’ third cross-country event.
Thirty-two other crews participated in the rally.
The couple’s car, a 1927 Bentley 4½, was prepared by Bentley authority William Medcalf, who specializes in cars made by the British marque between 1922 and 1932. Despite the car’s age, Bill Holroyd said it performed well.
“Thankfully, the car was faultless for the entire trip which is a credit to (Medcalf) and the team,” he said.
For his part, Medcalf was pleased the car and Holroyds did well.
“As the American’s say ‘go big or go home’” he said in the release. “Bill and Julie have done an incredible job in their first long distance event. There was no better way for them to get to know their motor car and start their amazing journey into endurance rallying.”
The event was not a straight sprint across America. Drivers wound their way through the country and had much-needed rest days in New Orleans and Nashville, among a few other spots.
“One day was 750km long and I felt like I had undergone a full-body workout each day,” Bill said.
The rally also took drivers up Pike Peak and to a drag strip test in Woodburn, Oregon.
The Holroyds took a planned break during the drive to return to the United Kingdom. In their absence, a relief crew drove the car from New Orleans to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Seattle did not mark the end of the road for the Holroyds. It was their first rally together and they plan to tackle the Peking to Paris event next year.
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