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1930 Bentley 4½ Litre    
Original 1929 Numbers
Chassis No. KL3592
Engine No. KL3588
Registration No. UW 5805

  This car - updated
Chassis No. KL3592
Engine No. AD3672
Registration No. UW 5805

(Updated with information from Robert Glover Ltd. - March 2019)
 
March 2019
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Found on Robert Glover Ltd website on March 29, 2019

1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Vanden Plas Style Tourer
Fully prepared for Intercontinental Endurance Rallies

Coachwork by. Tony Robinson in the style of Vanden Plas
Chassis No. KL3592
Engine No. AD3672
Registration No. UW 5805

Produced between 1927 and 1930, the Bentley 4½-litre proved itself at Le Mans with outright victory in the 1928 24 Hour endurance epic and with further successes at Brooklands. It essentially employed a stronger version of the “long chassis” 10ft 10” wheelbase chassis of the 3-litre Bentley, combined with a much more powerful 4½-litre engine. The performance was incredibly impressive with over 90mph possible in standard form and 120mph achievable in full racing trim. Like all Bentleys of the vintage period, the rolling chassis was given over to a variety of coachbuilders to be bodied to the particular specifications of each owner. In the case of the 4½-litre, as with the 3-Litre, it was Vanden Plas, Bentley’s coachbuilder of choice, who created the most popular design. The Vanden Plas Tourer was an elegant open four-seat touring body of lightweight construction that perhaps best utilized the performance the chassis and engine design offered, whilst remaining practical for day to day use.

Sporting and yet sturdy the 4½-Litre Bentley, aside from proving itself on track in period, provides the perfect platform for vintage endurance rallying today and the example offered for sale here, Chassis No. KL3592 is a well-proven rally weapon and a veteran of numerous international historic rallies and race meetings.

The combination of Dr. Clare Hay’s authoritative work, Bentley The Vintage Years (Third Edition) and the copy works service record give the early history of this particular Bentley 4½-Litre. Chassis no. KL3592, was completed by the works on 17th November 1929, registered UW 5805, and fitted with weyman saloon coachwork by Lancefield. The first owner is noted as A Crowther, of North End Road, W1, London who purchased the car through Henleys Ltd. The first change of ownership was in 1934 and the car remained in London before moving to the Midlands in 1937. During the 1930s the original saloon body was removed from the car and replaced with a modernised open touring body by Jenson, a common practice during this period. During the 1960s the 30s body was replaced by a replica of the seminal four-seat touring design by Vanden Plas – again a common practice in the period – in this instance the body was built by Tony Robinson. During the early 1960s the original engine was replaced with engine no. AD3672, a later 1930 4½-Litre engine from chassis no. AD3673.

The extensive history file accompanying the car gives the ownership history from new and documents an extensive series of works carried out on the car from the late 1980s to the present day, including two engine rebuilds. This may sound like an excessive amount of work but from 1986 until 2013, this much loved 4½-Litre was owned by one Michael Waterhouse of Cheshire and both he and ‘KL3592’ competed in an enormous amount of racing and rallying events all over the world. A summary of the works he and subsequent owners have carried out is included in the file together with the long list of events in which he participated. So impressive is the list of events in which UW 5805 has partaken that we have re-produced this list below:

1990 BDC rally South Africa
1990 Drove to Silverstone & completed 2 x laps. 7 mile lap in 2 mins 46 seconds. At Hanger Straight hit 94 mph at 3500 revs.
1992 Eifel Klassik race Nurburgring & South of France trip
1993 Le Mans trip
1993 Mille Miglia
1994 Silverstone
1996 Silverstone
1996 Angouleme race meeting 1220 mile round trip
1996 Donnington
1997 Aintree sprint
1997 Silverstone
1998 Oulton Park
1998 Llandudno rally
1999 Silverstone
1999 Oulton Park
1999 Llandudno rally
2000 Spanish trip 2000 miles
2000 Goodwood
2001 Peter Ricketts day Oulton Park
2002 VLF Smith Portugese Rally 4500 miles
2002 North Wales trip
2003 Isle of Mann trip
2004 Trip in Ireland with Benjafields RC & Phoenix park race meeting
2004 Silverstone
2004 Australia tour
2005 USA Western Bentley Tour
2005 Silverstone
2007 New Zealand rally
2008 Ireland trip
2008 Jewel of Jordon trip
2009 USA trip 3600 miles
2011 Swedish rally 3000 miles
2012 Donnington
2014 Donnington
2014 Brooklands
2015 Three Castles Welsh classic trail, Vintage winner
2017 Endurance Rally Association Classic Safari 10,000 km. 2nd Vintage car

A well-travelled and campaigned Bentley indeed! Perhaps fittingly the subsequent owners of ‘KL3592’ have both been keen rally enthusiasts, hence the use of the car on the famous Flying Scotsman rally and more recently on the Classic Safari rally. The current owner has spared no expense in having the Bentley fully prepared for international rallying with both William Medcalf and The Kingsbury Racing Shop. A full list of works carried out by both companies is included in the files, and, we are told by the owner, totals c.£120,000 of expenditure.

Such is the extent of the history files, that we have simply not been able to cover all of the detailed information provided in this text, hence the viewing of the files in person is recommended where possible. Suffice to say that this fine sporting Bentley is totally in keeping with the spirit of the Bentley Boys and the Bentley Drivers Club. It is a hugely loved and well-travelled motorcar that has proven its worth and reliability on countless occasions. Fitted with Le Mans type cycle wings, a long rang Le Mans tank and a fold flat screen it is good looking and tough to boot. Specific rallying enhancements fitted by the current owner include a double-Monit, spot lights and tyre pressure monitoring system. Inspection of both the car and the history file is most welcome by appointment. A superb vintage Bentley ready for racing and international rallying this season.

 
     
     
  Source: Robert Glover Ltd
Posted: Apr 08, 2019
 
     
January 2018
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William Medcalf, Liss, West Sussex

 
     
     
  Source: Flickr, posted by user 'The 289 Register'
Posted: Feb 13, 2018
 
     
June 3, 2015
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Three Castles Welsh Trails Rally, June 2015

 
     
     
  Source: Flickr, posted by user 'frank hilton'
Posted: Dec 03, 2015
 
     
April 2015
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Flying Scotsman Rally, April 2015

 
     
     
  Source: Flickr, posted by user 'Peter Barker'
Posted: May 15, 2015
 
     
August 2014
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Nov 4, 2014: Sold

"1929 Bentley 4½ Litre
UW 5805

Late specification. Raced and rallied in major events throughout the world ?for the last 30 years. Proven to be fast and reliable."

 
     
     
  Source: The Medcalf Collection
Posted: Aug 08, 2014
 
     
July 2011
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Sweden, July 2011

 
     
     
  Source: Flickr, posted by user 'Adam Singer'
Posted: Oct 08, 2014
 
     
2010
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Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, 2010

 
     
     
  Source: Flickr, posted by users 'MPH94' & 'Alansart'
Updated: Aug 14, 2013
Posted: Nov 18, 2010
 
     
July 2009
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Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, July 2009

 
     
     
  Source: Flickr, posted by user 'R. Crawford'
Posted: Mar 29, 2011
 
     
2006
In England in 2006 / Owned by a BDC member
April 2005
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Photographs were taken in Durango in April 2005 during the Western U.S.A. Bentley Tour.

 
     
     
  Source: Donald E. Atkinson
Posted: Oct 07, 2006
 
     
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  Source: Flickr
Posted: Dec 11, 2006
 
     
EARLIEST RECORD OF HISTORICAL FACTS & INFORMATION
 
Chassis No. KL3592
Engine No. KL3588
Registration No. UW 5805
Date of Delivery: Nov 1929
Type of Body: Saloon
Coachbuilder: LANCEFIELD
Type of Car: No info
   
First Owner: CROWTHER A
 
     
  More Info: Michael Hay, in his book Bentley: The Vintage Years, 1997, states: "Rebodied by Jensen Motors as tourer, reg FOL 723 with engine AD 3672 ex AD 3673. Since rebuilt as Vanden Plas 4 seater reg UW 5805."  
     
     
  Posted: Mar 01, 2007  
     
 
 
 
Submit more information on this car
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Sep 29, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Ernst Jan Krudop for his Chassis No. AX1651
Sep 28, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Lars Hedborg for his Chassis No. KL3590
Sep 25, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. XV 3207
Sep 24, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. YM 7165
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