Sold as of July 24, 2018
Found on Vintage & Prestige website on May 18, 2018
1926 Bentley 3.0 litre Speed model
Chassis No: PH1475
Engine No: SR1404
Registration: WU 5452
Price: £340,000.00
Coming available in the next few weeks. We will rephotograph the car upon arrival at our showroom.
The delectable young lady in the drivers seat does not come with the car as she doubles as my daughter.
The late & much missed Stanley Man Handled the car a decade ago & had this to say about it: "The history from the works shows that the car had two accidents in her first few years but survived by the fitting of replacement frames by the factory. This means her continuous history and integrity remain intact. So yes, you've guessed it, its real without the matching number game that somehow some dealers think adds some value. In my book, total crap....Now that I've got that off my chest lets talk Bentleys." Never a man to mince his words, we have posthumously: "Been Told!!!"
He further adds that the car was restored by R.C. Moss between 1979 & 1989 as a quality restoration for a private collection.
Clare hay who has recently viewed the car states in her report;
Front suspension offside and nearside:: The shock absorbers are correct pattern single Hartfords, on later pattern chassis brackets. The Perrot shafts are Stage 2 pattern with long chassis brackets with the plunge taken by the pin through the chassis bracket, with volute springs between the Perrot shaft cups and the frame bracket. The brake drums are the standard plain pressed steel pattern. The bolting plates are the early pattern, not fitted after 1924, and the road springs should be fitted with leather gaiters.
The front axle beam is a light pattern numbered TW2703, from a 1927 6 1⁄2 Litre. There is no mention of a change of front axle beam in the Service Record for TW2703. This car survives and was rebuilt by Townshend, so it is possible it was fitted with a heavy beam, making this beam available. The sump has the works sequence number 1231, this is probably the original sump for engine SR1404.
The standard lights for a 1926 3 Litre are Smiths, in black finish. The headlamps as fitted are small Zeiss, these are high quality lights sometimes fitted as an option. The sidelights are Rotax.
Underbonnet offside: The carburettors are SU G5 “slopers”, correct for a 1926 3 Litre Speed Model, with non-standard BTH magnetos. The Autovac and Limpid filter are as standard. The radiator is a earlier with no header tank. The bonnet catches are spring-loaded, sometimes fitted by Bentleys retrospectively (the original catches are the screw-down pattern with butterfly nuts.)
The carburettors are a matched pair of SU G5 “slopers”, numbered 7454 (left, rear) and 7453 (right, front). The manifold is a correct Sloper manifold with slow running devices, but is not numbered. These date from 1926.
The engine is numbered SR1404 SS to the crankcase above the starter motor, the SS stamping shows this is a 1926 Speed Model engine to Supersports specification. The magneto turret is much earlier, from engine 222. Showing the early pattern radiator with no header tank, and one of the BTH magnetos. The electric fan is a sensible provision. The steering column is numbered 321 this is an early high-ratio column from a chassis close to 321. Numbers vary for early chassis so all that can be said is that it is from a chassis close to 321.
The steering column is as standard with early pattern one-piece bracket and top ball race housing (earlier columns have a plain aluminium bearing). The dynamo is the early pattern Smiths, correct for a 1926 chassis, but the nuts to the three fixing bolts should be slotted with split pins. The clutch is the standard cone clutch with 3 Litre pattern horse- shoe clutch stop. The exhaust pipe support bracket to the underside of the front gearbox crossmember is correct for a Speed Model chassis. The grey paint inside the chassis is a typical Dick Moss touch. Standard cone clutch and fly- wheel assembly.
Chassis midships with the main floorboard removed: The compensating shaft is standard 3 Litre, with two holes to the master lever and a single holes to the other levers, with 8 mm clevis pins throughout. The propel- lor shaft is a modern Hardy Spicer.
The gearbox is an “A” type numbered RE1381, this is from a later 3 Litre that was rebuilt by Hofmann & Burton in the 1960s, it is possible they changed the gearbox for a better one, making this box available. RE1381 is in the States, still fitted with an “A” type gearbox, number not known. The rear gearbox crossmember is drilled only for an “A” type gearbox, there is a small pilot hole to the left of the drilling where the crossmember would be drilled for a “B”/“C” type gearbox. There are no drillings for a long chassis brake rod support, so this crossmember looks to have originated from a 3 Litre Speed Model chassis.
The rear brakes are standard with separate pairs of shoes for the hand and foot brakes. The petrol pipe from the petrol tank filler neck is run to the later pattern, underneath the rear chassis crossmember, typical for a chassis circa 1926.
The chassis is fitted with a standard 11 gallon 3 Litre pattern petrol tank, but this is a very early tank with no reserve tap arrangement with the petrol pipe coming straight forward out of the filler neck. With this pattern of tank the pipe goes over the top of the rear chassis crossmember, supported by a split fibre block. The tailpipe supports are the correct 3 Litre pattern with a cap round the pipe.
The rear shock absorbers are original duplex Hartfords, but these are later pattern with Silentbloc bushes on late pattern chassis brackets. The brake drums are the original plain pressed steel, these are prone to fade. The plate to the nearside of the petrol tank is for a gauge, a sensible fitting with an early tank with no reserve tap system.
The spare wheel carrier is Vanden Plas pattern, to the back of the chassis. This is accurately made, the hub is new, the arms are to correct pattern and may be original. If so they will be numbered to the undersides of the palms where these are bolted to the dumbirons. The battery tray is made to the correct pattern with a “Y” bracing arm off the gearbox crossmember. Dick Moss was generally good about such details.
Coachwork details: The body is a Townshend, they ran a body shop in the 1960s/1970s. The construction of the body will be fine, the shape is not quite right around the scuttle and the back. The locks are mod- ern reproductions with centre tabs the original locks have handed tabs. The seats are copied off original Vanden Plas seats, the runners and catches are modern. The trim is competently executed.
The instrument panel is nicely done with a good set of instruments. The standard instruments for a 1926 3 Litre are Smiths clock, Smiths starter switch, AT speedo, Smiths bezel switch/ammeter, AT rev counter to order, Smiths 0–60lbs oil pressure gauge, Bentley Motors switchplate, Homa pull-out dashlamp. An ARIC/Cambridge water temperature gauge was often fitted to order. The standard finish is black face with white lettering. The clock and the bezel switch/ammeter are Smiths but are slightly earlier, with silver faces. A Smiths water temperature gauge is fitted to the right of the steering wheel, this will be a modern item. The starter switch is, I gather, now connected to the horn, with a starter switch under the brass cover above the oil pressure gauge. The switchplate is new, and not finished as standard in black with nickel-plated knobs. The steering wheel is a correct solid 3 Litre pattern wheel with celluloid coating, is in good condition with its original celluloid coating.
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