This car is 'sold' as of Jan 23, 2012.

1927 Bentley 6½ Litre Sports Tourer
Coachwork by Vanden Plas
CHASSIS NO. BX2421
ENGINE NO. DH2201
Registration No. YE 9859
Body No. 1377
$2,000,000 - $2,500,000

- An Important Vintage Bentley with Original Coachwork
- Matching-Numbers Example
- Desirable Factory-Delivered Specifications
- The First 6 1/2-Litre Vanden Plas Sports Tourer
- Well-Documented History Since New
- Ideal International Event Entry
- Beautiful Presentation of a Very Significant Vintage Bentley

- 6,597 CC SOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
- Twin SU Carburetors
- 200 BHP at 3,500 RPM
- 4-Speed Manual “B” Gearbox Upgraded to “C” Specifications
- 4-Wheel Servo-Assisted Mechanical Drum Brakes
- Semi-Elliptical Leaf-Spring Suspension with Friction Shock Absorbers

When assembled at the W.O. Bentley works in late 1926, Chassis BX2421 received several desirable factory upgrades not seen on standard cars until the following year. These special features included the larger 26-gallon petrol tank and the more powerful push-on brakes. Further outfitting included bonnet locks, a side filler for the petrol tank and a rev-counter. Lastly, BX2421 received a lengthened steering column, a rare specification usually intended to accommodate more unusual coachwork. As noted at Vanden Plas on February 19, 1927, and according to Bentley Motors’ specification, BX2421 was slated to receive Vanden Plas coachwork.

The coachwork chosen for BX2421 was not that of an ordinary Vanden Plas Tourer. Most notably, BX2421 was ordered with aluminum paneling, helmeted fenders and dual rear spares, all distinct and attractive in their own right. The scuttle was lengthened and the rear cut short, giving the car the aesthetics of a longer bonnet with the four-seat body ending just over the rear axle. In addition, the brake lever was fitted inside the coachwork and the lampposts were modified and upgraded to fit stirrup-mounted Zeiss headlamps. A Vanden Plas photograph of the car finished in grey with black wheels shows the striking appearance of the big Bentley.

On the 5th of March 1927, order 1377 with Vanden Plas further called for the driver side of the body to be cut down to form an “arm rest.” Additionally, the double rear-spare carrier was altered and a large trunk was added at the rear. A locker was fitted to the driver side, the steps were reduced in width, a center-folding armrest was specified for the back seat and all doors were to have pockets. A flat petrol tank guard was fitted, and lastly, the car was delivered with down cushions, a full set of side curtains and a screen wiper.

BX2421 was unquestionably expensive and undoubtedly intended for long-distance touring and, by the time of its completion, the car was sold to its first owner, E. Bullivant of Mortimer House in London. BX2421 is also noteworthy as the first 6 1/2 Litre delivered with a Vanden Plas Sports Tourer body.

The car saw regular service with Bentley Motors throughout 1928, during which it received many mechanical updates, including coil ignition and an updated carburetor. 1928 also marked the changing of early 6 1/2 Litre dynamo configuration, moving the unit to the front of the crankshaft.

In 1929, Mr. Bullivant part-traded BX2421 to London Rolls-Royce and Bentley agent Jack Barclay for a new Speed Six Saloon. As a dedicated customer, Mr. Bullivant went on to purchase yet another new Bentley in 1931, an 8 Litre Saloon. An invoice from Jack Barclay to Richard Winsloe dated June 13, 1929, marks the sale of BX2421 and a transfer of guarantee. Having traded in his 4 1/2 Litre Tourer, the 6 1/2 Litre purchase required an additional £300.

Upon Mr. Winsloe’s purchase of the Bentley, a service was performed during which the mileage was noted to be 17,443. As expected, the car had been a long-distance tourer. Further maintenance continued and, in approximately one year, Mr. Winsloe had covered just 5,000 miles. In 1930, the car received the updated Bluemel spring steering wheel and, after some engine work, the mileage was set to zero. In 1931, BX2421 received a new front axle assembly at the factory.

After Rolls-Royce purchased Bentley Motors in 1931, maintenance records continued, but the work was often conducted by Birkin & Couper. In the case of BX2421, they were tasked with making the desirable upgrade of modifying the original “B” gearbox with the 3rd and top gear of a “C” Box.

In 1936, after seven years in Mr. Winslow’s ownership, the car was sold to C. Burrage- Moulton of Leverstock Green, near Hemel Hempstead in the UK. In 1949, BX2421 changed hands to Dr. M.H. Harding and later to A.J.L. Evans, G.S. Baigent and N.S. Gibbons in 1957, 1963 and 1964 respectively. In 1966, the car was sold to E.C. Lynch who brought it to the US. G. Hoff purchased the car in 1971, followed by C.F. Brown in 1979 and M. Triggs in 1981.

In 1983, BX2421 subsequently found its way into the hands of Irene Laidlaw. After decades of private ownership, the car was offered to the public in 1990 and made its way back into a private collection in England. In 1991, W.H. Wrather purchased the car from C. Pettit and the Stratford Motor Museum.

Throughout its post-war life, BX2421 saw the replacement of its wings with the more standard Vanden Plas long wings and the fitting of a standard rear-wheel carrier but, prior to its public sale two decades ago, the car appeared again with helmet-style wings and a trunk at the rear. BX2421 has also received the sensible upgrading of carburetion to run the Speed Six dual-SU configuration.

Upon close inspection, one will discover the great originality of the coachwork and, as with all Vanden Plas coachwork, the body number 1377 is stamped in numerous places on the wood framing. The gauges, lamps and other ancillary hardware are either original or correct. Against the firewall under the dash, one can find an exceptionally rare and original insulated pad, which still shows the changing of the dynamo in 1929. For a Bentley expert, BX2421 is exceptionally correct and the original details are a delight to see.

BX2421 remains a matching-numbers example carrying its original body and the first of just five 6 1/2 Litre models built with open Vanden Plas coachwork. This car stands as one of just a handful of surviving original-bodied, matching-numbered 6 1/2 Litres. BX2421 is without question one of the most exceptional Bentleys in the world.

BX2421 is accompanied by Bentley factory and Vanden Plas records, as well as other documentation from its more recent service history. Featured in numerous Bentley publications, BX2421 has remained an important example of the marque. Today, BX2421 is handsomely finished in black over green leather and, having seen regular maintenance over the last decade, is likely be a strong event entry where its immense torque and long legs are sure to impress. A worthy example for the finest collection, this is a Bentley not to be missed.

This car is 'sold' as of Dec 26, 2011.

One of the most significant Vintage Bentleys to be offered for sale in more than 20 years
1927 Bentley 6½ Liter Sports Tourer
Coachwork by Vanden Plas
Chassis no. BX 2421
Engine no. DH 2201
Body no. 1377

This magnificent Bentley is widely acknowledged as being one of the finest of its breed, it was commissioned by a true connoisseur of the marque, E. Bullivant, who tailored its unique sporting coachwork which it still retains to this day, together with all of its major components.

This car benefits from a known and documented history from new. Copies of the Bentley Factory records and Vanden Plas order both exist, and these combined with knowledge of its original owner's verve and taste for Bentleys confirm that it has always been a very special automobile, because it was designed that way.

It was sold new to E. Bullivant of Mortimer House, Egerton Gardens, a substantial town house in London's Knightbridge/Chelsea area. He was a gentleman known to have always commissioned the most up to date, sporting and good looking cars from Bentley Motors. Despite carrying a guarantee date of March 1927, it was fitted from new with the later pattern push-on brakes and a 26 gallon tank, features which would only become standard for the following year. It was equipped with a long steering column, no doubt owing to the necessary rake for its coachwork and at the stern a 3 liter exhaust fishtail finished it off. The requirements to Vanden Plas were equally detailed, the body was paneled, rather than fabric, was designed with an armrest for the driver (as for a team car), it was to have side lockers, a trunk at its rear and a double spare wheel carrier. Full weather protection was required and it had pockets to all the doors. By the time it was finished with accessories including bold Zeiss headlamps, the total cost of the body alone was nearly twice that of a standard VDP body.

Keeping up with the development of the model, Bullivant had the car uprated within his first year of ownership, when it gained the new radiator and crankshaft driven dynamo set up, camshaft damper and 'new type carb'. Even when Bullivant exchanged the car at Jack Barclay for a newer love in 1929, its next owner R. Winsloe kept the car maintained by the factory, and continued updates with high speed oil pump gears, a sprung steering wheel, rear hydraulic shock absorbers to the rear and a Spicer shaft, as well as converting it to a C type 'box with the help of Birkin & Coupers of Welwyn.

Its chassis maintenance records continue right up to 1939, charting the next owner as C. Burrage-Moulton in 1936. The car's subsequent ownership trail is recorded from that day until this, as: Dr. M.H. Harding (1949), A.J.L. Evans (1957), G.S. Baigent (1963), N.S. Gibbons (1964), to the U.S. and E.C. Lynch (1966), G. Hoff (1971), C.F. Brown (1979) at which point it returned to the U.K. to M. Triggs (1981), I. Laidlaw (1983) and then C. Pettit (1988). In this period its carburetion was uprated by highly regarded Bentley specialist Richard Moss with the fitment of early Speed Six pattern twin SU units.

The car was last seen publicly in the zenith of the 1980s market, when Bonhams Chairman Robert Brooks and Head of the Motoring Department James Knight assembled one of the finest auctions of British Sports Cars ever to take place, in Monaco. Shortly after this it passed into a private British collection of exceptionally high quality automobiles, emerging recently for its sale.

Condition
Over the course of its life any minor details altered have been returned to its original form with a sympathetic eye for detail and by known Bentley specialists. Endorsing its originality are period photos from day one, including in its even better looking 1928 onwards guise with front engine driven dynamo, confirming that it was always in the desirable configuration in which it is today. The car is pictured in the standard reference work for this era of Bentley, Hay's Bentley - The Vintage Years (page 93), and in a report completed by the author on the car in the mid-1980s its conclusion is that this 'is probably one of the most desirable 6½ Liters in existence'. Hay recently reviewed, updated and endorsed this with a current report that accompanies the car. Recent research during cataloging by Bonhams has re-confirmed its matched numbers status, including its bodywork and the presence of original detail features such as the rear hydraulic shocks, so often lost over time.

In preparation for the auction, the Bentley has been freshly serviced and detailed by respected California restorer Alan Taylor of Alan Taylor Company, Inc. in Escondido. Aesthetically, it represents an older restoration, its interior, paint and wheels displaying a light patina the like of which suits these brazen war horses and is frequently created artificially on lesser cars. On the road, the performance is still exhilarating; the six cylinders provide a surge of power with a reassuring and solid sensation that there is always more to come as the engine sings through the rev range.

Survival
Vintage Bentleys tended to have hard lives, either in their early days as those who emulated the famed Bentley Boys had a tendency for the 'red mist' to come down and over exert themselves behind the wheel resulting in accidents, or else, later on their coachwork was updated or butchered to maintain the use of their indestructible running gear for a more practical purpose. The cars were frequently altered to become hearses or ambulances, tow trucks and the like, and while the old photos of noble Bentleys being used for more mundane tasks are somewhat entertaining, they are tinged with the sadness that so many great cars have gone by the wayside, particularly during the war.

Quantifying these numbers makes it all the more sobering. While it is a common misconception that all Bentleys were Vanden Plas Tourers, the reality is far from it, particularly on the six cylinder car. Of 544 6½ liter chassis built, only 48 were tourers at all! Of those, Vanden Plas were the favorite choice, but only 19 cars received their open coachwork including the Works Le Mans cars, the remainder being shared by Cadogan, H.J. Mulliner, Hooper, Harrison, Wylder and others. Of that 19, a dozen of the cars survive at all, and of those only 9 retain their original bodywork. A cursory glance through that roster crystallizes the 'carpe diem' moment that the sale of this fine automobile presents.

Summary
Today, the usability of an original bodied, matched numbers Vintage Bentley is multi-faceted, it could be shown on a concours field anywhere in the world, will provide a comfortable long distance driving or touring on the many events for which it is eligible or even exercised on the track that the Bentley marque established the reputation in the 1920s - Le Mans.

With its known pedigree, a fascinating file of correspondence and archive material that even includes a copy of Winsloe's purchase invoice from Jack Barclay in 1929, and its sheer robust elegance it is easy to see why this car is so revered and desired in Bentley circles.

This car is for sale as of August 19, 2011.

1927 BENTLEY 6½-LITRE FOUR-SEAT Tourer
COACHWORK BY Vanden Plas
Reg. No. YE 9859; Chassis No. BX 2421; Engine No. DH 2201

'This was a Six-Cylinder Bentley, and what a wonderful thing to handle it was, I do not think I have driven a car that was so beautifully balanced... A thing of beauty indeed, and, I should imagine, a joy for pretty nearly ever.' The Tatler, London, January 11th, 1928.

After its successful one model policy based on the 3-litre chassis, Bentley decided to add a larger car to appeal to buyers in the Rolls-Royce price league. Their 6½-litre chassis, unveiled at the Olympia Show in the autumn of 1952, could accelerate happily from 3 to 80 m.p.h. in top gear and reach 65 m.p.h. from 10 m.p.h. in third gear in a little under 30 seconds. The 6½-litre and its similar but more highly tuned Speed Six sister were available until 1930, by which time a mere 363 of the former and 181 of the latter had been built. In standard tune the engine produced more power than the Hispano-Suiza H6 and was of course, able to develop even more in race trim. Two victories at Le Mans and a Brooklands Double Twelve were just a few of the engine's many successes.

This 6½-litre has Speed Six carburation and Le Mans pattern exhaust manifolds so presumably develops more than standard power. It was built without the camshaft vibration damper, fitted to most cars, and for this reason, apparently, it was thought mechanically rough by previous owners so it had little use. Six years ago a damper was fitted which has completely transformed the car's refinement. The hood and tonneau are serviceable, as is the majority of the black paintwork. The present owner, who has had possession since early 1988, has carried out further work on the car. This has included the fitting of original-style helmet type wings, side mounted boxes (doubling as steps), and a rear luggage truck onto which twin spare wheels are mounted. The original Vanden Plas body has been resprayed in black, and the interior is finished in green leather.

The car was supplied in 1927 to E. Bullivant and is thought to have spent the greater part of its post-war life in America, until re-imported in 1982. Comprehensive notes exist on its pre-war history, as well as more recent bills pertaining to the work carried out in 1983.

This is an extremely desirable car, made all the more rare by having its original Vanden Plas bodywork. It comes with a V5 registration document and has a U.K. MoT test certificate valid until November 1989.

1927 Bentley Roadster — c1960s by Dallasta.