Flying Scotsman vintage vehicle rally Cairngorms National park Scotland, April 2017

Nov 4, 2014: Sold

1927 Bentley 6.5 Litre
Registration: YU 3741
Chassis: PR 2321
Engine: PR 2323

Walter Owen Bentley first designed the 6.5 Litre to provide a more refined and luxurious sister model to the successful 3 Litre as its extra power and size allowed coachbuilders to realise evermore elaborate designs. It made Bentley a direct competitor against Rolls Royce with their Phantom I, a technology race that would see the development of the 6.5 Litre into the Speed Six and then the 8 Litre, all engineering masterpieces.

PR 2321 was delivered in November 1927, completed to 1928 specification and it received a Coupe body from Park Ward. According to the Bentley service records the first owner was the Hon. Evan Charteris KC of Grosvenor Square and he kept the car for 2 years. All four pre war owners had PR 2321 serviced by the Bentley works so its history during this period is very clear and shows that it received various modifications by the works including the fitment of twin SUs in May 1934 (believed to be the same SU HVG5s fitted today and as fitted to Speed Sixes). The service records also show that PR 2321 retains its original C type gearbox today.

In 1951 PR 2321 was exported to the USA and was enjoyed by three owners there. Whilst across the pond its Park Ward body was removed and a Cord body was installed on the chassis. Shortly after returning to the UK in 1972, its new English owner John Middleton installed an original Martin Walter coupe body from SB2761. Middleton kept PR 2321 with this pretty body for several years before he sold the car and it was restored as a Vanden Plas Le Mans style tourer, the coachwork it has carried to this day.

Continuous history from 1927 and mechanically highly original with a desirable Le Mans tourer bodywork, PR 2321 is a very well presented car. It still has its matching numbers on the chassis (front dumb-iron and cross member), steering box, gearbox, crankcase, front axle and back axle; making this car extremely good value compared to an equivalent 4.5 litre or other non matching or made up 'Big Sixes'. The perfect car for touring, fast road work or long distance rallies like the ever popular Flying Scotsman.

Cafe Au Lait Rally to Dresden, September 2013

Gordon Bennett Rally, Ireland, June 2013

"I have just seen an advertisement for this car (Chassis no PR2321) in Motor Sport, April 1951 @ £450.00.."

This photograph is from an advertisement by Coys of Kensington in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, January 1982.

Text in advt reads: 1929 W.O. BENTLEY 6½ LITRE. Fitted with MARTIN WALTER two door sports saloon coachwork. This most imposing motor car has had factory modification to Speed Six specification.

Gurney Nutting Coupe.

The car in above photograph has been identified as Chassis no. PR2321 by our reader Ernst Jan Krudop. Ernst cites two references: Ref: Coachwork on Vintage Bentleys, page 44 :: Ref: Bentley, The Vintage Years, page 96 — May 12, 2009

This photograph is from an advertisement by Clarendons in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, November 1980.

Text in advt reads: 1927 W. O. BENTLEY 6 1/2 LITRE. Fitted with MARTIN WALTER 2 door sports saloon coachwork. Factory modifications to Speed Six specification.

This photograph is from an advertisement by Clarendons in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, June 1980.

Text in advt reads: 1928 W. O. BENTLEY 6½ LITRE. Two door coach-work by Martin Walter. This magnificent sports saloon is brilliantly finished in yellow with black wings and top. The upholstery is light tan hide with complementary carpets and headlining. Excellent in all respects, with lots of power available.

Matt Sysak has identified car in above photograph as being Chassis no. PR2321. "Originally Park Ward coupe body no. 3055. Now Martin Walter coupe ex. chassis SB2761." — Jan 10, 2009

This photograph is from an advertisement by Stanley Mann in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, December 1979.

Text in advt says: 1928 6½ Litre Bentley. In mint condition, for those who appreciate a real vintage Bentley and dislike draughts, blowing hair and pneumonia. £28,950

Matt Sysak has identified car in above photograph as being Chassis no. PR2321. "Originally Park Ward coupe body no. 3055. Now Martin Walter coupe ex. chassis SB2761." — Jan 10, 2009

This photograph is from an advertisement by Stanley Mann in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, November 1979.

Text in advt reads: 1928 6½ litre in mint condition, total ground up restoration: speed six mechanical specification, very attractive: two door fixed head coupe body by Martin Walters.

Matt Sysak has identified car in above photograph as being Chassis no. PR2321. "Originally Park Ward coupe body no. 3055. Now Martin Walter coupe ex. chassis SB2761." — Jan 10, 2009

This photograph is from an advertisement by Stanley Mann in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, September 1979.

Text in advt reads: 1928 Bentley 6½ litre fixed head coupe rebuilt and immaculate, speed six mod engine, fast and comfortable.

1928 Bentley 6½ Litre 2 + 2-Seater Fixed-Head Coupe
Coachwork By Martin Walter. Folkestone
Chassis No. PR 2321; Engine No. PR 2323; Reg. No. YU 3741

Engine, six-cylinder, overhead-camshaft, monobloc, bore 100mm.. stroke 140mm.. capacity 6,597 c.c.: dual ignition: four-speed gearbox, right-hand change: spiral bevel final drive: footbrake on four wheels, handbrake on rear wheels: suspension semi-elliptic front and rear: wheelbase 3.658m. (144in.): tyre size 7.00 x 21 : price new in England (chassis), £1,575.

Bentley's super-car, the 6 1/2-litre, unveiled at Olympia in October 1925 was an attempt to challenge Rolls-Royce on their own ground. From late 1928 there was the Speed Six version with 160-180 b.h.p., capable of 145 km/h (90 m.p.h.) even with saloon bodywork. Both types came in a variety of wheelbases from 3.378m. (132in.) up to 3.88m. (152 1/2 in.). This twelve-footer comes midway up in overall dimensions, and like a number of 6l-litres, has had its engine converted to Speed Six specification by the factory. It carries very occasional four-seater, fixed-head coupe coachwork by Martin Walter in yellow and black, with fawn interior trim: this, though an original Bentley body of the right period (Martin Walter bodied quite a few 6 1/2-litres) is not the original one fitted to the car, which was delivered a Park Ward coupe. The substitution was made while the car was in the U.S.A., after the late War. the Martin Walter body being acquired from the collection of the late William E. Klein.

The vehicle has been the subject of a comprehensive restoration : bills are available for five-figure sums from such firms as Hofmann and Mountfort, Dick Brockman, Alan Geater, C G. Jarvis and Son, and John Marks (for instruments). The brief when the rebuild was put in hand in 1974 was to bring the vehicle up to the highest standards while deviating minimally (if at all) from original Bentley specifications. The car has been stripped down to chassis level and the engine entirely rebuilt. All wiring has been renewed, and the clutch relined and refaced. Seals and bearings have, of course, been renewed in gearbox and Back axle, but no other replacement parts were found necessary in either component. The body has been rebuilt with new trim and paint, and a new leather top.

This car was owned by John Middleton from 1975 to 1979.

"Matt Sysak is correct about the Martin Walter body... I purchased the body complete; it was supposed to have been burnt and was abandoned in nettles at a garage near Ascot, having been removed from Speed 6, GJ 755. Later I swapped the bonnet off YU3741 for the long bonnet on the Speed 6 so that my car would in turn look as M.W. had intended. It was never the Olympia Show car, but was obviously made to a similar design."