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HISTORY BY CHASSIS
All W.O. Bentleys with original Chassis nos.
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1919-1931

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3 Litre 6½ Litre
4½ Litre 4½ Litre S/C
8 Litre 4 Litre
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P H O T O   O F   T H E   D A Y
1924 Bentley 3 Litre
More about this car
Photo Courtesy: Bonhams
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Showing 3247 of 3248 records
 
Benjafield’s Racing Club Yorkshire Rally
The Benjafield’s Racing Club gathered at club member Jonathan Turner’s home at Bowcliffe Hall on Saturday 15 October for the one-off Yorkshire Buccaneer event. Local enthusiasts and car owners enjoyed a day of Yorkshire-themed action at the unique MSA-approved rally, attended by a total of 41 historic cars. [More]

The Syd Lawrence Special: Surprise chassis discovery?
For sixty-six years the chassis no. for Syd Lawrence's racing car VMF 944 has been known to be the odd-sounding '102/50 ML'. Now in 2016, it has had the W.O. Chassis no. 708 bestowed on it. Deal with it. [More]

Incredibly rare 1928 Bentley car re-discovered after over 50 years
Taken apart and stored in boxes for decades, it was finally reassembled to its former state in 2015.

This 4½ litre vintage Bentley (Reg UP 2100) was taken apart and kept in boxes for more than 50 years. It has been reassembled to its former state and could now be worth £800,000. The dismantled 1928 4.5-litre Drop Head registration UP 2100 was found at a three-storey house after its owner Stuart Wallace died last year aged 75. [More]

When is a Vintage Bentley a real Vintage Bentley? And when is it a reproduction or fake?
Well known dealer and restorer Stanley Mann recently quoted auto historian Clare Hay's views on this subject. Read this piece and also the opinions of our readers. [More]


James E. Pearce - Master Coachbuilders
In the finest tradition of Vintage Bentley coachbuilding

The 'James E. Pearce' coachbuilders company was started by Jim Pearce in London in the late 1950s. His son David Pearce worked alongside Jim for over 30 years, and in the year 2000 Jim was able to retire as David took over the ownership and running of the business providing the same impeccable service to customers all over the world. [More]


The Life and Times of Chassis 348
When I was asked to write an article telling the story of our 3 litre Bentley, chassis 348, I answered “Ok, but once her 90th birthday present restoration is complete.” That has given me a 2-year reprieve, but now the time has come to put pen to paper, or should I say finger to keyboard? So, where to start? I have known the car since my father, Edgar Ridgen, called in to my boarding school in Timaru when first taking her home to Greendale, after purchasing her in 1976. But of course 348’s story starts a bit earlier than that; shall we say October 1923, her delivery date...[More]


Bentley Blue Train dominates Schloss Bensberg Classics
Some 85 years after the famous victory that made its name, the Bentley ‘Blue Train’ is still enjoying winning ways, picking up four prestigious awards at the Schloss Bensberg Classics event in Germany. The Speed Six ‘Blue Train’ coupe, owned by Mr Bruce McCaw, dominated the field at the invitation-only event, which is one of Europe’s premier classic concours shows. It was named ‘Best in Class: The Style of Speed’; ‘Best of Show: Public Vote’; ‘Best of Show: Jury Vote’; and ‘Best in Special Category: Pre-War Closed Models’. [More]


British Speed in Italy: Bentley marks anniversary with Mille Miglia Run
In 1930, ‘Bentley Boy’ Tim Birkin claimed his aborted attempt on the Mille Miglia in his legendary Blower was due to a lack of “due preparation”. 85 years on, Bentley has ensured all plans are in place for a successful Blower run in the 2015 event. ‘Bentley Boys’ the Hon. Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin and Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato were to be the first British drivers to attempt the thousand-mile Italian test of endurance, in a supercharged ‘Bentley Blower’ known as the No. 2 ‘Birkin Blower’. [More]


Bentley on a Shoestring
Years ago I owned a Bentley, NF 3906; and I spent many hours bringing it back to life. The story has never been told because Brian Morgan had written his account of a rebuild in ‘The Review’ and it made me ashamed at my feeble effort. However whilst browsing through an old copy of ‘The Review’ (January 1961), I found an article 'GT 8773 is tidied up'. In it I noticed some parallels with my efforts with NF 3906. Also in a recent 'Review' an article on ‘Why I own a Bentley’ with a footnote from the Editor 'Any more reasons'. That footnote more or less tipped the scales and although I don’t now own a Bentley, I did once and here’s why and how. [More]


The Story of the First 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923
The year 2013 was the 90th anniversary of the very first 24 Hours of Le Mans. At 4 PM on May 26, 1923, shortly after the onset of a rain shower, the starter's flag fell. And as the assembled cars — of which only one, a Bentley 3.0 Sport, wasn't built in France — scrabbled away on the roughly surfaced road, the rain turned to hail. [More]


Oil filter and circulation system in Vintage Bentleys
Should the oil filter and circulation system on an early 3 Litre (or any other Vintage Bentley) be maintained as original or can it, or should it be improved or replaced? There have been several attempts in the past and apparently with good results. One disadvantage is that originality is altered. In some cases, drastically. There have been several replacement filter systems suggested in the past. Going a step further are the modifications that were done to The Great American Racer, an early 3 Litre owned by Dick Burdick that has made several rally runs across the United States. The objective was to limit engine wear and increase reliability with a modern oil pump/filter system on chassis 392. [Updated with reader comments]

 

QUESTION 0024: Hi, I'm very curious to know whether there was any set shade of green for vintage Bentleys. [More]

 
 
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C L U B    T A L K

Car clubs are lifelines and second families for owners of vintage cars. Participating in tours, social and car events provides invaluable information, restoration help and parts, as well as developing friendships which revolve around the cars. Club membership makes a Bentley more enjoyable to own. A sleeping Bentley is a great piece of sculpture — touring in it with friends makes your Bentley come alive. VintageBentleys.org wants all Bentleys to come alive and produce the famous Bentley "burble" that makes everyone smile. Now, join your friends in club activities.

The following clubs have very active Bentley involvement and we encourage you to join and participate in club events.

 
Bentley Drivers Club
Bentley Drivers Club of Australia
Classic Car Club of America
Veteran Motor Car Club of America
Rolls-Royce Owners Club
Vintage Sports Car Club
Vintage Sports Car Club of America
Antique Automobile Club of America
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photograph received from Simon Hunt for Chassis No. RL3439
Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Chassis No. 147
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
Sep 23, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. XU 6570
Sep 22, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. YV 7263
Sep 21, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Chassis No. XF3520
Sep 18, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. NU 2222
Sep 17, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Greg Wrapson for Chassis No. LB2343
Sep 16, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Chassis No. 155
Sep 15, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Registration No. GJ 4382
Sep 14, 2020 - Info and photographs received from David Peregrine for Registration No. SC 674
Sep 11, 2020 - Info and photographs added for Registration No. STD WO 79H
Sep 10, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Roger Morton for his Chassis No. 134
Sep 09, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Simon Laidlaw for his Chassis No. FB3303
Sep 08, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Registration No. NK 2791
Sep 07, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Adrian Herring for his Chassis No. 299
Sep 04, 2020 - Info and photograph received from Felix Hartmann for his Chassis No. 790
Sep 03, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Larry & Sue Hilliard for RC2895
Sep 02, 2020 - Info and photographs added for Registration No. GK 3840
Sep 01, 2020 - Info and photographs added for Registration No. GK 706
[More]
 
MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER
... Welcome Vintage Bentley Owners,
Enthusiasts and Club Members ...

As a teenage car "nut" in the 1950s I had read about Vintage Bentleys and had put them at the top of my list of the 10 most desirable cars that I hoped to one day own. My first actual exposure to them came in 1975 on a vacation to England. The sight and burbling exhaust sounds of Vintage Bentleys racing at Silverstone confirmed my desire to own one. The proud moment occurred in 1981 with the purchase of a 1925 3 Litre Speed Model (Chassis No. 869).     [More]

- Robert McLellan
- Biographical Sketch
- Website Objectives and Guidelines
- Disclaimer & Copyright Information
 
 
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

For the last 50 years, Robert McLellan has collected anything and everything to do with W.O. Bentleys (including 3-litre Chassis no. 869). The idea in his head was to account for every 1919-1931 Bentley ever produced — and track it from back then to the present time. I'm sure he had no idea how he would eventually present all the history he had accumulated. And then, as if on cue, the Internet came along...     [More]

- Mona Nath, Editor-in-chief
 
VINTAGE BENTLEY FOR SALE

Free Ads for individuals & dealers
 
1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Vanden Plas
Chassis No. FS3612
1924 Bentley 3/5 litre Le Mans Style
Chassis No. 773
1922 Bentley 3 Liter Sports Tourer
Chassis No. 103
1924 Bentley 3 Litre
Reg No. XT 3560
1931 Bentley 8 litre Sports Tourer
Chassis No. YX5116
1931 Bentley 4 Litre
Chassis No. VA4100
1925 Bentley 3 Litre Short Chassis
Reg No. MH 4796
1930 Bentley 6 1/2-Litre Speed Six
Reg No. GK 7213
1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Sports Tourer
Chassis No. ST3006
1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Le Mans
Chassis No. AB3357
1927 Bentley 3/4½ Litre Tourer
Reg No. NF 3906
 
BENTLEY DRIVERS CLUB REVIEW

The latest issue is now available. BDC members are enjoying their cars. Since 1936, the BDC has been the home of vintage Bentleys. Join the fun.

For further information go to www.bdcl.org

 
 
LETTER TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

We appreciate all of the photographs of Vintage Bentleys, historic and restoration information, questions, advertisements, etc., that you have been sending. With the support of hundreds of Bentley owners, enthusiasts and clubs, this web site has developed into a first class resource for Vintage Bentley support and information with top search engine rating.

Let us help you discover and develop the history of your Vintage Bentley. Using photographs, information and records you obtain from the Bentley Drivers Club, we will build a history that past owners and enthusiasts who are knowledgeable about your car can add to. Viewers of this website enjoy solving the mysteries of the past by providing photographs and information that they have accumulated. For an example of what can be done for a car see 3 Litre Chassis No. 869.

These web pages are set up with high levels of security so that people cannot easily download or copy this information. But, as an owner, if you want to give copies of the page to friends we can arrange for you to be able to print it out.

www.VintageBentleys.org

 
 
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October 2019 issue
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