enquiries@ndrbentley.com+44 1923 220370Bentley 3 4½ Litre Speed Model By Corsica.A Bentley Speed model with a continuous and emotive history.A Bentley which, after 50-year ownership and 57 years in storage, has been the recipient not of a restoration, but a painstakingly detailed and documented preservation to retain the beguiling charm which so captivated a competitive young man named Christopher Tomkinson in the late 1930’s, details of which will follow.Chassis number BL 1604 left the Cricklewood works in April 1927, this being the final year of 3 Litre production. Carrying 3-seater “cloverleaf” coachwork it was sold to Miss Jessie Kerr Waddell of Ulverston Lancashire.The factory service records show that maintenance was taken over in the 1930s by the celebrated Bentley engineer Lewis (Mac) Mckenzie in London. Mac knew how to make Bentleys fly and was immersed in the tuning and racing of the marque.BL1604 was rebuilt by Mac due to crash damage, not uncommon in the period when the fastest...

A matching number 4 1/2 Litre with continuous history. The slightly older restoration provides the car with a certain magical charm, she has only been used sparingly by the current owner of the past 16 years. The car has been kept in perfect mechanical condition. The car drives and perfoms superbly. Registration: XV 8001 Engine Number: XR3332 Chassis Number: XR3330

This car has rallied the world, participating in every major rally over the past 20 years. Always lovingly cared for, with no expense spared, bullet proof engine. A true great, ready to go.

This exceptional vintage Bentley has been meticulously kept having been restored 12 years ago. Supplied originally to Ireland with a saloon body by Harrison, the restoration encompassed every aspect of mechanical attention with skilled craftsmen building the body as seen today. A concours winner which presents beautifully and with a comprehensive file detailing the work carried out. Offers in excees of £500,000.

Prepared for touring and rallying with no expense spared and driving superbly. Good preparation and all the hard, time consuming effort that goes into it always shows and this is clearly demonstrated here. With the rally season approaching this will be a fine and ready candidate.

A carefully thought out restoration of an original 3 Litre Bentley to 4 .5 Litre specification. This 3 Litre is an original tourer with a continuous history and when purchased in need of refreshment the decision was made to install an original 4 .5 litre engine, which was rebuilt with Phoenix crank and rods. All coachwork, paint and trim carried out to an exacting standard with attention to detail. A splendidly finished vintage Bentley with a delightful gearbox and long legged rear axle which makes for very enjoyable touring. It would be impossible to buy a 3 Litre and carry out the work to this exacting standard and attention to detail. So here is a ready to go vintage Bentley in excellent order throughout with a good history at the right price with all the hard work done.

In 1927 when the 4 ½ Litre Bentley was announced it was possible to order this engine in the 9’ 9 ½ inch wheelbase as opposed to the standard 10’ 10-inch offering. Should the customer wish to take up this option, the factory would take a new 3 Litre Speed Model chassis from stock and build the car around it. In the event only 10 customers took advantage of this and so the short chassis 4 ½ Litre Bentley remains the rarest of all Cricklewood Bentleys. Subsequently, as the sporting nature of the vintage Bentley gained broader appeal and the demand for saloons simultaneously declined, the more spirited and sports minded motorist awoke to the idea of a powerful, open sporting Bentley. By then it was too late. The Cricklewood factory had closed its doors for the last time. Thus, our sporting motorist was left with two options; to go in search of one of the ten, or to produce his or her own. The shortening of the standard chassis was one method, the other was to find a 3 Litre Speed model and...

What a great way to enjoy proper vintage motoring in the most robust of pre war sporting cars.A well sorted vintage Bentley is a great all rounder, which totally engages the driver on the road in a way which could only be achieved in a modern supercar on a circuit.Life is never dull.Vintage Bentleys are driven, raced and rallied across the world on a regular basis and delight the driver, passenger and spectator in equal measure.It is wonderful, that a company which closed its doors for the last time 93 years ago can still hold such a magic today.A vintage Bentley is undeniably British and has that unique quality of bringing admiration and affection to those who come into contact with them. Regarded with admiration, like a road going Spitfire and with affection – like a shire horse, you want to give them a pat when they are standing still.A vintage Bentley is a magnificent machine and hugely usable.So if you think that vintage motoring is the last bastion of pipe smokers, polishers...

Thrupp and Maberly body 11’2″ chassis.Matching numbered, original body, but as exciting as watching paint dry.The accountants were running the company by 1930 and it was decided to buy in a new 4 Litre engine from engineering company Ricardo rather than produce their own engines.The power to weight ratio was awful, fifty cars were produced and the factory doors were closed for the last time.A vintage Bentley is about the parts designed by Mr. Bentley and assembled in the Bentley works and those last fifty cars were not what he wanted. But he had no choice.Within no time independant Bentley specialists set about removing this mis- matched engine and retro- fitting (as we say today) proper Bentley engines.So you can make the choice exactly as owners did in period, live with it as is, or have some fun.

The first and most famous 4½ Litre Bentley, chassis number ST3001, was registered YH 3196 and prepared in time for the 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans.The new and more powerful engine, the same bore and stroke as the existing 6 ½ Litre but with 2 less cylinders, combined with the 3 Litre chassis, instantly showed its attributes on this demanding circuit. Its debut was cut in dramatic circumstances at the well documented “White House Corner” incident at 9.30 in the evening when driver Leslie Callingham swerved to avoid a car which was sideways across the track. ST3001 rolled into a ditch, Callingham survived a flight into a hedge and the two 3 Litre Bentley team cars ploughed into the wreckage.ST 3001, christened “Old Mother Gun” by the works, took victory at Le mans the following year and 2nd place in 1929.Old Mother Gun, as with any racing car, underwent many changes and has been re-constructed based on its original specification incorporating the original axles to replicate...

An early 3 Litre, much changed over the years. Non original body, not matching numbered and the recipient of eye watering expenditure in the last seven or eight years to make it a stonking* rally or fast road car.Brilliant handling, immense torque, full of character. All the hard work done.Whilst this is a Cricklewood Bentley, not a reproduction, to be fair it is more of interest to the motorist than the historian. Should you fall into that latter category we can offer a fully matching numbered original 3 Litre Speed model with its original Vanden Plas body.Relevant works include:Completely rebuilt engine with 5.3 cylinder block, Phoenix crank and rods.Differential rebuilt, to later 4 star pattern and 8 Litre driveshafts fitted.Radiator rebuilt.Clutch assembly replaced.Overdrive fitted for long distance cruising.Don’t be deluded and buy a basket case thinking that you can do it all for less., because it simply can’t be done, it will take ages, end in tears and make no financial...

Ideal for the enthusiast with a project on the go.A complete 4 Litre engine including the original SU HG5 carburettors, a valuable commodity in their own right.The 6 cylinder 4 Litre engine is a quiet running engine, but was not matched to the chassis in which it was placed, which was designed for an engine of twice that capacity.Fifty 4 Litres were produced, the majority of which have had their engines replaced by Mr. Bentley’s 6.5 or 8 Litre engines and this is the case here.Buyer collects, but we may be able to assist with delivery if required.

We have written many times about the Ricardo 4 Litre engine which was placed into the 8 Litre chassis in 1931, which was sanctioned by the accountants who were running the company.It was an attempt at cost saving which simply didn’t work in practice. The 4 litre engine was fine, but it was not powerful enough for the magnificent 8 Litre chassis and it turned a magnificent Bentley into a complete dullard. Fifty were made and the company closed its doors.Thankfully within 12 months, former employees of the Bentley company were removing the Ricardo engine and fitting 61/2 or 8 Litre engines and, thank the Lord, this practice has continued by proper Bentley folk ever since. Only a handful of original 4 Litres survive and far from being sought for their originality are sought by enthusiasts to be fitted with the wonderful Bentley 6 1/2 or 8 Litre engines, for in such a Bentley is all of the old company’s best bits.Of course there are are a few diehards who persist with the 4 Litre...

As you can see not all vintage Bentleys are green and wherever one goes in this one the colour is always favourably remarked upon.Originally a saloon by Canterbury firm Martin Walter, the body was in very shabby condition by the 1960s when this high quality VDP style touring body was fitted.During the war, when most Bentleys were laid up due to fuel rationing this one was requisitioned by the Home Office to do its bit for King and Country,There have been a couple of titled owners over the years and the current owner has enjoyed sterling service from this old Bentley for the last 27 years and covered 50,000 or so highly enjoyable miles, with no journey left unfinished.This 4 ½ litre drives remarkably well, taking traffic and motorways in its stride and providing proper motoring enjoyment. Being a late production model it has the heavy crankshaft engine, as fitted to the supercharged Bentleys.Drive this and you will realise just what a fantastic engineer W.O. Bentley was. Do not be fooled...

In excellent condition since a complete rebuild 10 years ago this four and a half litre drives beautifully. The paintwork and trim are in lovely order and the original engine has been rebuilt with a Laystall crank and shell bearing rods. All this hard work carried out by a long standing owner and devotee of vintage Bentleys, so it is no surprise that on the road she is everything one could hope for.On the road this very well sorted vintage Bentley is smooth and powerful with very sharp handling and a delightful D type gearbox.press the starter button and she is ready to go and is easily capable of undertaking any long journey or event, or for the more adventurous would be a sound contender for one of the more arduous motoring events where Bentleys excel.

Our world of vintage Bentleys is a game of two halves. Half the enjoyment is from spending so much time with these incredible Cricklewood cars, with their robust engineering and incredible usability on the open road or in modern traffic. After hundreds of thousands of miles, in literally hundreds of vintage Bentleys, our amazement and respect never wains. The all engaging motoring experience and the combination of affection and admiration from bystanders makes every journey an occasion.A vintage Bentley, in any form, engenders that affection and admiration in the same way as a Shire horse, Spitfire, cricket on a village green, or simply the sight of a pint jug of beer. It’s a peculiarly British thing – we’re a funny old crowd.The other half is the people we meet. Vintage Bentleys have been the catalyst that have brought so many people together, so many of whom have formed lasting friendships, lasting generations. There’s nothing flash, no bling, just people who enjoy motoring and having...

One change of owner in the last 65 years and with documented history from new which makes enjoyable reading.A proper old school vintage Bentley ready to go anywhere.This Speed model represents the crackling enthusiasm for the marque which breathed life into Cricklewood Bentleys after the war.The end of petrol rationing, which carried on intermittently until 1950, saw many of our cars emerge from their slumbers. Enthusiasts with clear memories of the old Bentley company and the daring exploits of the racing drivers of the “roaring twenties” embraced the Bentley phenomenon. They repaired, they raced, they toured, they shared knowledge and went on to form lasting friendships. It was the Golden Age of the vintage Bentley reborn.Those that wanted some real get up and go and great handling bought a short chassis 3 Litre, purchased a 4 ½ litre engine and drove it with enthusiasm – or to use a modernism “they drove it like they stole it,”Our Bentley here is one for...