Bentley 3.5-litre Tourer

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The 2,422 Bentleys produced between 1933 and 1939 are known as the 'Derby Bentleys' after the Rolls-Royce factory in which they were built.

Rolls-Royce had secretly acquired Bentley Motors from the receiver in 1931 and was determined to honour the magnificent sporting heritage that came with this illustrious brand. Although the new cars were based on the existing Rolls-Royce 20/25 and 25/30 models, they were much more than a badge-engineering exercise with considerably more powerful engines and a sporting chassis which had been developed for the still-born Supercharged Peregrine project.

Known as the 'The Silent Sportscar', the first Derby Bentleys had a 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine with a new cross-flow cylinder head, twin SU carbs and twin fuel pumps. Feeding its 105bhp through a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, the car was good for a genuine 90mph and was widely praised for its combination of speed, refinement and handling prowess. Even WO Bentley himself was reported as saying: "Taking all things into consideration, I would rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under that name."

Each chassis left the factory without bodywork, apart from the radiator and bonnet. It was delivered to the coachbuilder of the customer’s choice to have a body built to order. The majority (almost 50%) went to Park Ward, but there were 36 other coachbuilders in the UK who are also known to have bodied the cars. Foremost among these were Thrupp & Maberly of London who built 214 Derby Bentley bodies, of which 161 were saloons in one form or another. Formed in 1858 as the result of a merger between George Maberly and Joseph Thrupp (who had been making carriages since 1760), the firm famously bodied Sir Henry Segrave's land speed record car, the Golden Arrow, in 1929.

Chassis number B120AH was one such car and was dispatched from Crewe to Thrupp and Maberly on 9 May 1934. At some time, it is believed immediately pre- or post-war, the car was rebodied with the coachwork that it carries today. The coachbuilder is not known, although it retains the Thrupp and Maberly coachmakers plate on the sill. Alongside is a supplying dealer plate from David Scott-Moncrieff & Son of Leek, the well known specialist in vintage Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes cars, so it appears to have been through their hands at some point.

It is understood that having spent some time in Germany, it then crossed the Atlantic to America where it was discovered in around 2005, hiding away in a dry shed in Minnesota where it had lain for some 30 years. It was offered at auction near San Francisco and was shortly after repatriated to the UK.

The aluminium bodywork is well preserved, although it does fall into the ever popular ‘oily rag’ category, the vendor having made some cosmetic improvements by fitting a new laminated windscreen and top rail. We are advised that while the hood is in excellent condition, it will require slight modification to suit this setup. It's pram irons, not yet fitted, come with the car and a new hood bag was tailored and fitted in 2013.

The mechanics have been overhauled, including new exhaust valves, head gasket and a refurbished fuel tank. The twin SU carburettors have been carefully tuned and the car has had a recent service.

Fitted with good tyres, it runs well and would be a perfect contender for the oily rag rallies that are becoming ever more popular of late.