Bean Model 12 Two-Seater Roadster

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Launched at the London Motor Show of 1919, the Bean 11.9 was the car that was supposed to revolutionise the UK motor industry.

The brainchild of ambitious Brummie industrialist, John 'Jack' Harper Bean, it was essentially a modernised version of the Perry 11.9, about 400 of which had been made in Tyseley, Birmingham, between 1914 and 1917. Relatively light and nimble and capable of 50mph from its 1.7-litre 4-cylinder sidevalve engine, the Bean sold well and by July 1920 over 500 cars a month were rolling from the gates of Bean’s purpose-built factory in Dudley.

Spurred on by this early success, the ambitious Mr Bean had visions of rivalling Henry Ford, raising £6 million to acquire over a dozen more automotive firms with the aim of producing 100,000 cars and lorries a year, 50,000 of which would be Beans. But when the economy suddenly collapsed at the end of 1920, Bean was left hopelessly over-exposed and his fledgling empire came crashing down around his ears.

By 1922 the worst of the recession was over and Bean managed to raise sufficient capital to restart production, albeit at a much reduced scale, bringing out two new models, the Bean 12 and 14. But a combination of bad management and poor investment meant things soon went wrong again and Bean car production ground to a halt once more in the summer of 1929, this time for good. Ten years had passed since Bean's first bold attempt to turn Dudley into Detroit, but only 17,000 cars ever rolled from the factory gates, including 3,000 Bean 12 models.

Today fewer than 100 Bean cars are known to survive worldwide, the majority of them in Australia where a Bean 14 won everlasting fame by becoming, in 1924, the first motor car to drive across the continent and back. An epic 14,000 mile journey across the trackless, still largely unexplored outback.

This 1925 Bean 12 was stumbled upon by the previous owner while on holiday in Australia in 1997. It had been on display in a local museum for the previous 25 years but was now in need of a new home as the museum was closing down. Being a Wolverhampton man himself, he was keen to do a deal and the car was soon on its way back to its birthplace in the Black Country which it had left over 70 years before.

Treated to a high quality restoration which is documented on photographs in the history file, the car was soon out on the show circuit where we are told that it scooped up various awards before being acquired by the current keeper in 2003. Still in fine condition throughout and well known in Bean circles, it is believed to be one of only three Model 12 Two-Seater Roadsters still surviving worldwide.

It comes with three old MOTs from 1997, 2002 and 2003, correspondence from the Bean Car Club confirming it as a 1925 model, a 1997 valuation certificate and a current V5C. Find another one!