Bentley 3.5-Litre Drophead Coupe

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 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 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 more sporting chassis.  

Dubbed 'The Silent Sportscar' the first Derby Bentley 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."

 

According to copies of the factory build sheets in the history file, this 3.5-litre chassis was delivered from Bentley to the Mulliner coachworks in February 1934. Here it was bodied as a four-door saloon before being sold by Car Mart to a Miss MB Smith. Little is known of the subsequent history of the car but by 1998 it had been acquired by a retired engineer, Reginald Ansell, of Longsdon, Staffs. He was to spend the next two years subjecting the car to a total nut-and-bolt rebuild which resulted in the magnificent machine you see today.

 

As you can see the work was carried out to an astonishingly high standard and included making a complete new body in aluminium in three-position drophead coupe style with a rakish and elegant boat-tail at the rear. During the restoration every single part was repaired or renewed as necessary and the underside of the car is every bit as good as the top with all nuts lock-wired for safety. The attention to detail is exemplary throughout, being typified by the wheelbrace which is hand-crafted from hollow stainless steel tubing for long life and light weight. For more relaxed cruising the car is fitted with 19-inch wheels although the original 18-inch items are included in the sale.

 

The current vendor acquired the car from Mr Ansell in May 2007 since when it has shared garage space with a 1920s Bentley 4.5-litre tourer. During his ownership the car has benefited from considerable further expenditure to make it suitable for reliable everyday use. This included flushing out the radiator and cooling system, overhauling the brakes, rebuilding the main steering arm and renewing the one-shot lubrication system. All the parts required were sourced from Fiennes Restoration – “very expensive but they don’t go wrong!” to quote the vendor.

 

The head was also stripped and rebuilt by Derby Bentley specialist Ken Lee of Madeley, including the fitment of new valve guides, exhaust valves and valve springs. Since then the car has only covered a few hundred miles and the vendor advises that the head will need retorquing after another few hundred miles. Needless to say the car is now said to drive superbly and certainly fired up instantly and ran very smoothly during the occasion of our visit to take these photographs. Surely as good a Derby Bentley as you could ever wish to find, this car is taxed and MOTd and is ready to drive away today.