Registration No: NLC 826
Chassis No: B134SR
MOT: Exempt

• Large history file detailing the full mechanical overhaul and maintenance to date.
• Powered by a Triple SU Carburettor fed 4887cc Bentley S1 engine with high ratio back axle
• Veteran of numerous rallies
• Current ownership for over 30 years by long time Bentley Drivers' Club member

Many a Bentley enthusiast has dreamt of Cricklewood and Derby Bentley ownership. However, due to values of the pre-war machines always commanding a hefty premium, if one desired a more sporting Bentley ownership experience, it was up to the visionary owner to achieve that level of excitement by developing their own ‘built-not-bought’ philosophy. Due to corrosion prone coachwork, even as early as the 1960s there were many Bentley MkVI and R-Type ‘standard steel’ saloons with delapidated bodies that had reached a stage of uneconomical restoration. What remained was a near unbeatable chassis that presented a fantastic opportunity for the creative enthusiast to design whichever coachwork they had dreamt of. Resultingly, a plethora of exciting 'specials' emerged that could be both stylish and with far more sporting performance than the standard machines.

Understood to have been first registered on 19th December 1952 as a Standard Steel Saloon, little is known of the early history of Chassis B134R until 1981, when it arrived to the Eaton Bishop based coachbuilders Derek James on the instruction of R. M. Ecroyd of Hereford, a well known local businessman in the sale of farm machinery. Derek James were responsible for a number of attractive Bentley MkVIs and penned an elegant 1930s look that was in stark contrast to the usual brace of Vintage-era style bodies. The bodywork is a fully enclosed design with flowing wings in the vein of a number of Derby built Bentleys, with the chassis remaining at the standard 10' 0" wheelbase of the MkVI and with standard mechanical specification. In 1985, custodianship transferred to a Mr D. Keys of Hove, West Sussex who kept the car until the vendor acquired it in 2006. The vendor, a long term Bentley Drivers' Club member, decided after his acquisition of the car that the condition had deteriorated beyond his liking and found this an excellent opportunity to overhaul the bodywork and mechanicals and redesign some of the areas that he felt that the design was lacking. Documented in the history file, this resulting in the reworking of the hood, a fabric covering over the rear end of the bodywork with an attractive two-tone paint scheme in Green and Cream added, a reworking of the interior into the sumptuous green leather arrangement presented today. Mechanically, the vendor opted to fit an S1 engine and uprated the S1 cylinder head with triple SU HD8 carburettors and a bespoke exhaust system for more power, and exchanged the entire rear axle with the special ratio of 14/41 (2.92:1). What resulted was a car that the vendor describes as having been a fabulous touring car, which he has been able to use and enjoy on many long distance jaunts across Europe as expected. Unfortunately, due to ill health, the vendor has opted to let this very special car move onto a new owner as he is just not using it to its full potential.

On inspection, we were very pleased to find that the car is still in 'excellent' condition, which the vendor agrees with. Although the car sees little use at present, the history file tells a story of fastidious maintenance with two separate folders which total over 2 inches in thickness with invoices from the likes of Herne Motors Canterbury who are an esteemed specialist in Kent. The vendor describes the mechanical condition as 'excellent' and the body and paintwork as 'very good' with minimal signs of wear and tear, testament to the quality of work completed during the comprehensive overhaul nearly twenty years previous.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430