Ref 40
Bentley 3 ½ Litre Low Door Vanden Plas Tourer
Registration Number: EU registered, BXM514 Chassis Number: B63DK
The first product of the 1931 Rolls-Royce take-over of Bentley, the 3½ Litre was introduced in 1933 and was in essence a sporting version of the Rolls-Royce 20/25. As such, it used the shorter chassis of the stillborn 'smaller' Rolls-Royce, code-named Peregrine, allied to a more powerful version of the 20/25's six cylinder engine with new crossflow cylinder head and camshaft, twin SU carburettors, twin fuel pumps and single coil ignition. Mated to a four-speed transmission with synchromesh and a hypoid bevel rear axle, the latter a first on a Rolls-Royce produced car, the 105bhp 3,699cc engine endowed the 3½ Litre with 90mph plus performance. Notably, this first of the Derby Bentleys was also the first to be marketed as 'The Silent Sports Car'; such was its considerable refinement.
The 3½ Litre soon gained a reputation for pace and fine handling combined with the elegance of hand-built coachwork supplied by various leading coachbuilders in saloon, drop-head coupe and touring guises; as such it found favour with many owner drivers. Few, however, used the 3½ Litre for competition although notable results include Eddie Hall's hat trick of second places in the Ulster TT. Its separate chassis, complete with centralised lubrication system, employed leaf spring suspension and hydraulic shock absorbers front and rear while the brakes were power-assisted by Rolls-Royce's gearbox-driven mechanical servo. Detail modifications were introduced during the 3½ Litre's three year production life, including adjustable shock absorbers in 1935. Production ended the following year after 1,177 examples had been manufactured.
Chassis number B63DK was delivered new in May of 1935 to the acclaimed Hollywood actor Robert Montgomery, who in the same year became President of the Screen Actors Guild, the American labour union representing the film and television industries. At the time, Montgomery was considered to be one of the best-dressed men in Hollywood, even refusing to carry a wallet because he claimed it spoiled the cut of his suits. He went on to receive a nomination for an Oscar for his role in Night Must Fall, in which he played a psychopathic murderer. Montgomery would later go on to direct a number of films of his own as well as hosting his own TV series, Robert Montgomery Presents.
A two-door Vanden Plas-bodied tourer, the car was designated the registration number BXM 514 and delivered to Montgomery's London home in May by Jack Barclay Ltd, and later shipped over to the USA in September.
It was subject to an extensive restoration in 2000, and since that time has resided in the prestigious Keeler Collection, where it has been maintained to a scrupulous standard. Presented with original engine and bodywork, this represents a superb opportunity to acquire an extremely good quality car as well as a piece of vintage Bentley history.
Dieser elegante Bentley 3 ½ Litre wurde ursprünglich an den Hollywood-Schauspieler Robert Montgomery ausgeliefert. Montgomery drehte zu der Zeit in London, später wurde das Fahrzeug in die USA nachgeliefert. Erst im Jahre 2000 wurde der Bentley umfassend restauriert und residierte seitdem in der Keeler-Sammlung in England, wo er stets hervorragend gewartet wurde. Eine seltene Gelegenheit, einen der sehr gefragten Derby-Bentleys mit originaler Karrosserie, dem originalen Motor und interessanter Geschichte zu erwerben.
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