1934 Bentley 3½ Litre Park Ward Sports Saloon

A good, sound car, perhaps needing some cosmetic improvement, but in sound, correct condition, and has been used and enjoyed recently by the last owner. The deep red paintwork is suffering from age, but the structure of the coachwork is fine, the doors closing nicely and fitting well. Interior is grey leather with fresh carpets, also grey, and the headlining is in good order.  Overall, the car is very useable, and looks impressive with its array of lamps and horns, and is fitted with a ‘backward leaning’ flying B mascot. The history file includes various correspondence, old MoT certificates, a green logbook from the 1960s, and an original handbook as well as a modern reproduction. Mechanically good following a great deal that has been spent on the car over the last fifty years, totalling £135,000, all fully documented with invoices. This includes major work, such as engine, rear axle and radiator overhauls, plus, of course, much more besides, details of which are available. In addition to this, the car is fitted with a high ratio back axle, which very much helps with cruising on long-distance touring. All of this puts the car puts the car in good stead for the future!

Price £39,500.

Snippets: Land, Steel & Steam Rollers

John “Jock” Wightman (1902/76) took delivery of B26BN at Maltby House, Louth which the Wightman family had owned since the turn of the century.  His mother, Hannah Louise Wightman nee Milnthorpe was also a keen motorist with GSY76, a 1933 Rolls-Royce Hooper Sports Saloon being registered to her.  Between the two generations we know of at least 8 Bentley & 3 Rolls-Royce cars that the family owned.  The Wightman family also owned The Lodge at Carlton & Thathwell Hall in Louth.  Hannah Wightman was the daughter of George Milnthorpe, his 1^st wife died in 1915 aged 73 and he remarried in 1916 to a young lady who was only 28 when they wed!  When George died in 1923 his estate was worth some £323,000 & all his motorcars where specifically left to Hannah and only £500 to his young widow………..

In 1941 B26BN Was sold to Charles Batten of Ductile Steels Ltd.  He had joined the company in 1924 and within 6 years was made a partner of the business.  In the early 1930s Ductile Steels were importing over 6,000 tons of steel annually and in view of the new import tariffs of 33% he purchased 2 cold rolling mills and constructed a “coffin-pot” furnace – this ensured that they produced the steel that the company needed.  Charles became Deputy Chairman and Joint Managing Director to the Ductile Steel group of companies.

Before Charles died he sold B26BN to Harvey Neal, a director of Trent Valley Paint Varnish Co of Nottingham who supplied “all your spring cleaning requirements”.  Members of the Neal family included Brewers, councilmen and engineers.

In 1967 the Bentley was discovered by Frederick Albert Coley (1913/2003) whose career path included being a garage proprietor in Old Hill, an employee of Fisher & Ludlow (in the 1930s the firm produced car bodies for Standard Motor Co & after WWII for Rover & Jaguar).  In the early 1960s before finding B26BN Fred became a clergyman! His interest in all things mechanical started from an early age as his father was the transport manager of a firm with a fleet of steam traction engines –  this became another hobby of Fred’s and there are newspaper reports of him conducting a service from the footplate of his 1902 McLaren traction engine “Apollo“!