1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre Vanden Plas Three Position Drophead Coupe. Price reduced

Price now reduced. Unusually, this car was originally finished in silver, and still is, now enhanced with deep red waistline and matching leather, all in good order, and the dashboard and door cappings are finished in black lacquer. The car has benefitted hugely from major restoration work by the last two owners, including an engine overhaul (aluminium head), installation of a fully rebuilt ‘MX’ series overdrive gearbox, rear axle overhaul, radiator rebuild, and a great deal of other mechanical work, including to brakes and chassis generally, much of it carried out by Fiennes Restorations. A new mohair hood was fitted in 2009. Altogether, something in the region of £200,000 has been spent, all documented with detailed invoices in the fat folder that is with the car. There is too much to list here, but all of the invoices are available for inspection. As you can perhaps imagine, the car runs very well! Desirable, attractive, ‘well sorted’ and now representing very good value for money. Offered serviced and can be sold with a new MoT test.

New Price £89,500

Snippets: Chauffeuse & lover of Speed & Style – Miss Nora Hardy MacCaw

Miss Nora MacCaw (1893/1971) was a lover of both Speed & Style – her garage included a Bentley 8 Litre, several 4 ½ Ltrs, 3 Derby Bentleys and a PIII to mention a few!!  Nora & her siblings were born in India and she was the youngest child of William & Eleanor MacCaw; William was a qualified solicitor but he & his wife moved to Calcutta where he joined Kettlewell, Bullen & Co (est 1853), managing agents for jute & cotton mills, tea estates & railways.  By 1895 William MacCaw had become a partner and in 1895 he was elected President of Kettlewell & Bulen.  Upon his return to the UK William became involved in politics & stood as Unionist MP for West Down.  Nora’s 3 siblings consisted of 2 brothers and a sister, namely Sir Vivian (1883/1936) who in 1932 became Sheriff of Calcutta & was knighted shortly before his death; Guy (1886/1952) who during WWI learnt Russian & served with the 17^th Lancers, he was also awarded the Military Cross. Her sister Vera was educated in England alongside Guy –  during their educational years Guy & Vera boarded with Hubert Hind (Vicar of Stoke) & his family.  Nora was a keen motorist & during WWI she joined the Red Cross and was stationed at Salonika in Greece as a chauffeur.  After the war she remained in Europe and spent her summers in Biarritz with her companion Mrs. Lillian A Jupp; Nora later became a resident of Monte Carlo and in the 1950s she owned Villa Sauber which is now part of the Monaco Museum. 

By 1941 B45KU was with another automobilist Hermon Bradley of Bilston – his wife Eleanor Bird (of Bird’s Custard) this family were well known for their many yellow cars – often seen being driven in convoy to their holiday home in Wales!  The Bradley family firm was started by Walter Bradley with the production of frying pans & buckets, it soon evolved into kettles, cake stands & ironing boards.  It is believed that the company name of “Beldray” came about when Walter asked his sons Hermon & Hector to spell their surname using their wooden alphabet bricks – they got it wrong & the Beldray brand was born! 

Later British owners include Ronald Olaf Hambro (Banker, widowed when his wife drowned in Loch Ness); Fred Parsons (printing & press), E. Deshaw (Ismay lamps), John W. S. Utley (Cotton Mills & rally cars), John S. Batchelor (Orthopaedic Surgeon & Rugby player), Dr. L. E. Ridge (3^rd generation medical man).