1953 Bentley R Type Manual Saloon (with a difference) B339TO

An R Type with a difference! The car has been upgraded to 4. 9 litres, has a high ratio back axle and is equipped with P100 headlights, all of which enhance the car overall and make it stand out from the crowd visually, as well as adding to the already highly useable specification of these models. In lovely condition, with excellent paintwork in Mason’s black and grey, superb chrome plating, with original leather interior, accompanied by high quality carpets, headlining and woodwork, all in lovely order, and looking very smart. The underside is excellent, being clean, sound and well-protected, and includes a recent stainless steel exhaust system. Driving nicely, fitted with very well-suited Avon radial tyres & offered freshly MoT’d.

Chassis No. B339TO Reg No. 158 UYK

Snippets: High Flying Lawyers & American Connections

The first owner of B339TO was Raymond Clifford Clifford-Turner (1906/ 95), in 1925 his father Harry, changed the family surname from Turner to that of Clifford-Tuner. This wasn’t to take advantage of an inheritance but a purely business decision to take advantage of the goodwill associated with the name Clifford Turner in world of lawyers. In 1931 Raymond was admitted to the firm, he was the only one of Harry’s four sons to join him. In 1933 Raymond married Zoe Vachell whose father & grandfather had practised law in Cardiff and Zoe was in fact godmother to, at the time, the two richest children in the world! These infants were namely David & Diane Dodge - their great-grandfather was Horace Elgin Dodge, an icon in the American automotive industry. In 1925, the widows of Horace & John Dodge sold their shares in the automobile business to Dillon Read investment bankers for $146 million!! Zoe & Raymond’s daughter Susan was a debutante in 1955 and she was presented at Court by her mother and given a joint coming-out dance alongside Penelope Knowles at the Clifford-Tuners London home of The Cottage in Hobart Place. Raymond was a keen motorist and in 1924 he pleaded guilty to exceeding the speed limit but not to driving at a speed which was dangerous to the public! John Scott published a biography of the Clifford-Turner law firm entitled “Legibus, a history of Clifford-Turner 1900-1980” which is full of fabulous detail including the fact that Raymond Clifford-Turner served with the RAF during WWII, initially in the air and later on the ground with the Air Ministry. The first noted official casualty of WWII was John Noel Isaac, a partner in Clifford-Turner. He died whilst carrying out a solo practice flight in his Bristol Blenheim whilst serving with 600 Sqdn.