1931 Bentley 3 Litre

1931 Bentley 3 litre red label speed model Vanden Plas drophead

Chassis Number: RC33

Registration Number: EMF116

Engine number: RC396E

The second to last W.O. Bentley ever built. This car was finished by Rolls Royce along with three other examples after their takeover of Bentley making it an historical & very collectable machine. It was bodied as a drophead by Vanden Plas with body number 3469 according to the Vanden Plas book.

The car has been under the currrent ownership for over two decades during which time it has had a nut & bolt mechanical restoration with the body off. Whilst the body was off new ash framing was let in where needed with much of the original structure being retained. Pleasingly the original tan leather to the seats has been retained as has most of the carpeting with new door cards having been made & installed. The seat leather is in excellent condition with a wonderful patina to it. Rear slot in side screens are found stowed behind the rear seat & are original to the car as when new.

The car comes with a thick paperwork file containing pictures of the restoration work. It has an FIA Passport with a notification that it complies with its period specification utterly to the very last bolt. The only nod to modernity is an alternator rather then a dynamo beautifully installed under the dashboard, with the original unit coming with the car.

Having been fully rebuilt the engine is a paragon of smoothness & reliability. It starts instantly & runs beautifully. The engine itself is highly polished & detailed to the point where it was seen fit to appear on the May page of a car calendar. It has appeared at various European shows & has won assorted trophies where it has been shown.

To sum up: This is an important car from Cricklewoods last gasp of production. It combines Vintage W.O. Bentley mechanics with an orignal body that would at first glance appear to be that of a Derby Bentley. It is thus a capable 4 seat tourer & in impeccable condition both on top & just as importantly underneath. The odometer was zeroed out when restoration was completed & the car has now covered just under 7000 trouble free miles. Viewings are by appointment in Brussels.