1934 Bentley 3 1/2-litre Drop Head Coupe

Registration No: ATU 4

Chassis No: B195AE

MOT: Exempt

Body A105, much admired and well known in both BDC and RREC circles

Delivered new in April 1934 to NS Norem

Engine work 2021 in by Arnetts, when a good ‘new Fiennes block‘ was fitted

At the dawn of the 1930s with the reverberations of ‘Black Friday’ (October 29th, 1929) being felt worldwide, competition between carmakers grew increasingly desperate. Thus, while W. O. Bentley sought to refine his Eight Litre into the ultimate luxury carriage, Rolls-Royce responded by dabbling with a sports car concept. Their concerns as to the branding of ‘Peregrine’ (as the project was labelled internally) were alleviated by Bentley’s collapse in 1931. Outflanking rivals D. Napier & Son, they acquired Bentley wholesale (including W. O.’s services) for £125, 257. With a department brief that “the new car must be as unlike the Rolls-Royce models as possible,” Derby engineers set about preparing ‘Peregrine’ for flight. Built on a ‘double-dropped’ chassis carrying all round semi-elliptic leaf sprung suspension and assisted drum brakes, the new car used a tuned version of the Rolls-Royce 20/ 25’s 3, 669cc OHV straight-six. Boasting twin SU carburettors, a wilder camshaft, strengthened con-rods and a higher compression ratio, this revamped unit developed around 120bhp (a fifty per cent. improvement) without compromising refinement. Equipped with the 20/ 25’s four-speed manual gearbox, high-geared worm and nut steering and hydraulic dampers, the resultant ‘Silent Sportscar’—as the Bentley 3½ Litre soon became known—was unveiled to great acclaim at the August, 1933, Ascot Races. While the majority of Derby Bentleys one encounters are Tourers or Sports Saloons, it is always refreshing to find one which has been bodied a little more elaborately, and that is precisely what we have here—with its low roofline and gracefully sloping luggage locker, Park Ward’s Drophead Coupé body provides a perfect marriage of luxury with a genuine sporting flavour. Delivered new to N S Norem in April 1934, this stylish Park Ward Drop Head Coupe (Body no. A105) was registered for the road under the registration number ATU 4 by Chester County Council. Pleasingly the car retains this registration to this day. The first owner must have been impressed as they would go on to purchase a William Arnold saloon, B4FB. A letter on file dated 1957 from a previous owner describes a trip to Spain in the company of a friend and his WO Bentley. The adventure included a visit to Le Mans including a run down the Mulsanne straight at 85mph! In c. 2000 the engine was overhauled by a specialist in conjunction with Arnetts. Further engine work was completed in 2021 in by Arnetts, when a good ‘new Fiennes block‘ was fitted to the car. Upgrades include a high ratio differential. Unfortunately, due to a house move, invoices relating to this are currently unavailable. The tan interior has also been retrimmed in Connolly hide by Gary Wright. The colour scheme of maroon over black compliments the car’s lines wonderfully and it has been much admired and well known in both BDC and RREC circles. Said to be in very good condition throughout, it has been very well maintained, in regular use and is in good running order. The subject of a restoration that included great attention to detail and efforts to preserve as much originality as possible it also comes with a good history file. The file contents include: sketches, drawings, assorted notes, a letter from the previous owner describing his Spanish adventure, a Real Car Co purchase invoice dated 7 June 1998 when it was acquired by the present owner, RREC valuation letter, a list of awards covering the years 2011 – 2016, body restoration photographs together with a quantity of restoration invoices, handwritten list of expenditure, copies of older V5Cs, a c. 1957 copy RF60 and current Swansea V5C. An extremely elegant and useable example of Bentley’s fabled ‘Silent Sportscar’.