1953 Bentley R-Type Park Ward

1953 Bentley R type Automatic.

Chassis Number: B185UL

Registration Number: RTU969

This exceptional R type has travelled the globe having been used on rallies on 5 continents travelling though 26 countries & during that time has covered some 50,000 miles or so. It was used as his main rally car by a recently deceased collector of Bentley & Rolls Royce motor cars.

With the car comes one of most copious & extensive history files I have ever come across detailing the numerous assorted works done to the car by both Jonathan Wood & also P & A wood and the late expert Arthur Archer. Needless to say the car drives beautifully with a strong engine & imperceptible smooth gear changes.

This R-Type had an equally interesting beginning being bought new by the Rt. Hon Lord Foley, 8th Baron Foley of Kidderminster who followed a long line of Lords, British army officers, and politicians.

The title dates back some 300 years with their family seat at Witley Court Worcestershire, built for the Foleys in the seventeenth century. 8th Baron Adrian Foley made a name for himself in the 1940s as a composer of popular songs and as a gifted pianist. For a time, he was described as "Britain's answer to Liberace".

Lord Foley purchased RTU 969 from Jack Barclay of London, with his ownership spanning fourteen years, and registered throughout at 36 Hocroft Road, Hampstead, Northwest London. As well as specifying the colour and transmission, other notes from the build cards give an interesting insight into the car's personalised specification. Inside, the driver's seat was to be lowered, a spare wheel cover fitted in the boot, and two badges attached to the dashboard. The first badge, a St. Christopher, was fixed to the glove box. The second badge, a name plate, was specified to be fixed below the switch box, but was actually fitted above. Amazingly, these original fixing holes can still be seen on the dashboard.

The car is finished in excellent masons black paintwork over silver grey. To the interior is original brown leather in very nice condition. A rally trip meter is fitted to the passenger side windscreen.

various modifications have been made to the car with a view towards reliable running. An elecric fan is installed infront of the radiator. There is also provision to run the car at the correct mixture setting when operating at high altitudes which was done for motoring in the andes up to 15,000 feet. The car has had just three owners from new and is about as well sorted an example as one could find.

Some £80,000 in bills are contained in the history file. I have to stress how well this car drives on the road with easy 80MPH cruising attainable where allowed. Oil pressure is a steady 30LBS under load & Water never went above 80 degrees on one of the hottest days of the year. It is a car that wants for nothing doing to it.