1931 Bentley 8-Litre Le Mans-style four-seater (rebodied by Tony Townshend)
- Engine
- 8.0L inline-six
Chassis YR5077 is a 1931 Bentley 8-Litre with a documented history stretching back to its original owner, a prominent Bentley patron who specified the car with numerous factory extras including twin Zeiss headlamps and an experimental steering arrangement requested by W. O. Bentley himself. Originally bodied by H. J. Mulliner as a Weymann-style four-door saloon, the coachwork was later replaced with a shooting brake body before being rebodied again in 1963 as a Le Mans-style four-seater replica by coachbuilder Tony Townshend. The car was photographed with W. O. Bentley at the 1969 fiftieth anniversary celebrations and has remained within one family since the mid-1960s.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate £450,000 – £550,000
- 1931-04-01 → 1933-08-01Factory deliveryEric Raymond Bullivantfull documentation
Prominent Bentley patron who ordered the chassis to an elevated specification, including experimental steering components at W.O. Bentley's request. Registered the car on 30 March with plate GO14, then re-registered in August 1933 as AGO406.
- 1933-08-01 → 1937Acquisition unknownIan Baileypartial documentation
- 1937 → 1950-04-12Acquisition unknownMrs P. N. W. Brentnallfull documentation
Kept the car through the wartime period and maintained it in regular use; service records confirm mileage of 84,258 by 1938. A collision in early 1936 required a replacement radiator and two reconditioned headlamps.
- 1950-04-12 →Private saleO. P. Raphaelpartial documentation
London-based owner; the original Weymann-style coachwork was replaced with a shooting brake body, likely by Alpe and Saunders, at some point during the 1950s.
- 1959 →Acquisition unknownJ. M. Easton Turnerpartial documentation
Ownership confirmed via the buff logbook.
- → 1964Private saleA. J. Hancockpartial documentation
Commissioned coachbuilder Tony Townshend to carry out a full restoration and fit a four-seat Le Mans-style replica body, completed in 1963.
- 1964 → 1964Acquisition unknownE. N. Cornerpartial documentation
Noted collector who held the car briefly before passing it on the same year.
- 1964 →Private saleReg A. Parkerfull documentation
Car has remained within the Parker family since 1967; accompanied by the buff logbook, Bentley service record copies, historical MoT certificates, and workshop invoices spanning 1968 to the early 2000s.
Competition
- 1965Kensington Gardens Spectators AwardSpectators Award winner
- 1965Dorchester Hotel Dinner Dance Exhibition
Vehicle was displayed at a Dorchester Hotel dinner dance event alongside other notable cars.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1936Repair
Following an accident, a replacement radiator was fitted along with two reconditioned Zeiss headlamps.
Work carried out while the car was with its second or third owner, prior to Mrs Brentnall's acquisition in 1937.
- 1962RestorationTony Townshend
A. J. Hancock commissioned a comprehensive restoration combined with a full rebodying of the car as a four-seat Le Mans-style open replica, completed in approximately 1963.
- —BodyworkAlpe and Saunders
The original H. J. Mulliner Weymann four-door saloon coachwork was removed and replaced with a shooting brake body, believed to have been built by Alpe and Saunders.
This change is believed to have occurred at some point during the 1950s; precise date and commissioning owner are unconfirmed.
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