1931 Bentley 8-Litre Vanden Plas 'Silent Bloc' Saloon (short 12-foot chassis)

YX5113roadUnited Kingdom

Engine: 8.0L inline configuration with closely-matched SU carburettors

Chassis YX5113 is one of just twelve Bentley 8-Litres constructed on the short 144-inch wheelbase, and one of three bodied by Vanden Plas in the Weymann-method 'Silent Bloc' saloon configuration. Delivered new to J.A. Player of the John Player tobacco dynasty, the car passed through several notable British and American owners before entering long-term stewardship in Massachusetts. It survives in original, unmodified form, retaining its factory frame, engine, gearbox, and coachwork, and was exhibited at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold £601,250 (≈ $752K)
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1936-02-01 →Acquisition unknown
C.W. Mason
partial documentation
Belfast-based owner who acquired the car by February of the year following a gap in the service record.
1955 →Private sale
Bruce Fagan
partial documentation
California-based buyer who purchased from the Motor Sport advertisement, initiating the car's extended American ownership period. He had the car refinished before selling it on.
→ 1955-10-01Acquisition unknown
Denys Leonard Taaffe
partial documentation
Worcestershire-based owner who offered the car for sale via a classified advertisement in the October 1955 edition of Motor Sport magazine.
→ 1962Private sale
Larz Anderson Museum
partial documentation
Well-regarded small automotive museum in Brookline, Massachusetts; the car was apparently acquired with the intention of resale rather than permanent display.
1962 → 2018Private sale
George Clayton Green
full documentation
Concord, Massachusetts owner who kept the car for the remainder of his life, maintaining thorough records and undertaking carefully documented sympathetic restoration work.
2018 →Private sale
Present owner
full documentation
Current custodian who has driven the car extensively, accumulated a significant collection of maintenance invoices, and arranged both a concours appearance and a feature article in collaboration with Bentley Motors.
Date unknownFactory delivery
J.A. Player
full documentation
Original recipient of the car, associated with the John Player tobacco enterprise near Nottingham. Factory records indicate parts were dispatched to his premises in 1932, suggesting maintenance was handled internally for a period.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
H. Dagnall
partial documentation
London-based owner who drove the car extensively; repair work in 1938 included installation of a replacement front axle beam.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
John H. Truscott
partial documentation
Dealer who handled the sale of the car following the wartime storage period.
Date unknownPrivate sale
Leonard Potter
partial documentation
Acting as a buying agent for Ed Jurist's Vintage Car Store, he acquired the car from Fagan and then retailed it onward.
Date unknownPrivate sale
Ed Jurist's Vintage Car Store
partial documentation
Dealership through which the car passed on its way to the next private owner.
Date unknownPrivate sale
William Ruger Jr.
partial documentation
Young heir to the Sturm Ruger firearms business, already technically accomplished at age 19; held the car for several years before trading it against another 8-Litre Bentley.

Competition

2019
2019 North American Vintage Bentley Meet
Car was driven at this gathering of vintage Bentley owners in North America.
2019
2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Car was exhibited at the prestigious California concours event the same year as the Vintage Bentley Meet.

Maintenance & restoration

1932
Service
Factory parts were dispatched to the Players facility in Nottingham, suggesting routine servicing was carried out on-site rather than at the Bentley works.
Recorded in the factory Service Record; represents a minor gap in the official service history.
1938
Repair
Repair work was undertaken including the fitting of a replacement front axle beam.
Work carried out during H. Dagnall's ownership.
—
Bodywork
The car was refinished during Bruce Fagan's ownership in California.
Approximate date unknown; carried out sometime after 1955.
—
Restoration
Well-documented sympathetic refurbishment undertaken by long-term owner George Clayton Green, with meticulous maintenance records kept throughout.
Carried out during Green's ownership between 1962 and 2018; precise dates of individual work episodes not specified.
—
Mechanical
Extensive mechanical sorting and preparation work carried out under present ownership, supported by a comprehensive collection of invoices.
Post-2018; includes follow-up servicing after each of several driving events totalling more than 4,000 miles.

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