1931 Bentley 4-Litre Tourer (Vanden Plas coachwork)
- Engine
- 3.9L (238.9 cu in) OHV inline-six, dual SU carburetors, 120 bhp
- Colour
- Le Mans Green with black fenders and moldings
Chassis VF4019 is the 19th of only 50 Bentley 4-Litre cars produced, and one of just two originally fitted with this particular Vanden Plas open tourer coachwork — a design otherwise associated with Woolf Barnato's personal 8-Litre. Finished originally as a factory demonstrator in Le Mans Green, the car spent its first 58 years with only two owners, both RAF aviators who knew one another personally. Remarkably original throughout, it retains its factory frame, engine, and body, and appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Fewer than a dozen 4-Litres are believed to survive.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$500,000 – US$650,000
- → 1931Factory deliveryBentley Motorsfull documentation
Retained as a demonstrator and factory stock vehicle; supplied to a motoring publication for evaluation, then held until the company entered insolvency.
- 1931 → 1932-01-04Private saleJack Oldingpartial documentation
London dealership that received the car from the insolvent manufacturer and brokered its first retail sale.
- 1932-01-04 → 1960-06-01Private saleP.A.G. Phillipsfull documentation
Resident of Tunbridge Wells and heir to a well-known London cigar business; registered the car in London as GP 5193 and maintained it regularly, including through the war years.
- 1960-06-01 → 1989Private salePeter Baleanfull documentation
RAF squadron leader from Derby who had familiarity with the car dating to 1941; acquired it from the prior owner's estate and undertook mechanical refurbishment including an engine rebuild.
- 1989 →Acquisition unknownRonald Graypartial documentation
Owner with connections to both Germany and Florida; sold the car to the current consignor approximately fifteen years prior to the auction.
- Date unknownPrivate saleCurrent U.S.-based consignorpartial documentation
Commissioned a thorough service by restorer Steve Babinsky roughly six years before the sale and had the car prepared for display at Pebble Beach.
Competition
- —Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Car was exhibited at this prestigious concours the year prior to the auction; marque expert Dr. Clare Hay inspected it there and described it as among the most original vintage Bentleys she had encountered.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1933Mechanical
A new rear axle with a 4.16:1 ratio was fitted, as documented in the surviving Bentley chassis records.
- —Service
Additional light refreshing work undertaken to prepare the car for its Pebble Beach Concours appearance.
Performed shortly before the Pebble Beach event, which was the year preceding the auction.
- —Mechanical
Gearbox replacement: the original gearbox, which suffered a bearing failure during road testing by The Autocar, was swapped for unit number 8151.
This occurred while the car was still in factory hands, prior to first sale.
- —Engine rebuild
Engine overhauled with a lightly ground and balanced crankshaft; oversize pistons of 0.0030 in. fitted. Gearbox and transmission were assessed as being in excellent condition and left as found.
Work carried out during Peter Balean's ownership; results were discussed in his 1963 Sporting Motorist article.
- —ServiceSteve Babinsky
Comprehensive service performed by a specialist restorer and preservationist.
Carried out approximately six years before the auction, during the current consignor's ownership.
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