1936 Bentley 4¼-Litre Special
- Engine
- 4.25L inline-six
A Bentley 4¼-Litre Special originally bodied by Mann Egerton as a two-door Sportsman's Saloon, first owned by Sir Ian Duff Lyle of Tate & Lyle. The original coachwork was lost at some point in the mid-twentieth century, and the car changed hands in a dismantled state before being acquired in 1999 and rebuilt over three years into a lightweight aluminium-panelled tourer. The current engine was rebuilt by Tony Fabian for 'Rusty' Russ Turner and installed after the original unit expired at Donington Park in 2003. The car has covered approximately 25,000 miles since completion and holds a VSCC Buff Form.
Ownership
- 2024-02-24Auction saleSold £32,500 (≈ $41K)
- → 1999InheritanceSon of deceased restorernone documentation
Inherited the partly restored, fully dismantled car but had no interest in completing the work; sold it when the storage property was sold.
- 1999 →Private saleCurrent vendorfull documentation
Acquired the car in pieces and personally carried out all mechanical work for the rebuild, commissioning Chris Compton of Welshpool for the coachwork. Maintains two comprehensive history files and a dedicated website documenting the build and subsequent events.
- Date unknownFactory deliverySir Ian Duff Lylepartial documentation
Original first owner; a letter from his estate manager corroborates this, and the car is referenced in published literature on Bentley Specials.
- Date unknownSuffolk-area previous ownersnone documentation
Believed to have acquired the car in a condition already lacking its original body; location thought to be somewhere in Suffolk.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownRetired father of selling partynone documentation
Purchased the car as a retirement restoration project and undertook substantial refurbishment work before passing away in his mid-nineties, leaving the project unfinished.
Competition
- 2002-11-01Vintage Sports-Car ClubVSCC Lakeland TrialFinished without issue
First competitive outing after the rebuild was completed; the car passed its MOT in October 2002 ahead of this event.
- 2003Race at Donington ParkDNF — engine failure
The original engine expired dramatically during this race, leading to its replacement with the Russ Turner / Tony Fabian-rebuilt unit.
- 2023-09-01HEROHERO Challenge Two
- 2023-11-01Bugatti Owners ClubBugatti Owners Club Rallye at Prescott
Maintenance & restoration
- 2002RestorationChris Compton, Welshpool
Full nut-and-bolt rebuild over three years from a completely dismantled state. All mechanical work performed by the vendor; a new lightweight body was fabricated using aluminium panels over a steel space frame, saving approximately half a tonne compared with the original coachwork.
Rebuild completed in time for an MOT in October 2002. Engine given a basic internal clean and ran successfully before later failing in competition.
- 2003Engine rebuildTony Fabian
Replacement engine installed after the original unit failed in a race. The replacement had been fully rebuilt by Tony Fabian for Russ Turner but never fitted to Turner's car; it passed a no-ignition tow test confirming full oil pressure before installation.
Engine had passed through several owners on a pallet before being purchased by the vendor through VSCC contacts. Includes Mk VI connecting rods, shell bearings, and a spin-off oil filter.
- —Restoration
Substantial partial refurbishment carried out by the retired father of the selling party prior to 1999; scope and extent undocumented but described as considerable.
Work was incomplete at the time of sale.
- —Bodywork
Interior trimmed with red leather seats; bucket-type seats currently fitted. A rear seat was added at some point but has since been replaced with a luggage storage area.
Hood described as effective and easy to attach.
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