1931 Bentley 8-Litre fabric tourer
- Engine
- 8.0L inline-six
Bentley 8-Litre chassis YR5096 was originally coachbuilt by Kellner and delivered in late 1931, but was retrieved from a scrapyard in 1948 and subsequently fitted with its engine into a Bentley Works Service recommissioned frame, clothed in a Vanden Plas-style fabric tourer body. After passing through American ownership — including two noted enthusiasts — the car was acquired in 2000 and became one of the most extensively used 8-Litres in existence, completing eight Mille Miglia runs and journeys across four continents.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €381,875 (≈ $420K)
- 1931-09-01 →Factory deliveryGeorge Ballpartial documentation
Original recipient of the car when new, bodied by French coachbuilder Kellner.
- → 1948Acquisition unknownScrapyard custodianpartial documentation
Car was retrieved from a scrapyard in 1948 per a published reference; circumstances of how it ended up there are not described.
- 2000 →Acquisition unknownCurrent vendorfull documentation
Acquired the car in 2000 and used it extensively with family, covering approximately 75,000 miles in the first decade; a major engine rebuild was carried out in 2009 and roughly 20 years of service invoices are on file.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownG D A Price of Prestburypartial documentation
Owned the car after its recovery and recommissioning, during which the engine was fitted to what appears to be a Bentley Works Service replacement frame with Vanden Plas-style fabric tourer coachwork.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownRichard Stittpartial documentation
Well-known Bentley enthusiast who owned the car during its period in the United States.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownDick Burdickpartial documentation
Fellow enthusiast who also owned the car during its US tenure.
Competition
- —Mille MigliaMille Miglia (multiple editions)
The car completed eight separate runs in the Mille Miglia during the period up to approximately 2009, under the current owner's stewardship.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1948RestorationBentley Works Service
Car retrieved from a scrapyard; engine transferred into what appears to be a Bentley Works Service recommissioned frame numbered RC5096, and fitted with a Vanden Plas-style fabric tourer body.
The original Kellner body was lost at this point; the car's identity diverged onto the replacement frame.
- 2009Engine rebuild
Engine overhauled using a remanufactured crankcase, new connecting rods, a Phoenix crankshaft, Arias pistons, and further modifications aimed at long-term durability.
Supporting invoices covering approximately twenty years of maintenance are included in the car's documentation file.
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