BENTLEY 4 1/2 LITRE

This Corsica-bodied car has an illustrious history – and a famous recent owner. The enthusiastic new owner plans to take the car on the Flying Scotsman rally, and we are doing number of corrective and recommissioning works in time for the event. Here is a summary of the car’s past:

1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Brooklands Special (PB3543)

·         Delivered 15^th March 1930 to Thos. Smith with a Freestone & Webb Weymann Saloon body.

·         Purchased by famous Bentley racer Forrest Lycett in 1936 and completely rebuilt by top Bentley preparer LC McKenzie to become a road-going short chassis Brooklands special, similar to Lycett’s 8 litre special.

·         The chassis was shortened, a D type gearbox sourced from a Blower Bentley, engine tuned with different internals, larger SU carbs and custom manifolds. Fitted with a 2 seater Corsica body from 1936. Apart from the crankcase, PB3543 is almost completely original retaining the same body, chassis and mechanicals from when it raced at Brooklands.

·         First raced at the Brooklands in the Bentley Driver’s Club 2 lap handicap race covering the standing lap at 82.18 mph and flying lap at 97.46 mph to finish 4^th.

·         Later noted by Bill Boddy to have covered the flying half mile at 112.7 mph at Brooklands in 1938 and could lap Brooklands with full road equipment at 104.3 mph.

·         PB3543 was raced and hillclimbed at various events before and after WW2 including Brighton Speed Trials, Shelsley Walsh and Silverstone.

·         PB3543 was kept by Lycett alongside his 8 Litre special until his death in 1960. It then passed to ML Brewer, Lycett’s godson. It has since passed through 5 owners (including Robbie Coltrane) before being purchased by the current owner in 2013.