1928 Bentley

This 1928 Bentley 4½ Litre is one of approximately 665 naturally aspirated examples manufactured between 1927 and 1931 and is among 148 delivered with four-seat standard Sports Touring coachwork by Vanden Plas. Chassis TX3239 was dispatched to Vanden Plas in Spring 1928 and completed its final testing at Bentley’s Cricklewood facility on June 16 of that year. The car was sold new by Newcastle dealer Frank Scott to its first owner, who is said to have retained it into the 1950s. It spent several years on museum display in southern England under subsequent ownership before changing hands in 1984, and it was purchased by a US collector in 1989. Refurbishment work was performed in the ensuing years before the car received an additional refresh with various modifications after its 2010 acquisition by an Argentinian owner, who subsequently drove it on a 6k-kilometer tour from Buenos Aires to Machu Picchu, Peru. The fabric-covered body is complemented by a black-painted hood and fenders, and the car is powered by a 4.4-liter inline-four that is equipped with twin SU Sloper carburetors and a single overhead camshaft operating four valves per cylinder. Additional equipment includes a D-type four-speed manual transmission, a 3.53:1 differential, four-wheel rod-actuated drum brakes, painted wire wheels, a long-range fuel tank, a Barker dipping headlight mechanism, a fold-down windshield ahead of Brooklands-style screens, and green leather upholstery. This 4½ Litre Vanden Plas Tourer was acquired by its current owner in 2021 and is now offered on dealer consignment in Emeryville, California, with a Dr. Clare Hay report, factory literature, its removed fuel tank, a spare set of wheels, a convertible top, a tonneau cover, and a clean Arizona title. The 4½ Litre model was introduced to the public in late 1927 after its competition debut ended with a multicar crash 35 laps into Le Mans earlier in the year. A successor to the two-time Le Mans-winning 3 Litre, the 4½ Litre returned to Circuit de la Sarthe in 1928 to give the manufacturer its third title in the race before finishing second, third, and fourth behind a Bentley Speed Six in 1929. Production examples were built as rolling chassis with bodywork from a variety of coachbuilders provided to each customer’s preference. According to factory service records shown in Clare Hay’s report, this car’s open Vanden Plas coachwork was designated internally by Bentley Motors (“Our Own Body Order”). The open four-seat body was originally specified in blue Weymann fabric rearward of the cowl with metal panels finished in an undisclosed color. The aluminum rear fenders, hood panels, and cowl and steel front fenders were refinished in the current shade of black during a refurbishment performed in 2010 in Argentina, and additional work included removing the left-rear door, modifying the upper profile of the left-side door, and covering the aluminum rear framework in black fabric. The rear fenders were shortened at their trailing edges during the project, and a fold-down windshield and Brooklands-style screens were added along with wooden running boards. Color-coordinated wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 7.00×21 Michelin tires, as is a spare that was relocated to a side-mount position during the work in Argentina. A Barker dipping headlight mechanism is listed among original specifications on the Vanden Plas body record shown in Hay’s report, while Marchal headlights and driving lights were added during the refurbishment 10 years ago. Additional features include leather hood straps, mesh stone guards over the grille and driving lights, a “Flying B” radiator cap, and a detachable black convertible top, the latter of which is shown fitted to the car in the gallery below. The cockpit houses front bucket seats and a rear bench trimmed in dark green leather, with matching upholstery over the doors and side panels. Additional features include gray carpeting bound in green, cowl vents, a right-hand shifter, drilled pedals, and Vanden Plas threshold plates. A black tonneau can be fitted over the rear seating compartment. The twine-wrapped steering wheel hosts manette controls on its hub and sits ahead of a black-painted replacement dashboard panel. Instrumentation includes a 125-mph speedometer, a 4,200-rpm tachometer, a clock, an ammeter, and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 8k miles, approximately 150 of which have been added under current ownership. True mileage is unknown. The switchplate to the right of the steering wheel was refinished in black during the refurbishment in Argentina and retains chassis number TX3239. The 4,398cc inline-four features a bevel-gear-driven overhead camshaft that actuates four valves per cylinder, as well as twin SU G5 Sloper carburetors and dual-magneto ignition. Output for production variants was factory rated at 110 horsepower. A long-range fuel tank was added at the rear of the car during the most recent refurbishment and retains a Bentley-logo filler cap. The removed standard-capacity tank is included and is shown in the gallery below. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a D-type four-speed manual gearbox, which was introduced to the 4½ Litre model in 1928 and featured shorter gear ratios than the preceding C-type transmission. The Bentley factory service record notes that the original cone-type clutch was converted to a plate-type setup in 1931. Double-friction shock absorbers were added at each side of the front suspension during the refurbishment in Argentina, while single Bentley & Draper units are in place at the rear. Engine number TX3241 shown above stamped on the engine bearer, which is integral to the crankcase, matches the number listed on the factory service sheet. Markings pictured in the gallery include chassis number TX3239 stamped on the frame and the steering box. Additional markings are outlined in Dr. Clare Hay’s multipage report based on an initial inspection in 2010 and expanded to reflect changes made by 2014. The page above shows Vanden Plas body number 1486 stamped on a portion of the wooden floor panels and on the underside of one of the longitudinal floorboard runners, and the latter stamp is also visible in underside images provided by the selling dealer in the gallery below. Additional pages of the report are included in the gallery below and include images and discussion of the Bentley service record and Vanden Plas build sheet. Spare wheels and additional items included in the sale are pictured in the gallery below.