LOT 210

The Stan West Collection 1937 Bentley 4¼-Litre All-weather Tourer Coachwork by Vanden Plas Registration no. DGO 960 Chassis no. B7HM

Sold for £135,700 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve

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Lot 210

The Stan West Collection
1937 Bentley 4¼-Litre All-weather Tourer
Coachwork by Vanden Plas Registration no. DGO 960 Chassis no. B7HM

Goodwood Revival: Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia|18 September 2021, 13:00 BST|Chichester, Goodwood

The Stan West Collection
1937 Bentley 4¼-Litre All-weather Tourer
Coachwork by Vanden Plas
Registration no. DGO 960
Chassis no. B7HM

*Used in the David Niven film, Prudence and the Pill
*One of only 18 with this style of coachwork
*Delivered new to Australia
*An older (1990s/2000s) restoration
*Acquired for the Stan West Collection in 2011

Footnotes

Vanden Plas's All-weather tourer was first shown at the 1936 Olympia Show on the Bentley stand and must have been something of a revolution. It offered the convenience of a door for driver and each passenger, and had a completely enclosed roof and wind-up windows, yet retained the elegant proportions that the coachbuilder was so renowned for which the coachbuilder was so renowned.

That first car was 'B3HM', which was followed by an additional 17 such models. The second 'All-weather' in sequence by coachwork number was this car, 'B7HM' (see Brian Smith's authoritative book Vanden Plas Coachbuilders). Its factory build sheets show that 'B7HM' was sold new to D J S MacKinnon of Melbourne, Australia and cost the not inconsiderable sum of £1,331. When new the car was finished grey with black wings, wheels and undercarriage, and had a khaki roof, while the interior was trimmed in grey Vaumol crushed grain leather. The Bentley was UK registered as 'DGO 960' before its departure for Australia where it remained until 1949.

Next owned by Alan Mackay of Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire, 'B7HM' changed hands a few times before departing for Los Angeles, California in the late 1960s. It was around this time that it was used in the David Niven film, Prudence and the Pill (1968). The Bentley would remain in the USA for more than two decades. While there, the car was treated to a comprehensive restoration of its bodywork and cosmetics, including the removal of all body panels in order to replace all the body's structural wood. In 2000 the car was shipped back to the UK and would continue to benefit from further considerable expenditure, this time on the mechanical aspects with a rebuild of the engine, drivetrain, and chassis. Its rebuild included fitting a Tim Payne overdrive system. Approximately £186,000 was spent on bringing 'B7HM' to superb driving and cosmetic condition, and a comprehensive file containing bills and invoices documenting its restoration accompanies the car. The original registration 'DGO 960' was retrieved in the mid-2000s with the Bentley Drivers Club's assistance.

'B7HM' has formed part of the Stan West Collection since its purchase at Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed sale in July 2011 (Lot 414). Invoices relating to its ongoing maintenance by marque specialists P&A Wood are on file. Presented in immaculate order and ready to show or tour, this beautiful Derby Bentley with its rare Vanden Plas coachwork is deserving of close inspection.

Additional information

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