Footnotes

THE MOTOR RACING TROPHIES OF DONALD JOHN 'JACK' BARCLAY

In the following Lots, BONHAMS is privileged to offer the large, yet unique trophy collection of renowned Bentley dealer - and erstwhile racing driver - Jack Barclay.

In 1900 John Donald 'Jack' Barclay was born into a world in which the new-fangled motor car represented not just frontier technology, but also an enthralling and exciting new freedom as many tiers of society became independently mobile.

After late First World War service as a Royal Air Force despatch rider, Jack Barclay began to race motor-cycles, then cars. In 1922 he helped found the Barclay & Wyse partnership in Great Portland Street, then the centre of London's motor trade. He initially specialised in selling Vauxhall cars - then highly respected as advanced sporting machines of considerable quality. To promote both the marque and his company he began racing at Brooklands.

Jack Barclay has been described as being naturally engaging and charismatic, and quickly became known as "the finest luxury car salesman in the trade".

His racing career was short but studded with spectacular success. In 1924 he beat the millionaire Bentley works driver, Woolf Barnato, at Brooklands and became closely associated with the money-rich, high society 'Bentley Boys' - many of whom became valued as both friends, racing rivals and valued clients...

'The Bentley Boys' commonly lived in the fast lane, and Jack Barclay worked hard to secure his own means of keeping pace with them, not only on track but also off it. Jack Barclay most successfully concentrated upon building his business, and in 1927 he launched Jack Barclay Limited to deal in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars from premises in George Street, Hanover Square, London.

Its success then enabled him to return to competition driving in the inaugural British Racing Drivers' Club's 500-Mile race at Brooklands. This demanding and dangerous challenge was then amongst the world's fastest long-distance races. He co-drove an aerodynamically long-tailed 4½-Litre Bentley with 1924 Le Mans 24-Hour race winner Frank Clement. They thundered reliably and spectacularly around the high-banked Brooklands speed bowl to win overall at an average speed of 107.32 mph, beating the Speed Six Bentley of 'Sammy' Davis/Clive Dunfee into second place.

Jack Barclay is credited for coining the phrase 'service after sale' to describe his business ethos. His commercial success was based largely upon maintaining close personal relationships with his customers. The company developed a service centre, later in Battersea, and also - in 1937 - acquired coach building company James Young. Despite motor retailing being suspended in the UK during World War II, in 1943 Barclay bought coachbuilders Gurney Nutting, a far-sighted tactic which would restore many long-stored Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars for post-War re-sale.

In 1953 Jack Barclay Limited moved into showrooms in Mayfair's Berkeley Square. Following Jack Barclay's retirement in 1967, the business was sold to the Dutton-Forshaw group who ten years later were acquired by Lonrho, then under chief executive 'Tiny' Rowland. However the Berkeley Square 'Jack Barclay' showroom continues to operate in the name of its founder, a testament to the man and his legacy.