British Racing Green Exterior

Green Leather Interior

Well Documented from New

Has Original 4 British Log Books,
All Following Consecutive Owners

Original Motor, Chassis, Carbs, Intake Manifolds, Steering

230 page of History & Documentation

Always an open Touring Bodied Car, Rebuilt in 1970's as VDP Touring 

Matching Numbers

The Bentley 4½ Litre is a British sports car built by Bentley Motors.
Replacing the Bentley 3 Litre, it is famous for epitomizing prewar British
motor racing and for its popular slogan "there's no replacement for
displacement", created by the founder of Bentley, Walter Owen Bentley.
Bentley sought to produce a more powerful race car by increasing engine
displacement.

At the time, noted car manufacturers like Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich
focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular
automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A
victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55
models with a supercharged engine known as the Blower Bentley. These
Bentleys achieved their goal of domination by winning four consecutive
Leman 24 Hour races (1927-31). Though its overall competitive performance
was not particularly outstanding, the 4½ Litre Bentley managed to beat
several speed records, most famously in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded
speed of 222.03 km/h.

In November 1931, after selling 720 copies of the 4½ Litre - 655 aspirated
and 55 supercharged - in three different models (Tourer, Drophead Coupé
and Sporting Four Seater), Bentley was forced to sell his company to
Rolls-Royce for £125,175, a victim of the recession that hit Europe
following the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

1930 Bentley 4 ½ Litre
Chassis: PB3549
Motor: PB3539
Registration Number: ES 1101

As supported by copies of original factory documentation, the car was
originally was delivered to Sir James Wilson via Ross Leigh, Ltd of
Glasgow. According to factory documents, PB3549's coachwork was done by
A.C. Penman & Co. and was built with chrome plated parts, and double
spoked wheels. PB3549 was built as an open, long-fendered touring car.
This car was rebodied by Richard C. Moss in 1976-77 to original Vanden
Plas designs by H. and M. Coachbuilders using as many original bits as
possible. Car has been equipped with cycle-style fenders from Stanley Mann
(U.K.) Vintage Bentley Dealer.

This car was then sold in the U.K a number of times. Included with this
car are 4 original logbooks with documentation of each individual owner,
as well as a 250 page book of documents, build sheets, owner information,
maintenance records dating to 1951, letters from previous owners, records
and receipts for re-body in 1976-77 by Richard C. Moss for owner Arthur
Cocks (Cornwall, U.K.). Car has two United States owners, both of whom
were avid Bentley enthusiasts and tourers, and experts.

Full Owner History w/ documentation
Sir James Wilson (UK) 1930 sold to
Ivor McAdam (UK) 1940 sold to
Alexander Archibald Pollock (UK) 1945 sold to
Leonard Potter 1948 (UK) sold to
John Brian Chadwick 1950 (UK) sold to
Mr. A.H. Cocks (Cornwall, UK) 1976 sold to
Cutlers of Streetly Ltd. Sutton, UK 1982
Stanely Mann (Edgeware, UK) 1985
Brought to US in 1986 and sold to Armand Zildjan (Zildjian Cymbal Company)
2002 Sold by Vintage Motors of Sarasota to Dale Powers (Sarasota, FL)


PB3549 was a recipient of a 497 hour motor rebuild with a receipt from
March of 1983 in U.K.

This automobile was then imported to the United States in 1985 for owner
Armand Zildjian of Zildjian Cymbal Co. During Zildjian's ownership, the
metal Le-Man style cycle fenders were installed.This Bentley was purchased
from Vintage Motors of Sarasota by Rolls-Royce/ Bentley collector Dale
Powers using his Bentley 4 ½ Litre  VDP Tourer (SL3055) on trade in 2002.

The car is presented in very original condition, from its engine and body
panels. The brightwork, the chrome plated radiator, as per original, is
new. The covered headlamps, and fenders, and exterior leather are very
presentable, as is the quality of the British Racing Green paint.
Virtually every element is either original, or period correct or part of
the car’s storied past. Signs of road use are  apparent, although this is
to be expected from an active Tourer such as this. This car is in
spectacular condition, the body, the dark green interior leather is soft,
and clean with no rips or tears.

This car is ready for your collection for showing, and touring. For more
information concerning this wonderful piece of Bentley history, please
contact Vintage Motors of Sarasota at (941) 355-6500 or
www.vintagemotorssarasota.com

SPECIFICATIONS

Although the Bentley 4½ Litre is heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,580 lb), and
spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm
(130.0 in), it remains well-balanced and steers nimbly. The manual
transmission, however, demands control, as its four gears are
unsynchronized.

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's latticed chassis, made of steel and
reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron
inline-four engine.

Together with two double carburetors and dual ignition with Bosch
magnetos, this engine, with a displacement of 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in), with
a 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and a 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke, was "resolutely
modern" for the time. The engine also produces a high power output of 110
hp (82 kW) for the Touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model.
The engine speed is limited to 3,500 rpm. The valvetrain has four valves
per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees, and actuated by a single overhead
camshaft. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars
used only two valves per cylinder.

With motor racing as its main mission, the Bentley's radiator has a filler
cap that does not unscrew but is easily removed with one stroke of the
lever. This mechanism minimizes downtime during refueling stops and is
used for the oil and gasoline tanks as well.

The 4½ also comes equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight
Weymann body. The structure is very light but still resistant to wind; the
rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain
number of laps the hood needed to be closed. The steering wheel, measuring
about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter, is itself a solid braided rope held tight
for optimal operation.

By contrast, the brakes are not particularly innovative, consisting of
classical and impressive 17-inch drum brakes, serrated for improved
cooling and operated by cable. The front axle is held rigid and the rear
drive axle is supported by semi-elliptic leaf springs.

Inquire

Bentley at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race is a 24 hour race around the Circuit de la Sarthe. The inaugural race was held May 26–27, 1923, and attracted many drivers, mostly French. There were two foreign competitors in the first race, Frank Clement and Canadian John Duff, the latter winning the 1924 competition in his personal car, a Bentley 3 Litre.

"Made with precision and the finest material," and with recent success, the luxurious Bentley cars attracted attention. After two years without success, Bentley convened a group of wealthy British men, "united by their love of insouciance, elegant tailoring, and a need for speed," to renew Bentley's success. Both drivers and mechanics, these men, later nicknamed the "Bentley Boys", drove Bentley automobiles to victory in several races between 1927 and 1931, including four consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and forged the brands reputation.

It was within this context that, in 1927, Bentley developed the Bentley 4½ Litre. Two cylinders were removed from the 6½ Litre model, reducing the displacement to 4.4 liters. At the time, the 3 Litre and the 6½ Litre were already available, but the 3 Litre was an outdated, under-powered model and the 6½ Litre's image was tarnished by poor tire performance. 

07122011