"Bentley motorcars have always been built to be driven. That is as true today as it was in 1919 when W. O. Bentley designed the first vintage Bentley. The early history was written on the racetracks with the spirit of the Bentley Boys. They celebrated five magnificent Le Mans victories in the 1920's and in 2003, enjoyed a return to those glory years with a sixth win. When Rolls-Royce bought Bentley Motors, they shut down production of the 8 and 4½ litre. Then they had to decide what to do with the Bentley name as they couldn't afford to alienate their customer base and not build a new Bentley. The question was what sort of car to build; after several false starts, the Experimental Department developed a prototype car based on an earlier 18hp experimental chassis called the 'Peregrine' and a suitably tweaked 20/25hp engine; this combination proved to be a winner.
Originally registered on 2nd March 1937 this Derby Bentley has been owned in the same family since 1986. The Freestone & Webb bodywork is a rare and unusual design often referred to as a ‘Top-hat’ roof line. The rest of the coachwork is in good proportion and this is a handsome 4¼ litre saloon. Having been off the road for the last 10 years, she will require work and recommissioning. Prior to being parked up she was running delightfully and the cylinder head has been converted to run on unleaded fuel. The registration number of DLP 52 is supplied with the Bentley and being a 4¼ litre saloon by Freestone & Webb, a very well respected coachbuilder, this is a car synonymous with British motoring heritage and as a complete example will make a very desirable project"