Photo: H&H Classics
From its inception in 1919 and the early wins at 24 Hours of Le Mans to today’s powerful and imposing sedans and SUVs, Bentley has always aimed to build fast, luxurious, top-of-the-class vehicles with great appeal to wealthy buyers.
The cars’ extravagance and the complex, meticulous manufacturing process that involves hand-craftsmanship, combined with low supply, means Bentleys maintain their value over time and are highly coveted by collectors.
For those passionate collectors looking to add a vintage Bentley model to their stable, a well-preserved and unusually correct 1924 Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer is about to hit the auction block.
It’s one of just 765 examples of the Bentley 3 Litre built on the long standard wheelbase (10ft 10in) and bears chassis number 619. Making this particular unit even more unique is the fact that it’s the first example to come with this style of four-door Vanden Plas coachwork, which it still preserves to this day.
Taking inspiration from a 1914 Humber TT racer, the car’s ladder-frame chassis came fitted with all-round semi-elliptic suspension and rear-wheel drum brakes.
But the most advanced feature of the Bentley car was its straight-4 2996 cc engine that brought forth several technical innovations. It was among the first production car engines to feature four valves per cylinder and an overhead camshaft, not to mention one of the first with two spark plugs per cylinder and twin carburetters.
The monobloc mill also boasted aluminum pistons and was optimized for low-end torque. Mated to a separate four-speed gate-change gearbox, the advanced engine was able to produce around 70 hp (71 ps), which allowed the 3 Litre to reach 80 mph (129 kph).
The particular example in question here was upgraded with a more powerful Speed Model engine at some point, which could achieve 90 mph (145 kph).
According to the listing, an engine overhaul was performed about 1,000 miles (1,609 km) ago by marque specialists Hofmann’s of Henley, and it cost in excess of £30,000 ($34,055 at current exchange rates).
The handsome Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer is offered at no reserve from a private collection. It is scheduled to go under the hammer on October 19 via H&H Classics.
For those passionate collectors looking to add a vintage Bentley model to their stable, a well-preserved and unusually correct 1924 Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer is about to hit the auction block.
It’s one of just 765 examples of the Bentley 3 Litre built on the long standard wheelbase (10ft 10in) and bears chassis number 619. Making this particular unit even more unique is the fact that it’s the first example to come with this style of four-door Vanden Plas coachwork, which it still preserves to this day.
Taking inspiration from a 1914 Humber TT racer, the car’s ladder-frame chassis came fitted with all-round semi-elliptic suspension and rear-wheel drum brakes.
But the most advanced feature of the Bentley car was its straight-4 2996 cc engine that brought forth several technical innovations. It was among the first production car engines to feature four valves per cylinder and an overhead camshaft, not to mention one of the first with two spark plugs per cylinder and twin carburetters.
The monobloc mill also boasted aluminum pistons and was optimized for low-end torque. Mated to a separate four-speed gate-change gearbox, the advanced engine was able to produce around 70 hp (71 ps), which allowed the 3 Litre to reach 80 mph (129 kph).
The particular example in question here was upgraded with a more powerful Speed Model engine at some point, which could achieve 90 mph (145 kph).
According to the listing, an engine overhaul was performed about 1,000 miles (1,609 km) ago by marque specialists Hofmann’s of Henley, and it cost in excess of £30,000 ($34,055 at current exchange rates).
The handsome Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer is offered at no reserve from a private collection. It is scheduled to go under the hammer on October 19 via H&H Classics.
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