1939 BENTLEY 4 1/4 Continental Saloon

Lot 39
Go to lot
Estimation :
30000 - 40000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 59 360EUR
1939 BENTLEY 4 1/4 Continental Saloon
No reserve Rare aluminum-body pillarless saloon by Mulliner The comfort of a Rolls-Royce Very nice original condition Belgian registration title Chassis n° B-69-MX I n the 1920s, Bentley extended its fame and reputation by winning one of the most prominent and demanding car races of the time: the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The British company won no less than five times between 1924 and 1930 (including four consecutive victories between 1927 and 1930). Despite these successes, Walter-Owen Bentley found himself in great financial difficulty, and was forced to sell the company that bore his name to his long-time rival, Rolls-Royce. If the new Bentleys made in Derby (the Rolls-Royce factory where their production was relocated) retain a touch of sportiness, they are now designed to be elegant and comfortable. They are, in a sense, a sort of Rolls-Royce alter ego. The «new» 3 ½ Litre was produced until 1936, before being replaced by the famous 4 ¼ Litre, following the precepts of W.-O. Bentley himself who said: «There’s no replacement for displacement». In the mid-1930s, the development of the road network on the old continent allowed wealthy Europeans to move quickly between their various properties. It is to satisfy this demanding clientele that Bentley presents the 4 ¼ liter, capable of driving at more than 150 km/h in full comfort, and even close to 200 km/h in the Continental version (revised compression ratio and fuel supply). After purchasing a chassis, the customer would have the car bodied in the workshop of his choice from the myriad of specialists on the market. The Bentley Derby 4 ¼ Litre would be produced to 1,234 examples between 1936 and 1939, replaced in 1940 by the Mk V. While most of the 4 ¼ Litres were bodied by Park Ward, the Bentley in the Anna Lisa collection is designed by Mulliner (long before this coachbuilder came under the Rolls-Royce umbrella and was rightly grouped with Park Ward). It also has a very elegant pillarless saloon body with  antagonistic doors, and has the particularity of being made of aluminum (whereas most of the 4 ¼ Litre cars were made of steel because of the military context). The car has a superb patina, barely glazed with a few paint chips that participate to the charm of the whole. The green leather interior seems to be original, and we will also note the presence of an original sunroof. The car is complete with all its elements, including the original toolbox in the trunk (some elements are missing). The engine is not blocked. In short, this is a sublime Bentley Derby from the very end of the 1930s, in its most desirable motorization, which seems to need a restart before, once again, carrying its passengers at nearly 200 km/h... in the comfort of a Rolls-Royce.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue