Bentley 4.25 Litre Park Ward Drop Head

The 4.25 Litre was the Derby-built Bentley's 1936 update, a quiet, refined chassis that was often given coachwork by the best builders of the day. This one wears a Park Ward drop head body, finished in cream over navy with a red coachline. Chassis B19GP, engine number N7BU, registered CXU304.

Its history is documented from new. The first owner was Mrs A Lindsay-Fynn in July 1936, and the car later passed through Jack Barclay Ltd and H M Bentley & Partners. It went to San Francisco in the mid 1960s and returned to the UK in 2012.

The current owner began an extensive restoration in 2013. Maggs Vintage rebuilt the engine with new liners, pistons, bearings and valves, and the crankshaft was reground. Penny Vintage Carriage Bodies stripped the body to bare aluminium, repaired the timber frame and panels, and renewed the burr walnut dashboard veneer. The interior is retrimmed in cream Connolly leather with a new mohair hood. The brakes, shock absorbers and one-shot lubrication system were also overhauled. The dealer says the car has covered only a few thousand miles since the work was completed.