- Sophisticated coachwork by Gurney Nutting
- Rare body style making the car a standout example
- Complete with restored small tool set, handbook and interesting history file
The ‘Derby Bentley’ is widely regarded as the most sophisticated car that money could buy in the 1930s and became known as the ‘Silent Sports Car’. Initially built with a 3 ½ litre engine, the later cars had an enlarged capacity of 4 ¼ litres.
This car, chassis No B70KT, was originally completed in July of 1937 with coachwork by Gurney Nutting, a coachbuilder renowned for their stylish designs. This being a later Derby Bentley has particularly sophisticated coachwork having seamless rear wings with a clean uninterrupted line to the tail of the car. This is a rare body style making B70KT a standout example.
Supplied new by Jack Barclay Ltd to its first owner, a Mr. H.B. Mollins, there is a letter in the history file from the son of Mollins who remembers the car and gives an account of its early years. The family lived in Belgravia London where the car was to be principally for the use of Mollins’ wife. During the war years, the family evacuated to Cornwall and the car travelled with them. The car was kept until the 1950s when it was sold back to Jack Barclay who in turn sold it to a new owner in the USA. It remained in the USA until 2011 when it returned to Britain.
The following year, it was purchased by its current owner who subsequently invested a further £200,000 restoring the car. Frank Dale & Stepsons completed a coachwork restoration with Classic Coachworks of Lymington making repairs as needed to the wooden frame, all fully documented within the car’s history file. The car was also retrimmed and mechanical repairs carried out. The result is a spectacular looking car.
It is complete with a restored small tool set concealed in the boot, handbook and an interesting history file. The car is featured in a number of books including ‘Fifty Years of the Marque’ by Johnnie Green, ‘The Silent Sportscar’ by Michael Ellman-Brown, and ‘Bentley Beauty’ by Fraser and Knapek.
