Chassis No.

DN1734Vehicle sold without an MOT‘Well-documented history; bodywork from the 1926 London Motor Show’ In the early 1910s, Walter-Owen Bentley ran a French car dealership in London with his brother.

In 1914, he tuned a small DFP (Doriot-Flandrin-Parant), notably by fitting aluminium pistons, which would henceforth become his ‘trademark’.

In the aftermath of the First World War, W.-O.

decided to build his own car and founded Bentley Motors Limited on 10 January 1919.

He developed a superb, aeronautically inspired engine with an overhead camshaft and extensive use of aluminium: a 2,996 cm³ four-cylinder unit producing 70 ch, mated to an interesting four-speed gearbox.

It was a ‘long-stroke’ engine (149 mm stroke by 80 mm bore) delivering very high torque, distinguished by an incredibly low idle speed (400 rpm) and its quiet operation.  The first Bentley 3 Litre was unveiled at the London Motor Show that same year; some parts, which weren’t ready in time, were made of wood...