Year: 1938 Make: Bentley Model: 4 ¼ Sports Saloon by Barker Registration: ELR 518 Chassis No: B-163-KU Engine No: R6BV Odometer: tba • Same family ownership for over 55 years • Rare Barker bodied Sports Saloon • Lovely condition throughout Launched in 1933, the first of what would become known as the 'Derby' Bentleys continued the marque's sporting associations, but in a manner even more refined than before.

Even W O Bentley himself acknowledged that the new 3½ litre model - popularly known as the 'Silent Sports Car' - was the marque's finest ever, commenting: "taking all things into consideration, I would rather own this Bentley car than any car produced under that name".

By the end of the 1930s the 'Derby' Bentley had undergone several significant developments, not the least of which was an increase in bore size in 1936 that upped the capacity to 4,257cc, a move that coincided with the adoption of superior Hall's Metal bearings.

This new engine was shared with the equivalent Rolls...