Description
This is lot number 521 in the Bonhams Beaulieu Sale on September 14th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Originally a saloon by H J Mulliner
Re-bodied in 1960
£110, 000 spent since 2017
Payne overdrive fitted
Of the 2, 442 'Derby Bentleys' manufactured (1, 421 being 4¼-Litre models), almost 50 percent were bodied by Park Ward in a limited number of styles; this example, however, was originally completed with saloon coachwork by H J Mulliner. The current open tourer body was built by Edmunds of Plymouth and installed in 1960. First owned by a Miss Marjorie Smith, the Bentley subsequently passed through the hands of the late Alan Clark - Member of Parliament, Government Minister, historian, diarist and noted motoring journalist and collector - who owned many Bentleys during his lifetime including a 6½-Litre when he was a schoolboy at Eton. The 'CS' registration refers to Castle Saltwood in Kent, the Clark family residence that Alan had inherited from his father, the illustrious art historian Kenneth Clark (Lord Clark of Saltwood).
During Clark's stewardship an extensive mechanical restoration, including an engine rebuild, was undertaken by renowned marque specialists Ristes of Nottingham at a cost of some £25, 000 (bills on file). It is believed the odometer was reset to zero at that time.
A handful of owners later, the Bentley was offered for sale in May 2016 at a UK auction having covered circa 15, 000 miles in the then-owner's hands, mainly on tours with the Bentley Drivers' Club. The auction catalogue refers to the car's unusual turn of speed, leaving similar cars trailing in its wake when gunned up long inclines and being voted 'Car I would most like to take home' by other entrants at a Silent Sportscar Club event at Chatsworth House a few years ago. The vendor stated that the car had always proved utterly reliable and had never let him down; only a health issue had prompted him to sell.
Its purchaser at the 2016 auction proceeded to spend a further £110, 000 on the Bentley between 2017 and 2021, the majority of the work being entrusted to Glen A Grindrod of Essex. Works included a comprehensive engine overhaul with new bearings, pistons and a new cylinder head, while the radiator, fuel system, ignition, suspension, steering, brakes, wheels and electrical wiring all received attention. In addition, The Classic Coachwork Company of Essex refurbished the bodywork; the headlights were restored; new rear lights fitted; and various items of trim re-plated. In 2019 a Payne overdrive was installed and that same year the 'CS 6856' completed the inaugural 'Rally the Globe' (Carrera Iberica). The Bentley comes complete with hood, side screens and tonneau cover, and is offered with a V5C Registration Certificate.
