Bentley 3.5-Litre (1936)

An intriguing open Derby designed, it seems, with practicality in mind. The body now on the car was transferred in the 1980s from another 3½ litre Bentley, B151DK, which had carried it from new until that time. It is a handsome and refreshingly different full four door, giving easy access, and incorporates excellent wet weather gear, including tonneau cover, which is recent and of very high quality, large fitted storage boxes and a very large boot with unusual side-hinged lid, all of which, along with other touches, add up to an out of the ordinary, very appealing and useable touring car. The wind up windows (including rarely seen, pivoting rear quarter glasses) add to the usability of the car during inclement weather, being much more practical than side-screens often used on tourers of just a few years earlier. Also very significant is the fact that the car has been upgraded by the fitting of overdrive, which greatly enhances the experience of long-distance touring. Very nicely finished in an attractive shade of dark green with excellent chrome plating, tan leather and the aforementioned recent hood in black. The car is very sound, smart, running nicely and comes from the owners who have cared for it well for more than thirty years. Offered fully serviced and prepared, with new tyres and a fresh MoT.

Chassis No. B37FC Reg. No. CLO 689

Snippets: Ordered by a Marahaja & driven by a Countess
B37FC was ordered by HH Maharaja Hari Singh - the last ruling Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir but he cancelled the order & it was taken up by Geoffrey Seymour Grenfell a scion of the Cornish Grenfell family, the family can be traced back to the 1600s with General John Grenfell. The careers of Grenfells have consisted of MPs, British Consuls, Mine owners, Bankers, military (Army / Navy / RAF), company directors and financiers. Geoffrey Seymour Grenfell (1898/1940) took up a career with the family stock broking firm of Billet, Campbell & Grenfell - company directors included Hon Eustace Fiennes related to Ralph, Joseph & Ranulph Fiennes), Henry Tufnell Campbell (later known as Gray-Campbell) & Hon Donough O’Brien, holder of the hereditary title Prince of Thomond. When WWI broke out G. S. Seymour joined the Navy & achieved the rank of Lt. Cdr, he retired from active duty in 1920 but in 1939 he rejoined under the “emergency” call up and in June 1940 he lost his life at sea when the vessel Juniper, whilst escorting the oil tanker Pioneer, was attacked and sunk by the German cruiser Admiral Hipper. In 1938 Ltd Cdr Grenfell married his 2nd wife Anne Catherine Treddick Wendell Herbert (1900/77), Anne was American by birth & in 1911 after the death of her father the family moved to St. Albans. In 1923 Anne married “Porchey” the 6th Earl of Carnarvon & she became the 6th Countess of Carnarvon, Chatelaine of Highclere Castle & a year later her sister Philippa married the 12th Earl of Galloway. The Carnarvon marriage was not a success & in 1936 Anne filed for divorce, Porchey remarried his 2nd wife the Austrian actress & dancer Tilly Losch – the story of the Sixth Countess has been written about by the current Countess of Highclere a copy of which will be with the car. The owner of B151DK (the body) was Dr Roy Franey who in 1929 entered the Alpine Rally with Humfrey Symons of The Motor in a works Riley – the Riley suffered a big end failure at the 3rd stage & although Franey dismantled the engine, fitted a new conrod they were disqualified due to time penalties! Dr Franey competed in the 1932 Alpine Rally again in a Riley - this time he won a cup alongside 3 other Rileys driven by Jack Hobbs, G.M.D. Maltby & C. Montague-Johnstone. Dr Franey’s brother-in-law was Hans Keller a distinguished musician who escaped from Germany in 1938 – during the time of internment Hans Keller spent 9 months on the Isle of Man amongst fellow artists including 3 members of the future Amadeus Quartet – Brainin, Schidlof & Nissel.

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