Bentleys in India

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

Not sure, I found these:
Victor Sassoon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Legend of the Sassoons

OT - but Sasoons final resting place is a couple of kms from my house, in the magnificent "Lal Deval" Synagogue. BSM had shot a motorcyle feature there recently, featuring a Gold Star and a Velocette Venom.

This 1928 6 1-2 litre Barker bodied Bentley was at Pebble Beach in 2001. Certainly looks like an ex Maharaja car. Note the elephant hood ornament. Reminds me of Rembrandt Bugatti's Royale hood ornament.

[Julian UK]

I think that is the Bhavnagar 6 1/2 Barker 2 seater FA2513 and its been jazzed up with the scalloped mudguards and toolbox running boards. According to the club it was in Australia in 2003 and in 2006 it was in the USA.

Heres two pictures of Maharajah of Bhavanagar's 4 1/2litre NX3452 first in 1985


and in 2007


Moderator's note: Images deleted per user request

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

DKG aren't they magnificent!


W.O. Bentley cars that were directly exported to India

Other W O Bentleys that are in India must have come indirectly later

Chassis Engine Year Body Coachbuilder First owner
Bentley 3 litre
269 272 1923 Aug Sir Victor Sassoon
402 409 1923 Dec 4 Seater sports Vanden Plas Sassoon Ltd E D
(Engine 409 now in Chassis DE 1208 VDP body no 1022)
427 429 1924 Feb Cadogan Sassoon Ltd E D
816 923 1924 Oct 4 Seater Barker Rajah Sir Hari Singh
827 834 1924 Oct Wagonette Barker Rajah Sir Hari Singh
932 935 1925 April 4 Seater Gurney Nutting Maj. Alexander
1166 1181 1925 Aug Park Ward Maharajah of Patiala
1221 1231 1925 Dec 4 Seater Park Ward Maharajah of Patiala
(Long frame to Speed model specification)
LT1585 LT1583 1927 Jan Coupe Connaught Maharajah of Rajpipla
ML1514 ML1516 1927 July 4 Seater Vanden Plas Maharajah of Wankaner
(Vanden Plas body no. 1333 sporting 4 Seater Scratched Aluminium/Blue)

Bentley 6 ½ litre
WB2563 WB2563 1926 Sept 2 Seater Thrupp and Maberly Nawab of Bhopal
FA2513 FA2515 1928 Sept 2 Seater Barker Maharajah of Bhavanagar
(New Barker tourer body fitted in 1938 Now in Australia)
KF2389 KF2397 1929 Feb 4 Seater H J Mulliner Maharajah of Junagadh
LR2778 NH2748 1930 Oct Coupe H J Mulliner Maharajah of Jaipur
(Re-imported to UK in 1937 and re-reg DUU 618)

Uncertain.
WK2673 WB2664 1927 Mar Saloon (W) Gurney Nutting Sir Victor Sassoon
(Originally registered in UK No. YE 7348. Not sure if it came to India)
KR2691 KR2689 1929 Oct Saloon(W) H J Mulliner Sir Victor Sassoon
(Originally registered in UK Reg UV 2952 not sure if it came to India. Engine now in chassis VF4006)

Bentley 4 ½ litre
NX3452 NX3454 1929 April 4 Seater Vanden Plas Maharajah of Bhavanagar
(Standard sporting 4 seater 6 inch longer bonnet Blue fabric/Blue/Black Re-imported to UK in 1970
Vanden Plas body no. 1555)

Bentley 4 ½ litre supercharged
MS3940 MS3943 1930 Nov 4 seater Gurney Nutting Maharajah Holkar of Indore
(Burnt out in the 30s engine at bottom of Bombay harbour in a speed boat)


No 8 litre or 4 litre cars are listed as having been directly exported to India

Records extracted from Bentley The Vintage years 1919 -1931

According to an Autocar India article "Bentley Targets super rich with Arnage Red Label"; and I quote:

"68 out of 5459 Bentleys built between 1919-1940 are recorded to have been directly imported to India while another two dozen, bought second hand, found their way here"

It also goes on to say " Nearly all the pre-war models and the two 8.0 liter Bentleys that came here still survive today"

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by DKG

Oh and now for a real treat. Just to give you guys an idea of what phenomenal machines the old racing Bentleys were check out this video YouTube - BENTLEY LE MANS SPECIAL LE RICHE JERSEY

It simply blew me away, hope you enjoy this as much as I did

very sorry for this..
But its not a Bentley
Rolls Wraith ? engine and Rolls chassis, it does have a Rolls Bentley Mk VI gearbox


Modern alternator


Lots of abominations around...
I was at first suspicious about the sound, it just doesn't sound like a W O Bentley, they roar.
This ones real:
YouTube - 1930 model Bentley

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

very sorry for this..
But its not a Bentley
Rolls Wraith ? engine and Rolls chassis, it does have a Rolls Bentley Mk VI gearbox
Attachment 4373

Modern alternator
Attachment 4374

Lots of abominations around...
I was at first suspicious about the sound, it just doesn't sound like a W O Bentley, they roar.
This ones real:
YouTube - 1930 model Bentley

Very interesting. I guess I got carried away by the looks and the sound (guess what, if it weren't for half baked enthusiasts like me there wouldn't be a market for these machines after all)

Boy if a RR sounded like this I have to see what the real deal sounds like. I had also seen the other U tube video, looks like a small engine, is that a six?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

I think that is the Bhavnagar 6 1/2 Barker 2 seater FA2513 and its been jazzed up with the scalloped mudguards and toolbox running boards...

...and in 2007
Attachment 4341

I doubt it. The picture I uploaded was at Pebble Beach in 2001, and your's date to 85 and 07. Unless you are implying it has since reverted to stock!

Originally Posted by Julian UK

More W O BENTLEYS

This one was called “The Blue Train” HM2855 Gurney Nutting fixed head coupe also called “The motorised toolbox”
Attachment 4353

My favorite of the W Os. Many consider it a god-awful design, but I love it! I believe the other is also a Gurney Nutting, and also at Pebble beach in 2001.

[DKG]

I was enquiring about the Holkar Bentley with Mr. Manvendra Singh when he related an interesting story. I believe his father used to tell him that the former Maharajah was in the habit of accelerating the Bentley so hard within the palace grounds that often it reached 95 miles an hour by the time it reached the gates!!

I don't quite remember the second bit of the story very clearly but I think Mr. Manvendra Singh told me he tried it out himself on the same Bentley and confirmed it was possible!!

Interesting tales

PS: Julian these companies that are carrying out alterations making new bodies etc, is the entire shell in steel or is it steel inner structure with aluminium cladding? Am seriously thinking of getting hold of some old straight eight or large six junked engine/chassis and making a "racing Bentley lookalike for myself", considering I'm too far away to afford the real deal!

[awini]

i saw the conoor 6.5 litre in delhi, not long ago at our friend's farm, its an imposing car,very original... black, with green leather, and ivory fittings, unfortunately the wings and running board were damaged, during transport to delhi. i dont know who it finally went to, but our friend told me that the current owner wants to build a le mans replica on it!! i implored him to talk the owner out of it. dont know the final fate of the car.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by awini

i saw the conoor 6.5 litre in delhi, not long ago at our friend's farm, its an imposing car,very original... black, with green leather, and ivory fittings, unfortunately the wings and running board were damaged, during transport to delhi. i dont know who it finally went to, but our friend told me that the current owner wants to build a le mans replica on it!! i implored him to talk the owner out of it. dont know the final fate of the car.

Oh my God nooooooooooo!!! What's gone wrong with these people? This is the second car you tell us the owner wants to convert. This is really very sad.

Firstly if this car is very original as you say it has tremendous value unrestored. Increasingly the cars preserved are considered more valuable than cars that have been restored albeit authentically.

Secondly even if the gentleman who owns the car wants to make himself a Le Man replica could someone atleast suggest the original body is stored while a new one fabricated and used? That way atleast irreparable damage would not be done.

Awini check out a Le Man replica on the U Tube link given in earlier post. The conversion is very impressive, and the overall result is mind blowing.

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by DKG

looks like a small engine, is that a six?

Its a 4 1/2 litre 4 cylinder supercharged

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

This 1928 6 1-2 litre Barker bodied Bentley was at Pebble Beach in 2001. Certainly looks like an ex Maharaja car.

I doubt it. The picture I uploaded was at Pebble Beach in 2001, and your's date to 85 and 07. Unless you are implying it has since reverted to stock!

The pictures I posted are of Bhavnagar's 4 1/2 litre. 4 seater NX3452
I was refering to his 6 1/2 litre Barker 2 seater FA2513 being in USA since 2006 so it could be.

Originally Posted by DKG

is the entire shell in steel or is it steel inner structure with aluminium cladding? Am seriously thinking of getting hold of some old straight eight or large six junked engine/chassis and making a "racing Bentley lookalike for myself", considering I'm too far away to afford the real deal!

Lots of them have a Mk VI Bentley chassis that have been shortened, there is a tried and proven method of doing it. Why because there were so many MK VI Bentleys which either rotted or had ugly bodies and they were very cheap. Most have a ash frame and aluminium panels.

Originally Posted by awini

i dont know who it finally went to, but our friend told me that the current owner wants to build a le mans replica on it!! i implored him to talk the owner out of it. dont know the final fate of the car.

OOH NO!!!!!

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by travancore

According to an Autocar India article "Bentley Targets super rich with Arnage Red Label"; and I quote:

"68 out of 5459 Bentleys built between 1919-1940 are recorded to have been directly imported to India while another two dozen, bought second hand, found their way here"

It also goes on to say " Nearly all the pre-war models and the two 8.0 liter Bentleys that came here still survive today"

If there were 16 or so W O Bentleys directly imported and a few more brought in second hand, like the 8 litre cars, (the records exist for all 100 8 litres and none came new to India) then the rest were all Derby Bentleys 3 1/2 and 4 1/4 litre. Do you have Derby Bentley sales lists? I don't.

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

My favorite of the W Os. Many consider it a god-awful design, but I love it!

It does have a strange charm doesn't it and it did have a drinks cabinet inside

[Julian UK]

DKG Have a look here, its the same company who built the Bentley special in the Utube video.
Bob Petersen Engineering

They have even built 3 different Blue train Bentley replicas!!!



Moderator's note: Images deleted per user request

[travancore]

Originally Posted by Julian UK

If there were 16 or so W O Bentleys directly imported and a few more brought in second hand, like the 8 litre cars, (the records exist for all 100 8 litres and none came new to India) then the rest were all Derby Bentleys 3 1/2 and 4 1/4 litre. Do you have Derby Bentley sales lists? I don't.

Hear are just a couple Vanden Plas bodied Indian Bentleys from: RROC / "The Flying Lady" - March/April 2004

Maharaja / Chassis# / Body # / Style / Date

3 1/2 Liters (?):
Indore : B82DG / 3324 / 2D Sports / Mar 1935
Cooch Behar: B164EF / 3376 / 2D Close Cpl Sedan / Aug 1935
Rajkumar of Bhavnagar: B50FB / 3396 / 2D Spt Tourer / Nov 1935

4 1/4 Liters:

Darbhanga: B64MR / 3657 / 2D Drop head / Nov 1938

[Julian UK]

Originally Posted by travancore

Hear are just a couple Vanden Plas bodied Indian Bentleys from: RROC / "The Flying Lady" - March/April 2004

Maharaja / Chassis# / Body # / Style / Date

3 1/2 Liters (?):
Indore : B82DG / 3324 / 2D Sports / Mar 1935
Cooch Behar: B164EF / 3376 / 2D Close Cpl Sedan / Aug 1935
Rajkumar of Bhavnagar: B50FB / 3396 / 2D Spt Tourer / Nov 1935

4 1/4 Liters:

Darbhanga: B64MR / 3657 / 2D Drop head / Nov 1938

Rearbhanga: B64MR / 3657 / 2D Drop head / Nov 1938
This must be BRG 484 Vanden Plas body in Delhi (I did so much for this car but never recorded its details , most of the work I did in 1997/98 in partial agony from slipped discs in my back wearing a neck collar trying to oblige the owner and his manager who was rather impatiant at the time.. he was otherwise a wonderful person, very involved with the cars there, who I will never forget, he passed away about a year later. This car has many bitter and sweet memories for me as he had become a friend of my family also). To whom to tell these details, they lie heavily never to be forgotten......

I wonder if the 3 1/2 litres have survived?