W.O. Bentley’s first car, the immortal 3-Litre was launched in prototype form in 1919 and entered production in late summer 1921. The 3-Litre had a four cylinder, single-overhead camshaft engine with four valves per cylinder and developed around 70bhp. The gearbox had four forward speeds plus reverse and no synchromesh which required the driver to master the satisfying art of double-declutching. The wheelbase was standardised for the early production cars at 9’ 9½” and was extended in 1923 to 10’ 10” as the ‘Standard Long Chassis’. The 9’ 9½” short-chassis was retained for the ‘Speed Model’.

 

As was the norm with high-quality, low-volume cars of the time, the chassis was supplied without a body leaving the purchaser to choose his or her own coachbuilder and design.

 

The early history of chassis 373 is quite sparse, however a copy of the Bentley Motors service record on file shows the car was originally fitted with engine number 375. 375 is stamped on the crankcase and magneto turret today. Another entry in the service record notes the car was fitted with ‘hard front universal joint balls’. The guarantee expiration date was 14th January 1929 which would indicate that the chassis (or possibly the complete car) would have been delivered on the 14th January 1924.

 

A report by vintage Bentley authority Dr. Clare Hay states that it is likely 373 was fitted with a Standard Long 10’ 10” wheelbase chassis when new, as a later note in the service records state that the ‘B’-Type gearbox ratios were changed (Bentley fitted the ‘B’-Type gearbox to the standard 10’ 10” chassis).

 

The Bentley service records show the first owner of 373 was Philip Rhodes of 1 Montague Place, Montague Square, London who owned seven Bentleys between 1924 and 1928 and was well connected at the factory. 373 was the first of three 3-Litre models that he owned.

 

The guarantee was transferred later in 1924 to a T. Midgeley Illingworth of Willesden and then again to S. P. Pulham of East Finchley, London in 1926. The chassis and engine were overhauled at this time before Pulham advertised 373 for sale in The Autocar magazine of the 29th October 1926. The car was listed as having a four-door Weymann saloon body. The car sold to Francis William Bontor of Barnes, London in 1927 as the guarantee then transferred to him.

 

Dr. Hay states that the original chassis frame was replaced with a 9’ 9½” Speed Model specification item sometime in the mid-1930s, and in January 1934 the chassis was rebuilt by Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. who may have bought it into stock as they frequently purchased used chassis to refurbish, rebody and sell on. Bentleys replaced the front axle, swivel pins and bushes and fitted new 4 ½ Litre type Perrot shafts plus a low-ratio steering box (which has since been exchanged for a high-ratio unit). A ‘C’-Type gearbox was also fitted. It is possible that Bentleys fitted the Kingsway Motors saloon body when the chassis was rebuilt. A photograph on file of 373 from circa 1960 shows the car with the Kingsway Motors body which was similar in appearance to a SS 100.

 

The guarantee was transferred once more, this time to R. L. Broad c/o Britannic Autos, France on the 24th June 1934 which suggests the car saw use in France. The last entries in the factory service records are dated July and September 1938 and show an engine overhaul that included the installation of a used cylinder block.

 

A buff logbook is also on file that shows the car was registered in 1943 to one Hubert Alexander Bohane of Hever in Kent.

In 1960 the car still had its Kingsway Motors body when it was bought by famed watchmaker and car collector George Daniels. By this time the car had also acquired a Wilson pre-selector gearbox.

 

Daniels sold the car to specialist coachbuilder James (Jim) Pearce who removed the Kingsway Motors body and fitted an original 1924 Vanden Plas body (Vanden Plas body no. 1078) from chassis 697 which was was rebuilt with a different body. Body no. 1078 is a coachbuilt gentleman’s tourer with four doors and four seats. Jim Pearce purchased it from George Burton of Hofmann and Burton in 1960 and was complete with original windscreen, seats an original one-man hood by Donne & Willans Ltd. hood frame. A copy of the advertisement is on file as well as period photographs of chassis 697 on tour in Scotland still having body no. 1078.

 

An extract from the B.D.C. Review of April 1961 recounts the 373’s history thus far and shows a photograph of the car midway through Jim Pearce’s 1960 rebuild.

 

Jim also changed the gearbox to a Sport Model specification ‘A’-Type (no. 240). The dashboard switch plate is the original (numbered 373) as is the rear axle and differential casing stamped 373. Dr. Hay thought the radiator is probably the original too. The car has a standard 11 gallon fuel tank and the exhaust system is a single-silencer Speed Model type.

 

Around 1964 373 was acquired by Nigel Dyer of Bushey Heath who sold it on the 25th August 1966 to the Dickson family who kept the car until 2018, a remarkable 52-year ownership.

 

The Dicksons had Blackmore Engineering of West Sussex rebuild the autovac in 2015. The firm also reconditioned the brake drums, stripped and rebuilt the water pump and shock absorbers, replaced the spring hanger bushes and pins, replaced the exhaust system front pipe, fitted new front hub bearings and repaired and painted the fuel tank. The final invoice totalled over £8,000.

 

In 2016 works were carried out to the body by James E. Pearce Specialist Coachbuilders along with a complete re-wire and other electrical work with the invoices totalling £12,774.

 

The engine then received a full rebuild in 2017 carried out by vintage Bentley specialists William Medcalf. The cylinder block was rebored, valve seats re-cut and new valves, guides and springs installed. New drain tubes were installed and the turret stripped and overhauled. New cross-shaft gears with new top and bottom bevel gears were fitted and the bottom end was converted to steel crank and rods with new pistons installed. The engine was also converted to the original by-pass oil filter system and the oil and water pumps were overhauled. Finally, the carburettors were rebuilt and the clutch relined. The final invoice came to over £47,000.

 

Today this well-maintained W. O. Bentley remains in ‘Speed Model’ specification and has changed little from Jim Pearce’s 1960 rebuild. The car has a continuous history and 52-year single-family ownership.

 

373 is accompanied by a history file which contains the essential Dr. Hay report, original buff logbook, 1966 sale receipt, period photographs and invoices and MOT certificates dating from 1967 onwards as well as a logbook kept by David Dickson that documented the car’s maintenance between 1966 and 1994.

 

373 is on the button and recently drove to the 2025 Goodwood Revival and was displayed at the nearby Petworth Historic Car Gathering.

 

Currently registered in Holland.

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