Derby Bentley 1933-1940

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Neal and Lillian Kirkham's, 1934 3 1/2 litre Bentley Thrupp and Maberly DHC, B35BL. (above and below)

Neal and Lillian Kirkham's, 1937 4 1/4 litre Bentley Windovers DHC, B138LS.

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Austin and Barbara Kilburn's, 1938 Bentley 4 1/4 litre Park Ward sports saloon

 

Frank and Leah Gabrielli's 1938 Bentley 4 1/4 litre Vanden Plas 3 Pos. drophead

Ronald and Marti Sullivan's 1934 Bentley 3 ½  Litre B132AH

B 132AH is a 1934 3 ½  litre Bentley with a two door "Sedanca" Coupe body with folding head by H.J. Mulliner seating 4, usually 2. This is the description I given on the chassis card. Essentially this characterizes a 3-position drophead coupe with working landau bars. The car was for use around Glasgow, occasionally touring in England, Scotland and on the Continent. 

I purchased the car in London in 1959 and it arrived in San Francisco aboard the S.S. Loch Avon shortly thereafter. It was originally delivered on June 15, 1934 to Major Archibald Arrol Stuart Black of The Manor House, Castle Combe, Wiltshire and was assigned the registration mark AYT 1. Major Black kept the Bentley until 1953 after which it passed through several ownerships of about two years each until I acquired the car in 1959. The current registration mark NLT 748 was assigned to the car on 17 March 1953 when it was sold by Major Black. I corresponded with Major Black several times between 1960 and 1965.  

B 132AH is one of the earlier Bentleys manufactured by Rolls Royce after it acquired the assets of the old Bentley company in 1931. Although these cars, which were known as "the Silent Sports Car" do not have the rugged racing look of their W.O. Bentley predecessors, one of them (Eddie Hall's car which was featured on the cover of the "On the Road" publication of the Derby Bentley Society) was nevertheless raced in several events, namely the Tourist Trophy races in the early thirties and LeMans in the immediate post-war years with the quiet assistance of Rolls Royce. Indeed, the course times were better than those of the earlier namesakes. 

During its ownership by Major Black, B 132AH spent a considerable amount of time touring the Continent of Europe and since I acquired the car it has explored many parts of California. I originally used the car for weekend jaunts but about 1961 decided to restore it to its original condition.  

This restoration included a complete ground-up rebuild of the engine and gear box, a back-to-bare-metal nitro-cellulose dark green paint job and new Connolly hides. Recently, in 1996, I rewired B 132AH at the same time as I rewired my other 3 1/2 ,  B73DK.  

The car was campaigned in Concours d'Elegance during the mid to late sixties and secured numerous first prizes and also secured second place in its class in the RROC National Meets in 1965 and 1979 and at Pebble Beach for the years 1964, 1965 and 1966. 

When Bentley was featured at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races held at Laguna Seca Raceway in 1979, B 132AH led the Rolls-Bentleys around the course and as some members will recall, instead of a somnambulant one- lap tour around the course, there was an impromptu five - lap race among the Bentley drivers until we were flagged off the track. The car has also been driven for a few laps at the Sears Point Raceway.

From a personal viewpoint, however, a high point of my ownership of  B 132AH was on my wedding day, January 25, 198 1, when we were chauffeured in the car from the Stanford Memorial Chapel up Highway 280 to the Olympic Club in San Francisco at speeds rarely under 70 mph and occasionally reaching 80 mph, daring the California Highway Patrol to ticket a 46 year old motor car. 

On the occasion of the 5 0 Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1987, B 132AH was one of the 100 cars in the parade over and back when the bridge was completely shut down to automobile traffic - and later occupied by 200,000 pedestrians. 

B 132AH is pictured on Page 173 of Johnny Green's book, Bentley, Fifty Years of the Marque and in the book, Pebble Beach a matter of style, Racing Through The Pines 1950 - 1956/Concours d'Elegance 1950 - 1979.