A Bentley 4½ Litre once owned by Woolf Barnato, one of the original Bentley Boys and a three-time winner at Le Mans, was the star lot at H&H Classics’ latest sale.
The 1929 Bentley sold for £874,000, against an estimate of £750-850,000, and was by some margin the priciest seller at the auction, which took place at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford yesterday (17 October).
Another rare Bentley – a 1937 3½ Litre Vanden Plas Drophead Coupé – failed to sell, but there were plenty of other standout lots, including a car with a royal connection and an E-type with a great story behind it.
The Bentley 4½ Litre has lived a fascinating life. It was delivered to Barnato, who was at the time Bentley’s owner, in March 1929.
Chassis NX3457 was originally produced in Vanden Plas Sports four-seater form and was used by the millionaire playboy and racing driver for roughly six months – during which time he won the second of his trio of Le Mans 24 Hour victories.