Honeysuckle at speed
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter Drophead Tourer Coachwork by Vanden Plas.
Walter O. Bentley's company was purchased by Rolls-Royce, Ltd. in 1931 and moved from Cricklewood, London to Rolls' Derby works. The Bentley cars produced from 1933 through 1939 are known as the 'Derby Bentleys.' The first of these was based on the current-series Rolls-Royce 202/25-horsepower chassis but was reconfigured to use the 20/25's 2.75-liter engine. The 126-inch bare chassis left the factory to be bodied by outside coachbuilders.
The new 4.25-Litre (4,257cc) model, introduced in 1936, had an increase in power over the previous model while retaining the well-proven chassis with servo-assisted braking and faultless gear-change. This new engine was shared with the equivalent Rolls-Royce, the 25/30hp, and as had been the case with the preceding 3½-Litre model, was a superior specification in Bentley form, fitted with twin SU carburetors, raised compression ratio, and a more 'sporting' camshaft. Equipped with twin SU carburetors, the 4,257cc overhead valve inline 6-cylinder engine delivered 126 horsepower at 4,500 RPM. The introduction of the Hall's Metal bearings would eventually lead to an adoption of an overdrive gearbox and improved lubrication system, improvements which coincided with the introduction of the 'M' series cars in 1939. Approximately 200 examples were produced during 1939 (a total of 1,234 examples during its production lifespan), and they were renowned for their reliability, refinement, and long-distance cruising capabilities.
This Bentley 4.25 Litre is one of the most famous Derby Bentleys. It was fitted with striking open tourer 'cut-down door' - style coachwork by Vanden Plas of London and finished in a color scheme that earned it the nickname of 'Honeysuckle.' The 4.25 Litre was originally ordered by Captain E. Molyneaux with coachwork by Thrupp & Maberly, which was almost immediately removed and placed on another Bentley owned by Molyneaux. Vanden Plas then made this replacement body, which was delivered in June of 1939. After the Second World War ended, it was owned for a short time by William Douglas-Home, the playwright and brother of the former British Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
Honeysuckle at speed
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter Drophead Tourer Coachwork by Vanden Plas.
Walter O. Bentley's company was purchased by Rolls-Royce, Ltd. in 1931 and moved from Cricklewood, London to Rolls' Derby works. The Bentley cars produced from 1933 through 1939 are known as the 'Derby Bentleys.' The first of these was based on the current-series Rolls-Royce 202/25-horsepower chassis but was reconfigured to use the 20/25's 2.75-liter engine. The 126-inch bare chassis left the factory to be bodied by outside coachbuilders.
The new 4.25-Litre (4,257cc) model, introduced in 1936, had an increase in power over the previous model while retaining the well-proven chassis with servo-assisted braking and faultless gear-change. This new engine was shared with the equivalent Rolls-Royce, the 25/30hp, and as had been the case with the preceding 3½-Litre model, was a superior specification in Bentley form, fitted with twin SU carburetors, raised compression ratio, and a more 'sporting' camshaft. Equipped with twin SU carburetors, the 4,257cc overhead valve inline 6-cylinder engine delivered 126 horsepower at 4,500 RPM. The introduction of the Hall's Metal bearings would eventually lead to an adoption of an overdrive gearbox and improved lubrication system, improvements which coincided with the introduction of the 'M' series cars in 1939. Approximately 200 examples were produced during 1939 (a total of 1,234 examples during its production lifespan), and they were renowned for their reliability, refinement, and long-distance cruising capabilities.
This Bentley 4.25 Litre is one of the most famous Derby Bentleys. It was fitted with striking open tourer 'cut-down door' - style coachwork by Vanden Plas of London and finished in a color scheme that earned it the nickname of 'Honeysuckle.' The 4.25 Litre was originally ordered by Captain E. Molyneaux with coachwork by Thrupp & Maberly, which was almost immediately removed and placed on another Bentley owned by Molyneaux. Vanden Plas then made this replacement body, which was delivered in June of 1939. After the Second World War ended, it was owned for a short time by William Douglas-Home, the playwright and brother of the former British Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home.