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1922
Bentley 3 Litre |
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Original 1921 Numbers
Chassis
No. 3
Engine No. 4
Registration No. AX 3827
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This car - updated
Chassis No. 3
Engine No. 4
Registration No. AX 3827
(Updated with information from Gooding & Company. - August 2011) |
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August
22, 2011 |
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WORLD'S
OLDEST SURVIVING PRODUCTION BENTLEY
SOLD AT PEBBLE BEACH
1921 3-litre 'Chassis Number 3'
sells for $962,500 |
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Pebble Beach,
California. 22 August 2011 - 90
years after Bentley's very first customer,
Noel Van Raalte, took delivery of
chassis number 3 (registered AX 3827
in the UK) for the princely sum of
£1,150, that same 3-Litre graced
the Gooding & Co. auction at Pebble
Beach, commanding a price of $962,500*.
Chassis number 3 is an extraordinary,
'matching-numbers' car with original
aluminium coachwork and brass brightwork.
The marque's signature craftsmanship
and engineering capabilities, introduced
by company founder W.O. Bentley, are
evident even in this oldest surviving
production 3 Litre.
The true test of the engineering of
the 3 Litre came with wins at the
24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race
in 1924 and 1927, the start of an
epic run of five Bentley victories
in eight years. The legend had been
born in a successful albeit short
period since the founding of Bentley
in 1919 and this sporting heritage
remains at the heart of all Bentley
models today.
Thurston
Twigg-Smith Jr., former owner of this
car, has pointed out the following
with reference to the text above:
"Noel Van Raalte bought Chassis
1, NOT Chassis 3. Ivor Llewellyn was
first owner of chassis 3, which was
the first car delivered." |
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Source:
Bentley Media, YouTube video
Updated: Oct 14, 2014
Updated: Aug 30, 2011
Posted: Aug 23, 2011 |
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August
2011 |
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The Oldest Production
Bentley in the World
1921 Bentley 3 Litre
Coachwork by R. Harrison &
Son, Ltd.
Chassis No. 3
Engine No. 4
UK Registration No. AX 3827
- The First Production Bentley Delivered
- A Matching-Numbers, Original-Bodied
Example
- Documented Ownership from New
- Correct Components Throughout
- A Driving Event Veteran
- One of the Most Important Bentleys
in Existence
- 2,996 CC SOHC Inline 4-Cylinder
Engine
- Smiths 45VS Carburetor
- 70 HP
- 4-Speed Manual Non-Synchromesh A
Gearbox
- 2-Wheel Rear Drum Brakes
- Live-Axle Suspension with Semi-Elliptical
Leaf Springs
In the fledgling years of Bentleys
early beginnings, the need to produce
and sell customer cars
was of the greatest importance. As
early chassis and engines were completed,
the finished cars were immediately
sent to coachbuilders for order fulfillment.
The first Bentley to be delivered
was this very 3 Litre, Chassis 3,
carrying engine 4. On August 3, 1921,
Bentley handed over the first customer
car to Ivor Llewelyn of Blaen-y-Pant,
Malpas near Newport, Monmouthshire,
in Wales.
Mr. Llewelyn represented the ideal
Bentley client. He was often seen
and photographed at the wheel of his
Silver Ghost while the chauffer occupied
the rear seat. He became an enthusiastic
customer and purchased two more 3
Litres, Chassis 48 and Chassis 912,
and enjoyed ownership of Chassis 3
for seven years. Bentley valued Mr.
Llewelyn for his status as their first
paying customer who, upon seeing Exp
2 at the Olympia show, had eagerly
placed his order for the new British-built
sporting car. Interestingly, the sale
of the car to Mr. Llewelyn was kept
private as it was necessary for Bentley
to publicly deliver the first
car, Chassis 1, to KLG financier Noel
van Raalte, a transaction that took
place a full month after the delivery
of Chassis 3.
The early completion of Chassis 3
is thought to be an outcome of the
simplistic finishing of the coachwork.
As specified for Mr. Llewelyn, the
body of Chassis 3 is a very Edwardian
yet sporting canoe stern
two-seater. The aluminum coachwork
was left unpainted, scratched
and varnished, producing an interesting
metallic wood-grain appearance. The
brightwork on the car was brass and
the original interior was believed
to be non-pleated black leather. The
proportions of the car are striking
and the height of the body is enveloping
and sporting. It is notable that,
for such an early car, the brake lever
remains within the coachwork, the
windscreen is both raked and veed
and, more astonishingly, the top is
fully disappearing a very advanced
feature for 1921. Although there are
no records or badging of a coachbuilder
on Chassis 3, the work is believed
to be that of R. Harrison & Son,
Ltd. whose marking can be found cast
on the windshield locking nuts.
In late 1921, soon after delivery
and at the urging of Mr. Llewelyns
wife, the rear of the body was slightly
altered to accommodate a dickey seat.
The work was done in steel and the
car was subsequently painted in grey
with the wings and wheels finished
in Claret. Mr. Llewelyns son,
Desmond Llewelyn, the famed actor
known as Q from the James
Bond movie series, recalled his fathers
immediate changes to the car. The
first registration, dating November
17, 1921, notes the new finish as
Primrose and Sand.
In 1928, after a lengthy first ownership,
Chassis 3 was sold to Christopher
J. Griffiths, also of Newport, Monmouthshire.
The car remained in factory service
records through 1931. On March 23,
1933, the logbook notes a transfer
of ownership to Earnest Cracky
Williams of Bristol, England. The
Bentley remained with Mr. Williams
through the war in the company of
what was said to be numerable
interesting cars, the care of
which was less than satisfactory.
However, Chassis 3 did have the luxury
of a groundsheet cover and was believed
to be in very original condition during
that time.
In 1946, John Frank Saunders, an engineer
with Bristol Aeroplane Company, purchased
the Bentley from Mr. Williams. Mr.
Saunders began the task of bringing
Chassis 3 back to the road and, at
that time, the car received a new
front axle with front brakes. However,
Mr. Saunders ownership was short
and, after just three years, the car
passed to Duncan Beaton for the sum
of £120. Mr. Beaton recalls
the effort of the negotiation from
the asking price of £125 as
costing £4 in beer, at
10 pence a pint. Mr. Beaton
went on to recollect that it was a
wonderful bargain because every trip
[in Chassis 3] was joyful.
Mr. Beaton owned the car for just
two years but used it frequently.
A series of black-and-white photos
show Mr. Beaton and Mr. Saunders using
the car at a club event at Naish Hill.
During that ownership, the car also
found use on a rather damp tour of
Wales with Mr. Beaton and his mother,
who, in proper Bentley fashion, never
once used the top.
In 1951, Mr. Beaton regretfully traded
Chassis 3 to Frank Walker of the Highland
Square Garage off Blackboy Hill in
Bristol, in part ex- change for a
6C 1500 Alfa Romeo. Mr. Walker sold
the car to Stephen James that same
year. The Bentley was seen on display
shortly after at a Bentley Drivers
Club event with the Royal Air Force
Battle of Britain at Home Day
air display at the Filton Aerodrome
in Bristol. Chassis 3 was the cornerstone
of a 12-car display featuring one
of each model Vintage Bentley.
In 1954, Chassis 3 was sold to Samuel
Rex Purkiss who kept the car for two
years. During Purkiss ownership,
his inquiry of early delivery dates
prompted the Bentley Drivers Club
(BDC) to acknowledge Chassis 3 as
the oldest Bentley known to exist
and, since then, the club record card
has indicated that it is The
first production Bentley to be sold
to a customer.
Chassis 3 eventually left the Bristol
area when Robert Eugene Tait of London
purchased the car. After some minimal
restoration, Chassis 3 ap- peared
at Kensington Gardens and other BDC
events where it received considerable
attention. Mr. Tait sold the Bentley
to John S. Riggs of New York. On November
28, 1957, Chassis 3 left the UK for
the first time aboard the S.S. American
Farmer en route to New York.
It is said that Riggs drove Chassis
3 the 350 miles from the harbor to
his home in Elmira, New York, without
a problem. Mr. Riggs was an active
collector in the 1940s and 1950s.
Various club records show his interest
in, and ownership of, Brass, Nickel
and Classic Era cars of both American
and European manufacture. Mr. Riggs
listed Chassis 3 for sale in a 1959
issue of the Flying Lady and, although
he noted the need for restoration
of the coachwork, the car was listed
at $2,500 when the most expensive
8 Litre in the same issue was no more
than $1,500.
In 1961, the car was sold to Gordon
C. Morris in Maryland, New York. Little
is known of Mr. Morris ownership
of the car and, after five years,
it was purchased by Ed Jurist of the
Vintage Car Store, also in New York.
That same year, Robert McKee of New
Jersey bought the car. During McKees
five-year ownership, a lengthy article
on the history of Chassis 3 by Tony
Stamer was featured in the BDC Review.
In 1971, the car was bought by a partnership
and subsequently sold to Breene Kerr
and William E. Howell in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma.
Upon receipt of the car, Mr. Kerr
and Mr. Howell began restoring Chassis
3 but ultimately abandoned the project
after several years. Correspondence
and photos document the process from
1971 to 1976 when the work ceased.
Photos from 1976 show the car in a
relatively complete and assembled
state, and clearly show the two major
changes Mr. Kerr undertook, the first
of which was the placement of louvres
in the bonnet followed by the replacement
of the steel tail with aluminum. It
was Kerrs desire to leave the
coachwork in polished aluminum and,
in order to do so, the 1921 changes
for the dickey seat were replicated
in aluminum.
Chassis 3 remained with Mr. Kerr until
1985 when George Schuetz of Woodstock,
Vermont, purchased the car for $50,000.
When it arrived at Schuetzs
shop Cricklewood, a thorough
assessment was undertaken with the
help of fellow enthusiasts Len Wilton
and Ed Downey. Work began again on
Chassis 3 but was never completed.
In July 1994, the current owner purchased
Chassis 3 in an unfinished and disassembled
state. However, Chassis 3 held the
promise of a complete and significant
Bentley. Having known the car for
some time, the owner, a true Bentley
enthusiast, was anxious to bring Chassis
3 back to driving condition, although
it became apparent that it was to
be a lengthy process. In a very methodical
and purposeful manner, significant
research was done on the history of
Chassis 3 as well as on the details
of early 3 Litres. The car was once
again assessed from the perspective
of completeness and correctness, any
issues were noted and any missing
parts were sourced. In conjunction
with the ongoing research, a labor-intensive
disassembly initiated a well- documented
and sympathetic rebuild of the car.
In September 1999, Chassis 3 proudly
returned to the road for the first
time in approximately 30 years, appearing
with a delightful patina and a wonderful
exhaust note appropriate of such an
important Bentley.
In its current state, Chassis 3 is
simply unique with polished aluminum
coachwork, black wings and beaded-edge
wheels. The unrestored brass plating
complements the medium green interior
imbuing the Bentley with irresistible
charm. Upon closer inspection, each
detail specific to these very early
cars can intrigue even the most knowledgeable
Bentley enthusiasts. All major components
except the front axle, which was replaced
by the brakeless unit from Chassis
261, are original. Attesting to its
mechanical condition and usability
since completion, Chassis 3 has participated
in many events and Vintage Bentley
rallies.
Chassis 3 is undoubtedly one of the
most significant Bentleys in the world.
Originality and matching numbers are
extremely scarce with this marque
so it is remarkably fortunate
that Chassis 3, the first production
Bentley delivered, still possesses
its original body and matching-numbers
engine and gearbox. In original form,
there is no older or more important
Bentley 3 Litre. |
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Source:
Gooding & Company
Posted: Aug 23, 2011 |
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June
2011 |
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Chassis 3, the
Oldest Surviving Production Bentley
One of the most important Bentleys
in existence, this 1921 Bentley 3
Litre was the first customer car to
leave the Bentley factory. Chassis
3 is an extraordinary, matching-numbers
car with brass brightwork and an original
aluminum body with fully disappearing
top as specified by the first owner.
Its participation in Vintage
Bentley rallies, and many other recent
events, attests to the cars
usability. Chassis 3 is a special
addition to Gooding & Companys
Pebble Beach Auctions this August,
and its estimate is available on request.
Coachwork by R. Harrison &
Son, Ltd.
- The First Production Bentley Delivered
- A Matching-Numbers, Original-Bodied
Example
- Documented Ownership from New
- Correct Components Throughout
- A Driving Event Veteran
- One of the Most Important Bentleys
in Existence
- 2,996 CC SOHC Inline 4-Cylinder
Engine
- Smiths 45VS Carburetor
- 70 HP
- 4-Speed Manual Non-Synchromesh A
Gearbox
- 2-Wheel Rear Drum Brakes
- Live-Axle Suspension with Semi-Elliptical
Leaf Springs |
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Source:
Gooding & Company
Updated: Aug 04, 2011
Posted: Jun 28, 2011 |
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March
2010 |
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The car is presently
owned by Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr. |
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Source:
Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr. (Owner)
Posted: Mar 09, 2010 |
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July
2009 |
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The car is presently
owned by Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr.
in the United States of America |
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Source:
Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr. (Owner)
Posted: Jul 07, 2009 |
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"Chassis #3
was the first production Bentley to
leave the Bentley factory and be delivered
its owner Ivor Llewellyn in Wales
on AUGUST 1921, a full month before
Van Raalte picked up his car, Chassis
#1 at the factory. Llewellyn would
eventually own three 3-litre Bentleys.
Van Raalte's "sale" was
clearly arranged for publicity
he was principle in the K.L.G. spark
plug company, which most early 3 litres
were supplied with, and a playboy
race driver of some merit.
Chassis #3 still exists with its original
body, and still runs on K.L.G. K-1
plugs. It's here in Vermont in my
barn."
~~~
"Chassis 3 originally had Lucas
lamps on stirrup stanchions as did
EXP3. I have a set of lamps, just
need to replicate the posts and braces.
Fortunately I have two photos of the
car as delivered with its first owner
behind the wheel to substantiate the
light setup. A few more details and
the car will be as near to "as
delivered" as this human can
make it!" |
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Source:
Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr. (Owner)
Updated: Jul 09, 2009
Posted: Jul 07, 2009 |
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2006 |
In
USA in 2006 / Owned by a BDC & RROC member |
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Source:
Unknown (2003)
Posted: Sep 21, 2006 |
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1994 |
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This car was purchased
by Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr. in 1994. |
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Source:
Thurston Twigg-Smith Jr. (Owner)
Posted: Jul 09, 2007 |
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EARLIEST
RECORD OF HISTORICAL FACTS & INFORMATION |
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Chassis No. |
3 |
Engine No. |
4 |
Registration
No. |
AX 3827 |
Date of Delivery: |
Aug 1921 |
Type of Body: |
2-seater |
Coachbuilder: |
No info |
Type of Car: |
S |
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First Owner: |
LLEWELLYN IVOR |
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More Info:
"Body by R. E. Harrison & Son,
Ltd. is original, as is 95% of the car.
Brakeless front axle is from Chassis
261. Reconditioned by current owner,
who bought it in 1994 as a non-running,
partially assembled rolling chassis,
body mounted and lots of boxes
and buckets of parts. Running since
1998, first time since the sixties.
Historically correct, even to original
K-1 spark plugs." Source: Thurston
Twigg-Smith, Jr., Owner July
09, 2007 (Thurston Twigg-Smith, Jr.
bought this car in 1994)
"Coachbuilder of original body
still fitted has been determined to
be R Harrison & Sons, as was EXP3."
Source: Thurston Twigg-Smith, Jr.,
Owner March 8, 2010
Michael Hay, in his book Bentley:
The Vintage Years, 1997, states:
"In USA. Original 2 seater modified
to 2 seater and dickey. One SU on special
manifold now twin SUs. Was fitted four
wheel hydraulic brakes - brakeless front
axle to be fitted." |
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Posted: Mar 01, 2007 |
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Submit
more information on this car |
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BACK |
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Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photograph received from Simon Hunt for Chassis No. RL3439 |
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Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Chassis No. 147 |
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Sep 29, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Ernst Jan Krudop for his Chassis No. AX1651 |
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Sep 28, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Lars Hedborg
for his Chassis No. KL3590 |
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Sep 25, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. XV 3207 |
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Sep 24, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. YM 7165 |
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CLUB TALK
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