1930 Bentley 4½-Litre Vanden Plas Tourer
Vintage Shelsley Walsh, July 2018

Prescot VSCC Hillclimb, August 2011

1930 4.5 litre Reg No: GC 6645 Engine No: AD3653 Chassis No: AD3655

Freddie had watched GC 6645 being driven around his village in Wiltshire as a small boy and always aspired to owning it. In 1963 he found it sitting derelict in a local garage and immediately bought it - restoring the Van den Plas coachwork and radiator the same year. He then competed in rallies and races with the Vintage Sports Car Club but a year later was introduced to Frazer Nash cars in which he competed at home and abroad for the next 40 years. This meant the Bentley became the "family" car, taking us on summer holidays with our 4 children and continental rallies. It was also the tow car for the single-seater cars. As the children grew up it was used as their wedding car for each of them and now our 9 grandchildren enjoy it as well! The original engine was taken down eight years ago for the first time since new!

The car is still very original but was being prepared for the Peking to Paris Rally in June this year - hence the snug two seater hood, complete with zip out rear window for cooling and the capacious rear compartment for the golf clubs! The originals, including the beautiful vdp wings, are safely in the workshop and will be put back in place after the South African Tour. Last year she competed in the Rallye des Alpes and was hurled round the mountains with some success and a lot of fun.