Information on all Vintage Bentley cars ever produced  
HISTORY BY CHASSIS REFERENCE MATERIALS RESTORATION INFO UNIDENTIFIED BENTLEYS
Home Articles Bentley Clinic Galleries Newsletter Subscribe to Newsletter Advertisements Links  Submit Info Contact
 
1927 Bentley 3/4½ Litre    
Original 1927 Numbers
Chassis No. LT1594
Engine No. LT1593
Registration No. NF 3906

  This car - updated
Chassis No. LT1594
Engine No. DS3556
Registration No. NF 3906

(Updated with information from owner Jean Pierre LECOU. - October 2018)
 
November 2019
Click on thumbnail for larger view
 
 

Found on DD Classics website on November 18, 2019

1927 Bentley 3/4½ Litre Tourer

- Supplied new to Percy Healey Esq. of rope and twin makers, Healey Bros and originally fitted with saloon coachwork by William Arnold
- Rebodied by Harrison in its current two-seater configuration during 1937
- Uprated to 4.5 litre power in 1986 whilst owned by former DEUVET chairman Peter Schack
- Enjoyed at a variety of historic events including: Mille Miglia, Liege-Rome-Liege, Le Mans Classic and Zoute Grand Prix etc

Though initially opposed to the idea of competing at Le Mans, W O Bentley was well aware of how success in motorsport could increase sales, and, following the privateer 4th place of Canadian John Duff (co-driving with Bentley’s test driver Frank Clement) in the inaugural 1923 Le Mans race, Bentley triumphed at La Sarthe in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. The first two victories were achieved with versions of the 3-litre model – an extraordinary feat considering it was the first to be produced by a company that had only commenced production in 1921. By 1928, however, more power was needed, Bentley winning with the 4 ¢-litre car ‘Old Mother Gun’, that had been trialled the previous year but eliminated in the infamous White House crash. Since then, upgrading the engine to 4 ¢-litres (2/3rds of the company’s 6 ¢-litre unit), has been an accepted and proven way of improving the performance of the 3-litre model.

According to the copy chassis record notes, LT 1594 was originally dispatched from the Works to William Arnold coachbuilders of Chorlton-cum-Medlock, Manchester who fitted Weymann-style saloon coachwork. Based upon the ‘Long Standard’ 10 ft 10 in. chassis with 3-litre engine (LT 1593) and B-Type gearbox, 1594 was road registered NF 3906 and delivered in April 1927 to its first keeper – Percy Healey Esq., Chairman of rope and twine manufacturers Healey Brothers Ltd of Heywood, Lancashire. Healey Brothers had been founded by his grandfather in 1843 and the family was known as a generous contributor to local projects including schools, a library and swimming pool.

It is understood that in 1937 coachbuilders Harrison were commissioned to replace the saloon coachwork with a two-seater arrangement – a feature retained to this day. Various further works are recorded on the chassis record up to the outbreak of war in 1939. Presumably laid up for the duration of hostilities, the car was purchased for the princely sum of £50 around 1955 by Gerald Wild of Swinton, Lancs, who had discovered it in a very dilapidated state. Most proud of his purchase, Mr Wild set about returning the Bentley to the road and later recorded his adventures in an amusing article entitled ‘Bentley on a Shoestring’. A copy is contained in the history file. He even reveals how one musical owner supposedly had the rear bodywork altered to accommodate a girlfriend’s harp!

Mr Wild sold the car in 1957 for £100 (the country then being in the grip of the Suez Crisis) and an original buff logbook on file records four further owners in the Cheshire area. During the 1970s it was resident in Switzerland, before passing into the hands of Dr. Klaus Kading of Germany in 1979. Records and correspondence on file show the car being worked on in England during the 1980s by Donald Day. In November 1986, it was acquired by former DEUVET chairman Peter Schack. During his ownership the decision was taken to replace the 3-litre unit with that of a 4 ¢ (DS 3556) whilst plans to have a VDP style replica body fitted were investigated but discontinued. During this period various works were also carried out by such renowned specialists as Dorset-based McKenzie Guppy Ltd and Tony Fabian of Blackmore Engineering. In 1997 the car changed hands again to another German owner, Hans-Albert Bense of Koln, before being purchased by the vendor via LMB Racing of Belgium in June 2002. In September that year he entered the Le Mans Classic and followed this with a number of events during his ownership including the 2002 Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, 2009 National Classic Tour and 2012 Zoute GP. The car is also a past entrant of the Mille Miglia retrospective.

Now described by the owner has having “very good” bodywork, engine and gearbox and “good” paintwork and interior, the car is accompanied by a large history file including aforementioned original buff logbook, photographs of previous works in progress, a notebook recording usage covering the period 1986 to 2004, a 3-litre Spares Booklet (1981 reprint), photocopied 3-litre brochure and Instruction Booklet, assorted invoices (dating back to the early 1980s) and a copy of Gerald Wild’s entertaining article which includes period b/w images of the car. Resident in Belgium for the past 17 years, this sporting 3 / 4 ¢ is ready to offer a new custodian exciting vintage motoring in the way only a pre-War Bentley can!

This car is for sale as of November 18, 2019

 
     
     
  Source: DD Classics
Posted: Nov 18, 2019
 
     
June 2019
Click on thumbnail for larger view
 
 
 

Found on H&H website on June 4, 2019

1927 Bentley 3/4.5 Litre Tourer
Chassis Number: LT1594
Engine Number: DS3556
Vehicle Registration: NF 3906
Price £385,000

 
     
     
  Source: H&H
Posted: Jun 04, 2019
 
     
2018
Click on thumbnail for larger view
   
 
 

"Pictures taken at Marais Salants near Guérande"

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU (Owner)
Posted: Dec 20, 2018
 
     
August 2018
Click on thumbnail for larger view
   
 
 

I'm the owner of the 1927 Bentley 3/4½ Litre
Chassis No. LT1594
Registration No. NF 3906

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU (Owner)
Posted: Oct 05, 2018
 
     
2002
Click on thumbnail for larger view
 
 
 

"I bought the car to LMB RACING in 2002."

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU (Owner)
Posted: Oct 09, 2018
 
     
September 2002
Click on thumbnail for larger view
   
 
 

Le Mans Classic, September 2002

 
     
     
  Source: Maison Blanche
Posted: Jul 15, 2014
 
     
2002
Click on thumbnail for larger view

Bentley Le Mans
Classic 2002

Presentation Le Mans
Classic 2002
 
 
 

This car was purchased by Jean Pierre Lecou around June 2002 (dealer was LMB Racing, Belgium).

Jean Pierre at Le Mans 2002 (Sept 2002) in photographs above.

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU (Owner)
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
2002
 

This car was purchased by Jean Pierre LECOU in 2002.

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU (Owner)
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
1997
Click on thumbnail for larger view
   
 
 

 

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
1979 to 1997

Click on thumbnail for larger view

   
 
 

This car was owned by Dr Klaus Käding from 1979 to 1986 in Germany.
This car was owned by Peter Schalk from 1986 to 1997 in Germany.
This car was purchased by Hans-Albert Bense in 1997 in Germany.

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
About 1980
Click on thumbnail for larger view
   
 
 

 

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
Click on thumbnail for larger view
 
 
 

 

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
1956 to 1960

Click on thumbnail for larger view

   
 
 

 

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
1956
Click on thumbnail for larger view
 
 
 

 

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
1955 - 1957
Click on thumbnail for larger view
 
 

"I am the son of Gerald Wild who restored the car and saved it from becoming scrap. He recently wrote a booklet ('Bentley on a Shoestring' By Gerald Wild) about his restoration of the car entitled "Bentley on a Shoestring". Hope this is of interest to you, he was delighted to see pictures of it racing at Le Mans and to see his name on the log book was the icing on the cake."

Read complete article 'Bentley on a Shoestring' By Gerald Wild here

 
     
     
  Source: Alton Wild (Son of former owner, Gerald Wild)
Posted: Mar 17, 2015
 
     
1955 - 1957
 

This car was owned by Gerald Wild from 1955 to 1957.

 
     
     
  Source: Gerald Wild (Former owner)
Posted: Mar 17, 2015
 
     
1927 to 1939
Click on thumbnail for larger view
   
 
 

 

 
     
     
  Source: Jean Pierre LECOU
Posted: Oct 01, 2008
 
     
EARLIEST RECORD OF HISTORICAL FACTS & INFORMATION
 
Chassis No. LT1594
Engine No. LT1593
Registration No. NF 3906
Date of Delivery: Apr 1927
Type of Body: Saloon
Coachbuilder: ARNOLD
Type of Car: ST
   
First Owner: HEALEY P
 
     
  More Info: Michael Hay, in his book Bentley: The Vintage Years, 1997, states: "In Germany. Body now 2 seater and dickey - eng DS3556 ex ch. DS3555."  
     
     
  Posted: Mar 01, 2007  
     
 
 
 
Submit more information on this car
 
 
 
BACK
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photograph received from Simon Hunt for Chassis No. RL3439
Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Chassis No. 147
Sep 29, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Ernst Jan Krudop for his Chassis No. AX1651
Sep 28, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Lars Hedborg for his Chassis No. KL3590
Sep 25, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. XV 3207
Sep 24, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. YM 7165
[More]

October 2019 issue
Subscribe :: Archives
CLUB TALK
Upcoming Vintage Bentley Events
FOR SALE/WANTED
C A R S
For Sale    Wanted
P A R T S
For Sale    Wanted
L I T E R A T U R E
For Sale    Wanted
 
 
 
 
 
 

About | Privacy Policy | Copyright & Disclaimer | Sitemap | Contact

Founder: Robert McLellan ~ Editor: Mona Nath

 
 
VintageBentleys.org :: info@vintagebentleys.org

Copyright © 2006-2020