"As a previous owner of the car, (I'm the idiot who stored the car for 40 years), I'm thrilled to see photographs of the car again in such wonderful condition. I noticed the photographs are dated 2013 and I am wondering do you — Tim Houlding — still own the car, is it in private hands and still on the road, or is it in a museum?"

"Photos of Chassis No. AX1663; Engine: LM1341 from Old Number 7 LeMans Winner"

"I bought this car from the former owner, Mr Robert Dixon of Dumfries, Scotland, in November 2006. I have just completed a seven year rebuild. The car was in essentially very original condition, having been stored for 40 years. Mr Dixon bought it shortly after it had been auctioned in London, at Coys, in 2003 in "barn-find" condition. The Vanden Plas coachwork is original and all the floorboards and dashboard are stamped with the correct VDP number 1360.

I have fitted Engine #LM1341, which is the engine from Chassis LM1344, "Old Number 7", heroic winner of the 1927 Le Mans 24 Hour Race. The crankcase, crankshaft and cylinder-block are all stamped with the RAC scutineering mark. This engine is the only surviving Works Le Mans-winning Vintage Bentley engine in the world as the engine from 4.5 #ST 3001 (Mother Gun) and Speed Six #LB 2332 (Old Number One) were broken up many years ago.

I have rebuilt the car configured much as "Old Number 7" appeared at Le Mans in 1927 painted in the exactly correct Parson's Napier Green paint, with charcoal grey interior. About 70% of the leather is original, with a wonderful patina.

The car drives beautifully, with wonderful steering and very good performance. The RAC stamped cylinder-block is different from the standard production blocks in having a higher compression combustion chamber as in the rare 100mph Supersports Model.

The rolling chassis is featured in James Taylor's book: "Bentley Four-Cylinder Models in Detail" on pages 46-47 and the unfinshed car was exhibited at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London in May 2012."

RAC Pall Mall, May 2012

This car was purchased by Tim Houlding in 2006.

"I have come across the instruction book for PF 9454 which my father owed, in which he researched and listed all previous owners.

The original back axle for PF 9454 which was removed by my father is still in our garage."

"My father (Tom Morton) owned this car in the late 1950s-1960s then sold it to Mr Fitzsimons. The car is pictured at Mr Fitzsimons house at around 1960."

This e-mail was received from Dr. Tim Houlding on Dec 23, 2013

"Dear Friends at VintageBentleys.org,

I took a surprise call from a Mr John Wright last week explaining that his Father had been very excited to hear from the Bentley Drivers Club that his 1927 3 litre Speed Model Bentley, Chassis AX 1663, UK Registration PF 9454, was now back on the road.

Mr Wright Jnr went on to explain that his father bought the car in October 1951 as a member of the Wrights Garage Company, Wheldrake, Yorkshire. He recolored the car from its original gold to green in the Spring of 1952 and went on to race the car at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit and elsewhere in the July and August of 1953. Mr Wright was kind enough to mail some family photos of the car racing, which I now enclose to you (above).

Thanks to the Town Treasurer's Office at Oldham, Lancashire, I have obtained a list of the owners from 1927 to 6th May, 1957, taken from the old registration books in their keeping. I have also been in contact with Mr Tom Morton, who owned the car in the very early 1960s. Also, I have the receipt from Mr Fitzsimons, who owned the car after Mr Morton, when he sold it to Mr R. Sigley of Stalybridge, Lancashire on July 7th, 1962 for the handsome sum of £337 and 10 shillings! Mr Sigley kept the car in hibernation for just over 40 years then selling it at the Coys Auction in London on Saturday, April 26th 2003. Mr Robert Dixon bought the car shortly after that auction and I purchased it from him on November 16th, 2006. The sale of the car as a "barnfind Bentley" was reported in July, 2003, in "The Automobile Magazine".

I am thrilled to have been contacted by a former owner from over 60 years ago and very much hope to be able to take members of the Wright Family for a spin in AX 1663 in 2014. I have told them that I have fitted the Bentley Works Le Mans winning engine from "Old Number 7". I still have all the original Vanden Plas fully-valanced fenders, running-boards and irons and original battery and tool-box which I replaced with racing-pattern items more appropriate to "Old Number 7s" appearance in both the 1926 and 1927 Le Mans races."