Found on PreWarCar website on January 11, 2019

1924 Bentley 3 Liter Speed Model Red Label Touring
Coachwork by H.J. Mulliner

Chassis no. 717
Engine no. 403 (correct engine from a long chassis and documented)
Former UK Registration no. XW 1678

- 2,996cc SOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine - 4 Overhead Valves Per Cylinder
- 2 SU 'Sloper' Carburetors, 80bhp at 3,500rpm
- 4-Speed Close-ratio Gearbox
- Front and Rear Leaf Spring Suspension
- Four-Wheel Drum Brakes with Perrot shaft actuation

Known ownership history
Original bodied sporting Speed Model Vintage Bentley
Subject of a recent report by noted historian Dr. Clare Hay
Mechanically well prepared by Chris Leydon and refurbishment by D.L. George Coachworks
Actively campaigned by its current owner at a multitude of road touring and show events including several Mille Miglia, the Colorado Grand, and those of the Bentley Driver's Club.

This car is for sale as of January 11, 2019

This car is owned by Willem van Huystee.

NOT SOLD

Found on BONHAMS website

From the collection of Willem van Huystee

10 Mar 2016 11:00 EST
The Amelia Island Auction
Original bodied, fastidiously mechanically prepared by Chris Leydon and D.L. George Coachworks

1924 Bentley 3-Litre Red Label Speed Model Tourer
Coachwork by Park Ward
Refer to department for estimate

AMENDED
The Amelia Island Auction

1924 Bentley 3 Liter Speed Model Four Seater Tourer
Coachwork believed to be by H.J. Mulliner
US$ 450,000 - 525,000

Chassis no. 717
Engine no. 403 – See Text
Former UK Registration no. XW 1678

- 2,996cc SOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine - 4 Overhead Valves Per Cylinder
- 2 SU 'Sloper' Carburetors, 80bhp at 3,500rpm
- 4-Speed Close-ratio Gearbox
- Front and Rear Leaf Spring Suspension
- Four-Wheel Drum Brakes with Perrot shaft actuation

*Original bodied sporting Speed Model Vintage Bentley
*Subject of a recent report by noted historian Dr. Clare Hay
*Mechanically well prepared by Chris Leydon and refurbishment by D.L. George Coachworks
*Great looking Vintage Bentley, eligible for many road touring events

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
This attractive sporting Bentley 3 Liter Speed Model represents everything that the Cricklewood era of the company's production stood for, a racy open touring car in the true 'Bentley Boys' idiom, much along the lines of the cars campaigned at Le Mans. A particularly rare aspect of this car is that it has long been believed to have original coachwork, which is by no means the norm for these cars as many lost their bodies either through accidents incurred by over-zealous driving or secondary more commercial careers during the war.

In preparation for her latest book the third edition of "Bentley – The Vintage Years", renowned Vintage Bentley historian Dr. Clare Hay extended her previous researches made on the model and the individual histories of each car. In a truly forensic fashion, the factory records have been cross-referenced with period advertisements for Bentley cars to establish greater knowledge of their histories. In the case of chassis 717 this has revealed a particularly interesting set of findings and a new belief of the attribution of the builder of the car's coachwork as H.J. Mulliner.

From the Bentley Service Department records it is easy to establish much of the early history of these cars and in the case of this car, it is documented that 717 was sold new to Eric G.S. Gordon of Burton Court in London. As new it was to the desirable and sporting 'Speed Model' specification, an addenda stating '1925 Model' with twin S.U. carburetors, short chassis and badged with an iconic 'Red Label'. Those same records note the agent for the car as Gaffikin Wilkinson & Co. of Dover Street in London's West End. At this point Dr. Hay's correlation of adverts with these records becomes critical, because although the record doesn't mention a coachbuilder, an advertisement in the September 19, 1924 edition of The Autocar lists: "Short Wheelbase Bentley, fitted with sporting 4-Seater body by Mulliners; can be delivered immediately: price £1,125. Gaffikin Wilkinson & Co. 8, Dover Street, Piccadilly, W1". According to her research, the correlation of timing, advertisement and the lesser known company 'yields only one suitable candidate', that being 717.

A British Merchant Navy Officer, Mr. Gordon appears to have only owned one Vintage Bentley which no doubt accounts for the fact that there is no change of ownership according to the Service Records until late 1932/early 1933, seeing him through the entire era of Cricklewood production. Indeed his use compared to some owners is quite modest, records showing a reading of 9449 miles to 1932 and factory servicing in 1925, 1927, and then annually from 1930.

In December 1932, again correlating with a change of ownership, Dr. Hay believes that an advert for a 'Bentley Open Sports 4-Seater body by Mulliner' is likely to be this car, as by the spring of 1933, the car is known to have had a new owner, Sidney Rogerson of Albert Hall Mansions in South Kensington, London.

The rest of the car's service history is charted with Works servicing through to the war in 1939. The car changed hands twice more, to a Mr. Mawnsell of Colyton in Devon in the West Country region of England, and then to R. L. Bawden, now in London again in Walthamstow.

At this point the service records cease, and research of the history is traced backwards rather than forwards, in that the car was offered for sale publicly in 1998, when it is listed as having been freshly restored over the course of the last 9 years having been acquired in 1989 in 'original and unrestored condition'. When presented then the car had received engine number 403, a unit originally fitted to a slightly earlier long chassis car, delivered in 1923. More interestingly it would seem that the majority of its post-war life prior to this was accounted with for by single long-term ownership and a rather nice tale that apparently the car had been given to a Dr. Ashworth of Stalybridge in Cheshire as a gift for his 21st Birthday in the early 1950s and that it was he who had kept the car until its sale in 1989. These two angles of research almost completely fulfill the car's life, supporting the likelihood of it retaining its original coachwork.

Changing hands in March 1998, the Bentley migrated to the U.S. where it has resided ever since, it was owned by a Mr. Reid in Vermont in 2002/3 and when advertised by him it caught the eye of Mr. van Huystee our seller today.

Roughly 10 years ago the Bentley was supplied to the renowned restorer David George of D.L. George Coachworks for a freshening and it has since been actively campaigned by its current owner at a multitude of road touring and show events including several Mille Miglias, the Colorado Grand, and those of the Bentley Driver's Club.

After a number of years of exercising, the ever-sporting Mr. van Huystee began to feel that the car could do with a little more 'pep' and so he consulted legendary engineer Chris Leydon to see if he would build him a 4½ liter unit. After much to-ing and fro-ing, Mr. Leydon in his inimitable style told the owner that he would not do such a thing, it was unnecessary, but rather he would be willing to rebuild and engineer the current 3 liter unit properly to give greater performance! And that is precisely what was commissioned, at some considerable expense. Today, as attested to by its owner and the cataloguer, the Bentley goes extremely well, performing far better than any of its brethren that we have had the opportunity to drive and topped off with a very appealing and throaty exhaust tone!

With its interesting recent coachwork attribution of Mulliner, a company that was truly synonymous with hand built quality and frequently the choice of Bentley's wealthiest clientele including Woolf Barnato, and high sporting performance, this is a great example of the breed. Better still as with all the cars in this collection, it is absolutely 'on the button' and ready to use, making it an ideal tour car for this coming season's events such as those of the North American Vintage Bentley section of the Bentley Drivers Club and Rolls-Royce Owners Club, among others.

NAVBM 2009.

Colorado Grand 1000, September 2008.

Read about the event here.

1924 3-litre Speed model

At the Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance (which year?)

Photographs were taken during 2007 Radnor Hunt Rally and Concours in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Photographs were taken during 2005 Radnor Hunt Rally and Concours in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Photograph was taken at 2005 Cranbrook Concours d'Elegance in Southfield, Michigan.

Photographs were taken during 2004 tech session at David George's shop