This car, UC 1940 was bought during World War II. She is a Black Label, 4.0 litre. Dad — Maurice Hatley — and a friend went up to Reading from Chandler’s Ford by train. They carried two 5-gallon cans of petrol wrapped up in potato sacks, the War being on! The house they had to go to was situated on the River Thames. It was in a derelict state with the front missing and the cars were stored on the ground floor, hoists were in the rooms on the second floor to remove the engines and work on them upstairs.

The car was driven back to Chandler’s Ford, running out of petrol a little way from home. How the lads reached home is not known. Dad had built himself a workshop on the site next door to his home, Brooklyn, Hursley Road. Whom he sold it to or when is not known.

Not sure if this is the chassis — it could be the Bentley Red label 3.0 Litre he also had. The registration number is thought to be GP 697, supposedly owned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, bought for one of his wives, though my brother and I doubt this story, as the car would have been of a later date(?). Nothing else is known about the two cars.

I was pleased to find further details of the Black Label on your website.