YR was completed on 6 November 1926 and received its guarantee the following month. It was built as a Speed Model with a BS gearbox and a Carbodies saloon body, although the engine appears to have been replaced by a Supersports engine during its build. The car was delivered to Henleys in Great Portland Street for its first owner, Mr J Weston of Newmarket. The magazine, The Motor Owner published a photograph of the car in its March 1927 edition, describing "an exceptionally attractive sports saloon body". The body was painted in "two shades of red, with upholstery to match".

YR next made the press in May 1930, when it had a full page review (see Page 5 of this Newsletter) in The Autocar as a used car being sold by Mann Egerton for an asking price of £595. At this point, it was still wearing its saloon body and was described as "a real pleasure to drive".

In 1931, having covered 35,511 miles, YR was involved in an accident. The factory checked the chassis and axle centres and replaced various parts. The car suffered another accident in 1932, which involved further replacements. W.O. Bentley Memorial Foundation records indicate that the body was replaced with the current Vanden Plas tourer body in 1931.

By 1938, the chassis record indicates that YR was on its fourth owner (Dr R I Shier) and had covered 89,454 miles, or around 7,500 miles a year from new. It is not possible to know the current mileage, but if this annual mileage continued, the total would be over 670,000 by now.

By 1963, the body was being described by its owner Roger Radford as "in very poor condition... nearly falling to pieces, however restoration is well under way". Roger kept the car for about ten years. It seems that his restoration was successful, as YR was later used as a course car for the Bentley Drivers Club Silverstone meeting, where it was described as "a very nice but oil-incontinent 3 Litre".