To most car collectors this is a question that does not need to be asked because they know the answer. The problem is that there are not enough original cars to go around and there are some suppliers that are willing to make fakes to create cars that will fill the demand and it is profitable for them to do so. The unsuspecting buyer will later sell the car and after a while the car becomes accepted as an original — until it is discovered it is not an original. At that point the truth usually gets covered up and the car is passed on and on from owner to owner. There are more Vintage Bentleys today than were originally built by W O Bentley. That is impossible, so there is a problem. If only original cars existed there would be fewer Bentleys and they would be rarer and worth more. Supply and demand rules. Do we expose the cars that are not original? What does "not original" mean"? Each car has a chassis number. A truly original car has the original body and original engine and is on the original chassis. But we accept a reproduction body and the engine can be replaced with another Vintage Bentley engine, even if is not the same size capacity. They are still Vintage Bentleys, just modified Vintage Bentleys. Some are worth more than if they were completely original.

Let's take the 8 Litre Bentley as an example of the problem. There were 100 built and over half were "destroyed". Now there are more than twice as many 8 Litre as were originally built. That presents a problem. Does anyone care? The owners of the original cars do. If the "fakes" would just disappear,the real 8 Litres would be the stars of the show and not have to share the glory with the fakes. And when these cars are sold they would get more money for their cars. But they seem to be willing to share the limelight and accept the situation.

The reason I asked this question, "When is a Vintage Bentley a real Vintage Bentley and when is it a reproduction or fake" is because of Clare Hay's and the late Stanley Mann's statements in the article I published on this web site at Stanley's request. I wanted your opinions and we received a lot of them which we have published and many by telephone. We even received emails and calls saying what a problem this has become, only for them to say, "Don't print this because I am a BDC member and I do not want others to know I said this."

So where do we go from here? VintageBentleys.org is not a club nor does it have members, just readers and those who wish to contribute information and photos. We have not even taken advertising as we do not want to be biased. That is going to change and we will take a stand and now welcome advertisers. We do not have the chassis service records from the Bentley Motors Works, the purchase order details and the records on each chassis as collected after the Service Depot was closed. The BDC records contributed to the BDC by WO Bentley and the chassis records collected by the BDC and provided by the BDC members since 1936 would help clarify the originality of the chassis number cars but VintageBentleys.org does not have that information. We can only work with what is sent to us. We support Clare Hay and the BDC and their members and hope they will provide us with information that will provide us and every BDC member with complete chassis records or post that information on their web site. I am a dedicated BDC member. The VintageBentleys.org web site will continue to unravel the mysteries of the history of each chassis number. Your support is appreciated.

Thank you for your comments and keep them coming.