"On Sunday (Sep 3, 2017) I reacquainted myself with my father's old 4.5 Litre Supercharged Bentley at Hampton Court’s Concours d’Elegance Motor Show in London. Quite an emotional experience as I hadn’t seen it since I was about 14 years old. Different coachwork then, but basically the same old beast." - Bob Rippon

Bob Rippon behind the wheel after 65 years!

A brief history of 1931 4.5 litre supercharged Bentley Reg No GP 1630
The Chassis number was MS3936, Engine No 3936, Supercharger No 148.

There were only 55 Supercharged Bentleys made, five were raced at Le Mans and 50 were built to comply with Le Mans regulations that stated there had to be a production car and for sale to the general public.

GP 1630 was built with  Lancefield  four seater drop head coupe body, detail numbers above.

GP1630's first owner was  Lieutenant Colonel Ivor Watkins Birts of The Royal Artillery. He was born in England in 1910 and died in 1944. He bought the car as a 21 year old man, the son of a solicitor who lived at 250 Iffley Rd Oxford. While he owned GP1630, he raced the car in a private wager with a well know bridge player called Sir Guy Domvill driving a supercharged Essex Terraplane Six at Brooklands Racing Circuit. The Bentley won.

Owner No 2 was V.L. Seyed. He purchased the car in 1945. Details regarding V.L. Seyed are not known. Further research is ongoing.

Owner No 3  was T.D. Sutcliffe who purchased the car in 1947. Again details are unknown and further research is required.

Owner No 4 was Dr J.O. Connor. GP 1630 was purchased by him in 1949. Further research is required.

J.O Connor sold the car in the same year  to Reginald Taylor (owner no. 5) of 51 Great Hamton Street Birmingham, Tel No Northern 4549.  I am unsure if he was a dealer or private seller.

Henry Phillip Rippon and Mrs Rippon with GP 1630 at Southport, some time between 1950-1953

My late father Henry Phillip Rippon (owner no. 6) saw the car advertised and purchased  GP 1630 in 1950 after selling his 3 litre Vanden Plas  short chassis, touring body Bentley, Chassis No 940, Speed Model Reg No PP 3275 to his son-in-law Thomas Glover an ex R.A.F. Pilot. (PP 3275  now resides in Australia and is owned by Phillip Schudmak.)

My father sold GP 1630 to the 7th owner P.J. Chatterly in 1953, P.J. Chatterly sold GP 1630 in 1966. It was left in a field for many years and the original Lancefield body rotted. Why, is any body's guess as it was still a valuable car.

GP 1630 was purchased in 1966 by owner No 8, Wing Commander R.G. Seys  R.A.F Ret. from P.J. Chatterley. The rebuild was started in 1966 but was not finished until 1969. I am not sure if it was still under the ownership of Wing Commander Seys or if it had by that time been sold to owner No 9, J.D. Zeal (?)  but it was rebuilt by Elmdown Vintage Autombiles of Hungerford. The chassis was, in the 1960s, fitted with (according to Will Morrison of the Bentley Drivers Club) a  shortened chassis and fitted with a supercharger No 148 from chassis No MS3948 and rebuilt as Le Mans type body.

At Hampton Court’s Concours d’Elegance Motor Show in London, September 2017

The car according to Michael Hay in his (now out of print) book Bentley, The Vintage Years was confusing as the history of early cars is. GP 1630 was built along side another Bentley Reg No GY 3905  at Elmdown Vintage Autombiles that was built for Wing Commander R.G Seys and subsequently purchased by Edward, Lord Montague for his Motor Museum, and can still be seen today, and is at present undergoing an engine rebuild.

GP 1630 was sold by J.D.B. Zeal via Gregor Fisken, a very well known classic motor dealer.

I am not certain but I think  it was purchased by the father of *the current owner* (owner no. 10) from Gregor Fiskin. I met *the current owner* who is a very pleasant fellow who I am in contact with. GP 1630 now resides in Belgium.

*The current owner* emailed me and told me that he was bringing GP 1630 to the U.K to show it at Blenheim Palace and at the Classic Car show at Hampton Court Palace.  I went to Hampton Court with my wife and son where we met him. He allowed  me to sit in the car and was gracious enough to  start the engine for us -- what a wonderful sound. (I was 14 years old the last time I saw it. It was a different  body now but basically the same old  beast that I remember.) We chatted for some time. We have agreed to keep in touch, so any further information will be added later."

*The current owner has requested anonymity. -- VintageBentleys.org