"Dark red over black, and wonderfully original and intact down to the seat cushions and bonnet panels, with the features of loving care and sporting use over its 88 years. My father, Barry Patten, acquired the car soon after he arrived in Australia around 1982."

"I have managed to rescue my father's wonderfully intact 3 litre after it was sadly sold after his death almost 20 years ago. I bought the car back on Oct 30, 2016. I am very grateful to William Medcalf and also Srecko Lorbek in Melbourne for helping this all to come together.

My father lived his full life in Melbourne, enjoying a career as an internationally acclaimed architect of large corporate and public buildings in a minimalist modern aesthetic. He was also an Olympic Downhill ski racer in 1952.

He purchased HT1642 from Melbourne based dealer Robert McDermott in 1982. I understand the car had arrived in Australia a short while before that time and had been in Adelaide.

My father was a member of the Bentley Drivers Club, and hosted some wonderful events on his historic property at Mangalore, about 60 miles north of Melbourne.

The car required very little work during his possession as it was in excellent original condition, and was well maintained by either Robert McDermott, or, later, by Rod Warrener.

My father died in 2003, aged 75, and very soon after I moved to Oxford for a 2-year stint in my surgical career. Unfortunately the car was sold when my father's estate was sorted out. I was quite disappointed.

Peter Crauford bought the car, and owned it until very recently.

I happened to hear that the car was for sale in a chance conversation in a book shop. A friend introduced me to his friend who just happened to be there with his young son: this man turned out to be a mechanic — Simon Elliot — who had worked in the car. Simon runs an excellent restoration business in Melbourne called The Derby Works. Simon mentioned that Peter Crauford was looking to sell the car.

I thought about it for a few days, and decided to look into it further.

As it happened, William Medcalf had come to Melbourne to look at a well preserved 4 1/2 Blower belonging to Jim Nielsen. William did not buy that car, but did hear that HT1642 was for sale, and having driven out 3 hours to Peter Crauford's farm to look at the car, he bought it with plans to take it back to England.

When I contacted Peter two days later I was horrified to hear that he had just sold the car to William. I contacted William, and a deal was struck for the car to stay in Australia. If the car was ever exported the import taxes would make re-importation a 40% more expensive proposition!

So, after two months of organisation, the car was mine once again: and I am very happy.

I have some other lovely cars from 1950s through to 1990s, but this WO will be the most precious of them all."