Took my driving test in WW 3973!

 

"I remember this Bentley from the late 1950s when it belonged to a Mr Rodney Thomas of Seymour Walk, Fulham in West London. My father worked at Rodney Thomas's architectural studio and used the car pretty much all the time. In fact, this was the first car I drove, even took my driving test in it! It has been great to discover thanks to the Internet that this Bentley is still 'alive'"!

 

This photograph was taken around 1958-59

 

"I have no way of getting the chassis number now as that was in the late '50s and my father and Rodney Thomas, the then owner of the Bentley, have long since passed away. But the license plate is the same as you will see in the photograph. Rodney Thomas rarely drove anything, let alone the "beast" as he called WW, so my father used the car pretty much as his own.

 

Strange though, I notice a lot of differences from "our" WW to the one that's currently pictured on the web page. The body seems smaller now. I do know that when we had it there was a looming problem of rot in the ash frame, and we just didn't have the funds then to undergo the expensive rebuilding that was going to be due on the car soon.

 

Goodwood Revival 2008

 

Maybe after we lost touch with Rodney Thomas the Bentley was sold on then re-built on the smaller chassis. I remember going to a Bentley restorer somewhere in South London I think with my father and having the work assessed, but we couldn't afford whatever it was, I do know that. The man there used to work at Bentley in Cricklewood and when the firm was sold to Rolls Royce he left and set up his own "Bentley" shop. I recall seeing a custom built Bentley there with an 8 litre engine installed on a 3½ litre "boat back" chassis and body. This was being done for an Italian owner, I seem to recall, who wanted to run it at Monza, not in a race, just to do it! Absolutely beautiful!"