3 Litre Bentley XY 1477 in 1955

 

In 1955 my brother Bryan and I were running our 3 Litre Bentley MB 2326. In October I had to go into the RAF to do my National Service. At this point Bryan decided he wanted to try and modify the body and as he had been offered another Bentley and so MB 2326 was laid up.

 

Some of my RAF friends and I, 1956

 

The new car was 3 litre XY 1477 of 1925 and my share was transferred to this car. I drove it on my first leave from the Air Force. It was the 10 foot 10 inch chassis model, appropriately chassis No. 1010. It had the original engine and B type gear box with the low ratio rear axle. Once again the autovac had been replaced by a double SU electric pump and modern SU carburettors had been fitted. The wheels had been rebuilt with 19 inch rims fitted with 600x19 tyres. We transferred the headlamps and radiator cap from other car.

 

XY 1477 outside Wells Cathederal, 1956

 

Originally it had a saloon body by Freestone and Webb but the previous owners, who were two brothers who ran a building business, had converted with a truck body. It had been quite well done with shaped aluminium sides and it was only the drop down tailgate that made it apparent. A bench seat at the front seated three comfortably. There was no weather equipment, just a tonneau cover for when it was parked. As long as you could keep moving the rain went over the top but a coat with a high back collar was very useful.

 

XY 1477 at Stonehenge, May 1956

 

In February 1956 I had finished my basic training and was posted to Melksham in Wiltshire on a 32 week instrument fitter's course. After a couple of weeks I found I could have the car there so the next weekend I came home by coach and drove back to camp on the Sunday night. It caused quite a stir in the airman’s car park! Most weekends I came home and gave a lift to two of my mates who came from Birmingham. I also went out from camp exploring the local area and took as many who could fit in.

 

XY 1477, May 1956

 

When I arrived home one weekend, Bryan said he was going to look at a stripped down car in Worcester. We drove down in XY 1477 and met the vendor, who also had a very well worn three litre Vanden Plas touring car and a veteran De-dion. The parts were stored in an old factory by Blockhouse lock that was due to be demolished. The car had been stripped to the chassis that now sported home-made bodywork made with flat aluminium side panels on an angle iron frame having square ends with a duct in the front to the radiator. Painted gold with bright red stripes it looked ghastly! We negotiated a price for all the working parts, which were heaped in a corner, loaded the pickup, and left the rest to its fate. The return journey was made with the tail very low having nearly a ton of bits on board.

 

XY 1477, May 1956

 

In June I heard that the builder brothers were now selling their saloon 3 litre PN 148. This was a beautiful original car that I had coveted so I decided that I would cash in my share of XY 1477 and buy the saloon. More about that car here.

 

I am not totally sure of what happened to XY 1477 as my brother later sold many parts to our friend Colin Hiley who made a new car with a shortened chassis. I cannot be sure if this was actually registered as XY 1477. If it was, Colin Hiley went to America a few years later and took the car with him.