1929, when Bentley dominated the top four positions
In 1929, Bentley entered a total of five cars as a works team in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Four 4 1/2 liter tourers were set up.
The YW 5758 that we are introducing this time is one of them. The drivers were Frank Clement and Jean Chassagne, both of whom were highly regarded by the founder of W.O. Bentley.
Bentley 4 1/2 liter (1928 model/Le Mans specification)
The remaining three cars were paired up by Glenn Kidston and Jack Dunphy, Dudley Benjafield and Andre Delanger, and Bernard Rubin and Francis Curzon.
The other car is the Bentley Speed Six. The drivers were Mr. Wolf Barnert and Mr. Henry Tim Birkin.
WO. Bentley instructs the team to run as fast as they can to win. Dunphy, who had a large lead in the race at one point, reportedly stopped his machine and stopped at a cafe to take a break.
Rubin and Curzon’s cars retired after three hours due to electrical problems. YW 5758 was running smoothly, the only problem was that the weight ballast was misaligned. It interfered with the brake rod, forcing him to make a pit stop.
Until then, he had been running in second place behind Speed Six, but after coming out of the pits he dropped to eighth place. However, by 10 p.m., he had passed his rivals, the Chrysler and Stutz machines, and was back up to 4th place. A splendid formation was formed, with Bentleys dominating the top four positions.
The overall winner was Speed Six. YW 5758 completed 157 laps and finished the race in 4th place.
Preserves the desired original texture
After the race, Jack Barclay purchased YW 5758. After that, the Bentley Drivers Club passed through several people before becoming its owner, Mr. JP Emmons, one of the founders of the Bentley Drivers Club.
It passed to the previous owner, Harry Rose, in 1957. He has competed in multiple events, including the Le Mans Classic. The current owner is Ian Andrews, who took over 25 years ago.
Bentley 4 1/2 liter (1928 model/Le Mans specification)
“I’m not a racing driver, so it’s difficult to add my race results.” He says his true feelings. Instead, there is no doubt that extremely valuable cars have been preserved in favorable conditions.
Fighting the temptation to restore it to concours d’elegance standards, he has retained its desirable original appearance. It can be said that the condition is unique among pre-war works Bentleys.
“This car has a unique history and soul. You can feel it’s aura. You can’t buy historical flavor with money.”
In 2009, Bentley invited him to exhibit at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. However, he seems to have turned down the offer once because he thought his appearance was not suitable for the competition. In fact, it was praised for its realistic atmosphere, and returned from the United States with the crown of second place in its class.
Pebble Beach that year had an impressive selection of Bentleys, including a 3 Liter, a beautifully restored 4 1/2 Liter, a Blower, and a Speed Six. It was the highest award among them.
A brave figure described as the world’s fastest truck
Images Bentley, the pinnacle of technology 100 years ago, 4 1/2 liter, 3 and 4 1/4, 8 liter, the latest Batur as well, 115 images in total
