Description
Chassis: CBH3734
Exterior Colour: Black cherry
Interior: Black leather with red piping
98000 miles
This is one of the very rare Bentley ‘Chippendale dash’ cars that preceded the Corniche/ Continental cars, retaining the pure original beauty of the John Blatchley design. I have the build and delivery sheets which show the car was delivered to its first owner, Mr Donald McKenzie, on 7 March 1968, who paid £9, 076 after negotiating a 15% discount.
The car is in outstanding condition, with the following highlights:-
· The car received a full bare metal body restoration by JD Classics between 2015 and 2018. I have a file of photos showing the work. At the same time all chrome was renewed and the car was given new Avon tyres all round. The paint finish is fantastic and the black cherry colour looks incredible in the sun.
· In 2018 at a cost of over £13, 000 I had the hydraulic systems completely overhauled, including brakes and suspension. This included many new parts. The car now rides beautifully.
· I have also completed various other jobs including an overhaul of the air conditioning (a cost option when new, and now lovely and cold) and I also installed rear seatbelts for my kids.
The interior is all original. The leather is well patinated, but is in good condition and has clearly been cared for. The car retains its original 8-track player, which still works, although it take a few seconds to get up to speed. The clock and electric seats are a bit temperamental, but other than that there isn’t much for the next owner to do other than just enjoy the car.
I’ve had a great couple of years with the car, including Bentley’s anniversary celebrations at Blenheim where it was displayed in the patina class. We also completed a number of long distance trips including a tour of France, and the car performed faultlessly.
In terms of history, I have the factory records from Crewe which show the build records, and details of early owners, and I also have a good history file with all invoices from 1988 to date. The car had the same owner for 27 years from 1988 until 2015. There is also the original owner’s manual.
It’s now time to make way for my next project, so the car is now up for sale. Please feel free to call for more information, and I have lots more photos I can send on request.
