Description
Chassis No 612 was delivered to A. B. Spencer who specified saloon coachwork by Gurney Nutting. Within two years, however, the car passed to his brother George Spencer who returned the car to Gurney Nutting with instructions to build a special open two seater body. This body is still fitted today. It is one of only two cars built to this design the other car being chassis no: 1222. Built as a “Speed Model” with the high performance shorter chassis (9′ 9½”), twin S. U. “sloper” carburettors, and other performance modifications, the car is one of very few vintage Bentleys to have retained its original coachwork albeit fitted when the car was two years old.
Turning to the condition, the car is in fine order. In 2014 it was the subject of a substantial mechanical overhaul which included a complete engine rebuild carried out by the well known Vintage Bentley engineering firm John Ambler & Son Ltd. The engine rebuild included the use of shell bearings with a full flow lubrication system incorporating a modern oil filter. In addition to this the substantial history file that accompanies the car clearly shows it has been very well maintained throughout its life. The file contains maintenance records, correspondence, photographs (including some good photos of the car racing in BDC events at Goodwood in 1953), and other records going back to when the car was new. There is even correspondence from the first owners. It’s a low ownership car in excellent order with a full history. These features combined with the rare coachwork make the car a particularly desirable example.
