Description
Kelham Hall | Newark, Nottinghamshire Viewing: Tues 22nd September 2026 from 12pm Auction: Weds 23rd September 2026 12pm Location: Kelham Hall Main Street, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 5QX Registration No: YK 3114Chassis No: 1093 MOT: Exempt 1 of just 765 built on the long standard (10ft. 10in.) wheelbase Pleasingly retains its original, rare and desirable H. J. Mulliner body Current family ownership since 1959 and known history from new Fitted with engine no. 907—a replacement from the factory when new The rolling chassis is understood to have been restored to an excellent standard “It was not the means whereby the 3-Litre Bentley performed, but the manner in which it did it, that endeared the car to sportsmen who took pride in their driving. The engine was remarkably flexible, strong and reliable, the gear ratios were admirably chosen, the handling excellent and the quality unremittingly high. So, also, was the price, but an ever-growing reputation, augmented by striking racing victories—including the Le Mans 24 hours of 1924 and 1927—ensured its success.”—Classic Sports Cars by Cyril Posthumus and David Hodges A railway engineering apprentice turned aero-engine designer, Walter Owen Bentley previewed his first creation, the immortal 3-Litre, at the October, 1919, London Motor Show (though he would not deem it production ready for another two years). Inspired by a 1914 Humber TT racer, the newcomer’s ladder-frame chassis was equipped with all-round semi-elliptic leaf-sprung suspension and rear-wheel drum brakes (four-wheel brakes becoming the norm from 1924 onwards). The car’s heart and most advanced feature was its 2, 996cc engine. A long-stroke four-cylinder (80mm × 149mm) that prioritised torque over top-end power, it boasted a five-bearing crankshaft, shaft-driven overhead camshaft, monobloc construction, twin ignition, four valves per cylinder and aluminium pistons. Developing between 65 and 88bhp, the unit was allied to a separate four-speed gate-change gearbox. Supplied in bare chassis guise only, albeit with a choice of wheelbase lengths and engine tune, the 3-Litre remained in production until 1929, by which time some 1, 621 are thought to have been made. As well as its two Le Mans victories, the Bentley enjoyed considerable success at Brooklands and even broke the 24-hour world record around Montlhéry, setting a 95mph average speed. One of just 765 3-Litres to have been built on the standard long-wheelbase (10ft. 10in.) chassis, the arrival on the market of chassis number 1093 should generate real excitement among the Bentley faithful and vintagents of all persuasions, who now have the opportunity to acquire a “W. O.” which has not only been out of the public eye for over 65 years, but is also an extremely rare survivor with an all-weather Simplex coupé body by H. J. Mulliner. We know of just one other example of Simplex coachwork on a 3-Litre, on 1924 chassis number 747. Chassis 1093 was registered on June 19th, 1925, to Bentley Motors, before going to its first owner, the Rev. Cyril Leonard Cresswell (1890-1974), of Carlton Hill, London, NW8, on July 13th. Hailing originally from Staffordshire, the Rev. Cresswell was a figure of some importance, who, having graduated from Cambridge, devoted his life to the cloth. By 1926, he was chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, but from 1933 to 1961 he performed his most distinguished office as chaplain at the King’s Chapel of the Savoy, where once a year he presided over the ancient custom of the beating of the bounds. The Bentley changed hands on February 14th, 1928, when it was taken into the care of Gaffikin Wilkinson & Co. Ltd., a prestigious motor dealership at 17a, Hanover Square. On March 1st, a new owner was found in Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Macdonald Thomson of Musselburgh, Midlothian. Subsequent pre-war ownership included Dr. Austin Hewer of London, NW3 (12. 8. 28), Patrick Synge-Hutchinson of Kilburn Priory, NW6 (9. 8. 32), Gerald Mansell Morey of the Royal Navy Engineers’ College in Plymouth (27. 9. 32), Edward Rollo Gillespie Baillie of Bedford (28. 3. 34), Eric Westbury of Kew (26. 9. 35) and St. Neots (3. 1. 38), and Beeson Bros. of St. Neots (24. 4. 41). Particularly notable among those was Patrick Synge-Hutchinson, whom evidence suggests was the young sculptor and relative of the Irish Synge-Hutchinson baronets, whose notable works included a c. 1935 bust of Rudyard Kipling. Records point to engine number 907 being the Bentley’s original engine, although further research reveals that 1093 was initially fitted with a different engine which was found to be imperfect during testing, hence 907 was fitted as a replacement before it was delivered to Rev. Cresswell. It was intended for touring use, with a B-series gearbox, a 13/ 55 rear axle, and the provision for transporting up to four people courtesy of a dickey seat. The radiator was specified an inch higher than standard. Detailed records survive for assorted maintenance and repair works...
