1924 Bentley 3-Litre Four-Seat Tourer by Freestone and Webb ...

Estimate

£170,000 - £190,000

1924 Bentley 3-Litre Four-Seat Tourer by Freestone and Webb               

Registration Number: XT3 560
Chassis Number: 537
Engine Number: 541
Recorded Mileage: TBA

- With just three private owners from new
- Matching numbers chassis, engine, gearbox, axles, steering box
- Comprehensively restored by Classic Restorations of Scotland

Opening in 1919 from mews garage near Baker Street, London, W.O. Bentley quickly developed a reputation for producing exciting fast touring cars, perfectly capable of competing, and winning, against the best of European and American sports cars in the period. The famous wins at Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 are now the stuff of legend.

Launched at the 1919 Olympia Motor Exhibition, Bentley's new machine, powered by an overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, with four-valves per cylinder, twin ML magnetos, and a four-speed gearbox, proved to be a winning combination. The pressed-steel chassis was launched with a wheelbase of 9' 9½", then in 1923 adopting the 10' 10" ('Standard Long') chassis. The shorter frame was reserved for the TT Replica and subsequent Speed models. 

As the 3-Litre gained popularity, coachbuilders Freestone and Webb came onto the scene. Established in 1923 as a specialist coachbuilder in Willesden, North London, the two specialists clothed a number of Bentleys, later after Bentley went into receivership to start building on Rolls chassis.

This 3-Litre Bentley's provenance is as distinguished as the vehicle itself. Chassis #537 was delivered new to Mr. David Yule in 1924, a gentleman racer with deep familial ties to Scotland and India. Yule's life journey took him from his early years in Germany, an internment during World War I, to then become a scion of the Yules of Scotland and India, and later to have business interests in the jute, finance, shipping and petroleum industries. Yule gained prominence in post-war Dublin's motor racing scene in his Morris Special and Austin Ulster racers. 

According to enthusiast Eddie Bourke, writing in 2016, “..(chassis) 537 had a 2 seater and dickey type wide body originally painted yellow and there was a small oil painting of it.” In the early 1950s, after decades of Yule's ownership, many of which the car in Dublin garage, ownership changed to Patrick Skelton, remaining in the family’s possession until 2017. After a period of neglect, restoration commenced in the 1990s, stalling due to the sad passing of Skelton, then recommencing via another family member in around 2004. In 2006 #537 was sent to respected specialist Charles Palmer of Classic Restorations (Scotland), being mated to a period-correct Freestone and Webb Tourer body (sourced from Strasbourg and believed to be from chassis #DN1734), and to be comprehensively restored over a number of years. Completed by 2014, the restored car was shown at that year’s NEC Classic Car Show.

A matching numbers example in terms of engine, gearbox, axles, steering box, #537 now benefits from sensible modern enhancements such as twin electric fans, an alternator conversion, and discreet flashing indicators. The open Freestone and Webb tourer body is well proportioned and elegant, whilst the mechanical restoration and modern upgrades add much useability. 

A fabulous testament to British Automotive craftsmanship and artistry, with interesting provenance and cherished, long-term ownership, this vintage tourer stands as a timeless ode to the elegance and engineering prowess of early 20th-century British motoring. A remarkable opportunity for the distinguished collector.