1934 Bentley 3½-Litre Drophead Coupé
Coachwork by James Young
Registration no. 963 YUS
Chassis no. B193AE
Engine no. O8BL

'Derby Bentley' chassis number 'B193AE' was completed in May of 1934 and supplied to its first owner, Sir Cecil Cochrane of Cumberland Place in West London. Only 35 Bentley 3½-Litre chassis were bodied by James Young, with nine chassis receiving drophead coupé bodies with 'sweep panel' coachwork. Chassis number 'B193AE' was the first of the nine cars completed in this style, so called because of the elliptical sweep panel across the door and part of the rear quarter, a device also used by the likes of Barker and Gurney Nutting. This allowed considerable scope for a two-tone colour finish, adding further interest to an already attractive design.

'B193AE' changed hands for the first time in 1936 when it was purchased by Commander H Haynes of Greenwich, London, who kept the car throughout the war years, parting with it in 1948 when it was bought by Sir William Twysden of Davies Street in West London. It was sold again in 1950, on this occasion to Mr L N Clark of Molesey in Surrey and subsequently again in 1954 to Lt Col H Roteman of Regent Street in London's West End. In 1958 the Bentley was purchased by Mrs J C Ellis, who resided at Chelsea's Cheyne Walk in London SW10, which is where it was first encountered by Frank Dale & Stepsons.

Ivor Gordon, the honorary president of the company, remembers seeing the car parked in Cheyne Walk on numerous occasions on his way to work when the business was situated in Sloane Square, Chelsea. Ivor slipped several business cards underneath the wiper arms over a number of years but his efforts were to no avail. Mr Ellis apparently used the car on a daily basis during the Ellis family's ownership, motoring all over London to various appointments and then to Italy every summer for the family holiday. The car was eventually sold by the Ellis family at auction in the late 1980s and purchased by Ricardo Mazzucelli, who was married to Ivana Trump. The Bentley was purchased as a wedding present to his wife, but she disliked the car and ordered him to dispose of it. Mr Mazzucelli explained the situation he was in and the car was purchased by Frank Dale & Stepsons for the first time at this point.

Shortly thereafter it was supplied to a collection in France and delivered in person by James Crickmay, being driven from London to Villeneuve, which was a most enjoyable trip. While in France it was shown at the Louis Vuitton Concours d'Élégance in Paris on more than one occasion. The car returned to London in 2005 and was supplied in April of that year, again by Frank Dale & Stepson, on this occasion to a collector in West Sussex where it remained until repurchased by James in recent years.

Over the past ten years the car has been maintained and improved as and when necessary by a noted Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialist, with expenditure totalling in excess of £20,000. Checked, prepared and tested by Frank Dale & Stepsons immediately prior to sale, the car is offered with sundry maintenance invoices, a UK V5C registration document and fresh MoT certificate.

During James's final period of ownership, he enjoyed using it largely during the summer, but also on rallies and at Bentley Drivers' Club events. This beautifully proportioned Derby Bentley was perhaps James's personal favourite in the collection and one that he took a great deal of pleasure from.