A project with a difference. Work was started on a renovation of this car, but it came to a halt for reasons unknown. Since then, the car has been put back on its wheels in a temporary fashion, and is in running order. Although the engine runs well and sounds good (apart from an exhaust manifold leak) the braking system is dismantled and the car therefore cannot be driven. The coachwork is sound and the leather has a lovely maturity to it, as does the car as a whole. The brakes, dampers and various chassis-related components have been removed, cleaned, partially prepared for restoration, and are with the car, as per the photos. We have invoices for £41,000 spent so far, all of which will assist with the further work now required. Overall, a correct, original car with a lot going for it.
Chassis No. B133LE Reg No. EXP 78
Snippets: Rear Admiral of the Fleet
Captain Edward Neville Syfret (1889/1972) took delivery of B133LE (he part exchanged a Humber Snipe) whilst he was in command of HMS Ramillies a Revenge-class super-dreadnought battleship in the Home Fleet. Capt. Syfret joined the Royal Navy in 1904, he specialised in gunnery & spent the majority of WWI in the North Sea on the light cruisers Aurora, Centaur & Curacoa. It was noted that prior to WWI he had a reputation as a cricketer and played at Lords on the Navy team for several years against the Army. In Nov 1939 Syfret was made Naval Secretary to the 1st Lord of Admiralty (Winston Churchill) and promoted to Rear-Admiral just two months later. Whilst he was Naval Secretary Syfret was not allowed to hold a sea command, but when Arthur Peters took over the role in June 1941 Syfret immediately returned to sea. His various postings included the Mediterranean, North Russia, Freetown, Cape-town, Madagascar & of course the Irish Sea, it has been rumoured he took the car with him on some of his post-war postings, that would have been quite a sight. His WWII actions are recorded by Cmdr. K. Edwards in his book “Seven Sailors” which we are fortunate to have a copy of. When Syfret retired in 1948 from being in charge of the home fleet the newspaper cutting of the time shows him being pulled along the dockside by his staff officers in B133LE before he left under his own horsepower. Edward Syfret kept B133LE for some 32 years & he sold the car in 1970 to J D Sharpe who drove the Bentley in several VSCC driving events held at Enstone Aerodrome in the 1970s – Motorsport reported that in the 1979 event “Sharpe slotted the wrong gear for reverse in Test 1” whoops.
