1938 Bentley 4 1/4 Litre Park Ward Pillarless Saloon

This 1938 Bentley Derby started life finished in black paint and complemented with beige leather upholstery. Right from its inception, the car boasted a range of interior luxuries, including a sliding roof, adjustable seats, dual sun visors, door armrests, an interior mirror, and an electric rear blind, conveniently operable from the driver’s seat. Externally, it flaunted directional indicators, dual windscreen wipers, an illuminated rear number plate light, a top-scuttle ventilator, Lucas horns, a spotlight, a Bentley mascot, and both front and rear chrome bumpers, all of which proudly retain their original positions to this day.

Over the years, the car underwent a couple of restoration cycles in the United States, believed to have occurred first in the late 1980s and subsequently in 2001, with the final touches being meticulously applied by 2004. During the last restoration phase, the car underwent a transformation, adopting the charming burgundy hue that graces its exterior today.

Since returning to the UK in 2017, the Derby was registered with its original registration number, EXW 484 and has been meticulously cared for by one owner before being passed to his son. It has been commended with multiple awards from various classic car events, and rightly so; the condition is excellent.

Finished with a Park Ward coach-built sports Razor-edged Pillarless Saloon body, the Bentley Derby presents exceptionally well. Finished in burgundy, the paintwork is in excellent condition; there are a couple of very minor blemishes, but nothing which immediately jumps out. The panel fit is on point with an equal gap around the doors, bonnet and boot.

The standout features of the coach work built body are not only the highly polished chrome, smooth flowing wings and crisp, sharp lines, but also the pillarless body, which looks fantastic once both doors are opened. Opening the door is when you will realise that the Bentley has certainly been built to a high standard using quality materials. The doors, for example, have a weighty feel to them, but they open and close with the slightest touch. Assisting getting in and out of the Bentley, the running boards are free from damage, and the side-mounted spare wheel is in place and fully covered. Trafficator Semaphore Indicators are fitted, and both work as they should without hesitation.

All of the chrome work on the car is in excellent condition, with no signs of tarnishing or pitting. The headlights, sidelights and spotlight lenses are all in good condition with no splits or cracks, as are the rear light lenses. The largest chrome item is obviously the iconic Bentley grille, which has no dings or dents; the vertical bars are all straight and sitting pride of place is the Bentley flying mascot and badge.

All the windows are in excellent condition and effortlessly go up and down, especially the driver’s side window, which, with one swift sweep of the lever, is up or down in a second (why did this never catch on?). The rear windows have a conventional winder or a lever mechanism for the small quarter windows.

The colour-coded wheels are in excellent condition with no dents. The large chrome centre shows the Bentley name and the direction in which to remove them. The tyres are a matching set of Dunlop Gold Seal, which have a good amount of tread remaining.

Opening the door of the Bentley Derby, you are graced with a beautiful combination of leather and walnut, which brings a light and airy feel to the interior. The leather seats are in excellent condition in the front and rear. There have also been some seatbelts fitted to match the colour of the seats. All four door cards are in excellent order, with no noticeable scuffs or damage; these also have door pockets as originally specced from the factory. The tops of the door cards and window frames are finished with walnut veneer which is in excellent condition.

Following the door tops, the walnut dashboard has a superb finish. The matching lower fascia holds the instruments, which are also in excellent condition and working as they should, and the odometer shows a reading of 34,134 miles. All of the switchgear works as it should, and it has minimal signs of wear. Sitting behind the wheel, this has some light marks around the centre, but nothing excessive. The optional sun visors keep the sun out, with the driver’s side having a neat orange pull-out visor, handy for those late evening summer drives out when the sun is coming down.

The carpets and headlining are in excellent condition throughout the cabin and very advanced for 1938, and the electric rear blind operates correctly directly from the driver’s seat. The factory sunroof also slides back with ease. The boot has two covers; the external one drops down and could be used as additional storage space for luggage; this also houses a fully stocked and complete tool kit. Opening the other cover gains you access to the main boot area; there is a small amount of wear to the carpet, but nothing excessive.

Fitted with the inline six, 4 ¼-litre engine, this produces 125bhp and 205lb-ft of torque. The engine bay presents extremely well, and there were no signs of any leaks at the time of our visit.

The Bentley starts up without hesitation and runs with no issues reported. Twin SU carburettors provide the fuel, and a large gloss black air filter allows the air to flow freely into the engine, resulting in silky smooth running.

This is coupled to a four-speed manual gearbox, which has a smooth change, and the car pulls well through the gears.

Servo-assisted mechanical brakes bring the car to a stop as you would expect and in a straight line with no issues reported.

Looking at the underside of the car, this presents very well with no signs of areas of concern; all of the suspension components appear to be in good condition, as does the floor and chassis, which have been coated in black stone guard.

Initially retailed by Jack Barclay Limited, this 1938 Bentley Derby Pillarless Saloon, bearing chassis number B168LS, found its first home with a private Harley Street surgeon. He cherished the Derby for around four years until his demise at the age of 58. The ownership of the Bentley was then transferred to his widow, who parted ways with it around 1940. Subsequently, the vehicle exchanged hands among several individuals of esteemed stature, including Lords and Ladies, until the late 1960s.

During this period, it caught the eye of an Orthopaedic surgeon based in the United States, who entered into joint ownership of the car until the other owner passed away in 1987, and sole ownership was retained.

This was when the Bentley had in excess of $155,000 spent restoring the classic back to its former glory between 1988 and 1995, and it was then sold shortly after.

The history file with the car is impressive, to say the least; there are copies of original sales invoices from Jack Barclay Limited, service reports from the 1940s, and further invoices dating back from the late 1970s up until 2020. Along with some of the invoices are plenty of photographs showing one of the restorations that were carried out.

To go with the original features such as the tool kit, the Bentley has also retained an original handbook, which seats neatly behind a panel in the passenger footwell.

A multi-show winning pre-war spot of luxury, which at the time was as luxurious as money could buy and still feels exceptionally special today. This 1938 Classic has been subject to a couple of restorations over the years whilst residing in the United States, and since coming to the UK in 2017, it has been very well cared for, as you can see from the condition.

An extremely exciting opportunity to own one of Bentley's finest Derby Pillarless Saloons, which we estimate will fetch in the region of £75,000 - £95,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Bury. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.