The Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin Celebration Rally (in Germany) 2013: A tribute to his achievements 80 years after his passing away

Bentley 3/4.5 litre, 1923/28; 2-seater Sports Tourer; TT Chassis 324; 4-cyl; Was converted in 1938 and raced at Weatherby. Gordon "Wee Gee" Lockhart's car. Record at Bo'ness/Scotland in 1954 held for 10 years. Many races in the 50-ies until 90-ies. Bought in Sweden in 1983.

Participating Team: James and Laurie Berggren, Sweden/USA

This car is owned by James Berggren as of June 2012

"I am just back from a two-week rally in Sicily with it. Ran like a train!"

Engine No. PM 3254 that was originally in Chassis No. TX3247 is now in Chassis No. 324. It was converted to a 3-4� in 1937. Was first raced in this form at Weatherby in 1938. Long racing history in Scotland and UK.

It is a "Bentley 3-4½".

The 3-litre chassis is no 324. This chassis according to factory records and as to Michael Hay in his: "Bentley: The Vintage Years" was a TT chassis. It had engine no 323 in it. It was originally delivered in October 1923 to Fred Leyland (of shipping family?). Body not known. The UK number plate was CK 8172.

I have the factory records of this car/chassis through 1937, when they end.

The 4½ litre motor, PM 3254, came from chassis TX 3247. This was a Weymann saloon by Gurney Nutting, delivered in August 1928 to A. Mayfield with reg. no KW 4430.

Michael Hay in his "Bentley: The Vintage Years" also states "Rebuilt c:a 1937 - 9.? WB - twin rear wheels - 2 seater…."

At some point the UK registration plates changed to MWE 498. I have photos of the car when A.J.M. Pierce and G.P Nicol owned it and it carries CK 8172 plates. A.C. Skerman advised it to carry the same plates to the BDC register. I have photos of Gordon Lockhart racing it with plates MWE 498. Accordingly the registration number would have been changed sometime between 1949 and 1952, probably when it was in the possession of Gordon Lockhart.

I bought it in Sweden in August 1983 from Hakan Knutsson, where it had gone after Jonathan Meadows death.

The chassis was shortened in 1937 and the 4 ½ lit engine was fitted. Seems chassis was then shortened to 8 foot 6 inches. It has since been lengthened again.

It was raced in Weatherby in Yorkshire in 1938.

The Bentley Club has records since 1947, and has the following entries:
- 1947 A.C. Skerman (owned it from 1943)
- 1948 A. Moorshead
          A.J.M Peace
- 1949 G.P. Nicol
- 1952 G.J. Lockhart
- 1959 I.H.C. Colquhoun
- 1960 - 69 R. Dennis
                 Harold Webb (short period)
- 1970 R.J. Burrell (last entry on the club card)
- 1974 J. Meadows
- 1975 - 1983 Hakan Knutsson, Sweden
- The car presently has Swiss Plates: VD 310905. (Changed from VD 11674).

In addition I have been able to obtain further information from various sources.

Source A.C. Skerman: Article in Motor Sport, October 1944. Very interesting article. Found in a breaker's yard and put on the road. Photo in article shows car with twin rear wheels (Weatherby sand racing?). Assuming the article was sent by Skerman to the magazine in Sept 1944 and 18 months was spent by him working on it, then Skerman bought it at the breaker's yard in March 1943. If it was in the breaker's yard for 2 ½ years, as he mentions, then it arrived there to be scrapped about Sept. 1940.

Source A.J.M. Pierce: Sent me 4 photos of the car when he owned it.

Source Gordon McDonald: "G.J. Lockhart was also called "Wee Gee". Gordon was his name. Lively little fellow Wee Gee was! He was a pilot and flight instructor in Scotland, somewhere on the East Coast and he raced the car. I raced against it on a track called Charter Hall."

Source Kaye Mc Cosh: "I remember the car well. Lockhart won many races with it. Heard he was sick. Lives in Perth, Scotland". No tel. number listed.

Source Joan Lockhart in Perth, Scotland, who I called to find Gordon: "I knew him, but he died 6 months ago. He was a fantastic and active man. Very funny and often the center of attention. His father was a professional golfer. Gordon was in submarines during the war, raced cars, became a pilot and was a flight instructor in Perth. Retired and went into lobster fishing 3 years before he died in 1986, He won the cup at Rest and be Thankful and nobody took it away from him. His widow lives in Anstruther, Fyfe (fishing village)."

Source Helen Lockhart. (His second wife - not the one he was married to when owning my Bentley): "First wife is in Africa, re-married. Has a son 17, now in apprentice in mechanics at Rolls Royce in Perth. He did the Bo'ness Hillclimb, a record he kept for 10 years." I followed up with a letter. We had an exchange and she sent me many photos and articles and programs related to Wee G's racing.

Source Gavin Ogilvie: Sent a photo of Wee Gee Lockhart doing the Rest and be Thankful hillclimb in Argyll, Scotland on July 5, 1952. This raised his desire to someday own a Bentley. He accomplished this in 1972!

Source Randal Stewart: "I knew of your car and heard about Wee G. Lockhart, who I believe did a lot of the modifications."

Source Tom Pasmore: "I recollect that it was a black 2-seater with a pointed tail. Roger Dennis raced it at Silverstone and won his race …with 19 inch wheels at the rear and very wide 16 inch at the front".

Source Roger Dennis: "I won the 1964 Novices race with it at Silverstone. From memory I had 19 inch 6.25 on the rear and I think there was a 3.53 rear axle. Did the Brighton speed trials with it - did 35.2 sec in 1962 and did even better the following year. I went on honeymoon in it. I thought I held ownership for nearly 13 years. I fitted a RR 3909 cc engine in it, with a Borg Warner automatic gear box, but was turned down for racing it in the 1967 Silverstone event".

Source H. Webb: " I can only remember that I bought it from somebody who raced it - probably from St. Albans".

Source R.J. "Bob" Burrell, whom I visited: "When I bought the car it had a 4 lit. Rolls Royce engine with automatic gearbox in it. It was for sale for Pounds 2000, but I traded it against a RR 20/25 and some bits. I thought I was trading for the chassis with the RR motor. When the deal was done, I was advised to pick up the motor 'down in the shed'. This was the 4 ½ lit. motor PM 3254 that had been put in it in 1937! I owned the car earlier than 1970, which the Club records indicate. I know that it had been raced before at Weatherby, where they used to do sprints on the beach before the war. It has the late, heavy crank engine, which was the base for the supercharged - almost un-bustable. The gearbox is one of their very early racing boxes. It's priceless really and one that came out of their racing cars. I bought it from Harold Webb; he supposedly bought it from R. Dennis. I did most of the work on the body (as it is today). When I got it, it had a rather bad, partly homemade body on it, with a sloping, pointed tail - rather diabolical. I have retained the tail and it is now on my 4 ¼ Bentley Special that I am racing. I really set it up for racing and won 20 races in it. The axle ratio is the best for racing, being 3.5 to 1. I did have problems with the clutch because of the terrific torque. It has got all the best bits that car. I had some good races in it - it was good on the big circuits."

He gave me a photo of him and the car at Silverstone as well as 3 slides. He also gave me a painting of the car, as it looked in the early 70-ies.

Source Jim Abbott: "Jonathan Meadows owned the car. After his death it went to Sweden. He also owned the Bentley "Blue Bell", now owned by Llwellyn. While Meadows did not race it, it was definitely raced in 50-ies and possibly 60-ies. I used to prepare the car that generally competed against it. I think the radiator was tapered and I believe it was originally a red label (short chassis). (It has a red label on the radiator presently). I have seen the car go heavy into a bank at Silverstone in the 50-ies and bent the front chassis. It was straightened by the right people and had no problem thereafter. My son Tim drove it and it was the first Bentley he ever drove. We tried to sell it for Jonathan Meadows in the 70-ies, but could not find a buyer for Pounds 5000!"

Source Article in Motor June 22, 1974: Sale at Alexandra Palace. Photo carrying plates MWE 498.

After I bought the car in Sweden it was "restored" by Ulf Smith. The motor was "seen to". The spare wheel was transferred from the rear position behind the petrol tank to the left side. It was repainted from the "Racing Green" to dark Blue. The chassis measured a fraction above 9 feet, when I took it over..and still does. The rear mudguards were angled forward.

In 1986 the motor, as well as the drive train, were rebuilt in CH. Found the block to be shaven off over 0.5 cm. Pistons were larger than standard, round on top. It has two SU carbs.

In 1988, Tim Abbott in the UK re-built the engine and set it up for racing, with all the latest parts. A Phoenix crank was installed, counter balanced and converted to shell bearings, with a new Phoenix camshaft with steel rockers. Pistons were Cosworth forgings machined by Omega, new rods, etc. He also installed one of his lightweight clutches, as well as an AP "banana exhaust".

It has been raced by me at: Nurburgring (several times), Hockenheim, Monza, Spa, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Monthlery, Dijon, Most (Tchechoslovakia), Ligniere (CH) and I was Swiss Historic Race Champion in 1989 with the car. I have also done three historic Mille Miglias with it.

I have done hill climbs at various events in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.

I have participated in "rallies" in Switzerland, Sweden, Monte Carlo, France, Holland, Sardinia, Mont Blanc, Bourgogne, Dolomites, Germany, Italy, Portugal and New Zealand

The engine was completely rebuilt in 2005/2006 because of a chipped valve. A new radiator core was installed in the UK in 2005. New wheels were put on in 2006. The rear axle was rebuilt with all new moving parts in 2007.

The "holes" in my history relates to: A. Moorshead, G.P. Nicol, I.H.C. Colquhoun. I sure would like to know more about the years between 1937 and 1940.

In Switzerland in 2006 / Owned by a BDC member

Alan Skerman's queer 4½ litre.