This is up for auction by Artcurial on June 13, 2011.

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From Artcurial.fr website

1922 BENTLEY 3 LITRE SPORTS TOURER Chassis no. 35
The car that we are offering is rich with history. Built in 1922, chassis no. 35 was one of the first 3 Litres to be built, and was sold to a certain Mr H. Baldwin of Reigate, Surrey, in the form of a four-seater coupé by Wilton Carriage Co. The copy of the original invoice shows that this Bentley was delivered new as a short chassis Speed Model.

In 1925, records show that the brake pads were changed and the brake pedal lever arm extended to improve braking power. At the start of the 1960s the coachwork was replaced with a more contemporary body, attributed to Harrison, making it a very good-looking four-seater tourer with two windscreens - folding at the front and removable at the rear. It then became the property of a respected member of the Bentley Drivers Club, George Strathdee.

Between 1990 and 1993, it underwent restoration that involved a complete rebuild of the engine (new pistons and rings, re-ground crankshaft, overhauled magnetos and dynamo) and the rear axle (with an axle ratio of 3.53). The bodywork was taken off, repaired and repainted, and the interior fittings restored. Light and elegant, this rare Bentley 3-litre retains its original instruments in working order, even the wind-up clock positioned on the handsome wooden dashboard. It is also fitted with the correct carburettor for the very first models, the 5-jet Smith that Bentley himself declared more efficient than the twin S U model in favour at the time. The car still carries the period front axle, without front brakes, which was only used until 1924.

Complete with its maintenance instructions and a file of invoices from 1995 - 2000, it is presented in very good working condition. We have had the pleasure of testing it, and it runs really well. Several hundred Bentley 3 Litres were built between 1922 and 1929, and this is one of the oldest surviving examples. It will give its future owner the pleasure of driving a car that started an extraordinary saga, peppered with success and full of panache.

Estimation 160 000 - 220 000€

Esplanade Lille 13 Maart, March 2011

Bentley - 3 Litre Four Seater Open Sports Tourer - 1922

This early 3 litre left the works in January 1922 and was originally bodied as a coupé by Wilton Carriage Co. It now carries open four seater sport tourer bodywork removed from a Bentley of similar vintage many years ago.

It features the Speed Model cam, lighter pistons and lighter chassis than the Speed Model, two star differential and is fitted with the early 5 jet Smiths carburettor.

The body has two piece opening screen, and the original size beaded edge wheels are still fitted and have been restored to original two wheel braking specification.

In England in 2006 / Owned by a BDC member

"Chassis 35 was sold in the summer of 2003 and went to a very good home."

Winner Bentley Drivers Club Vintage section "Patina" award in 2002.

This car was owned by John Burgess from 1994 to 2003.

Engine
Full engine rebuild to an extremely high standard comprising:

Late pattern heavy Bentley crank with 47mm big-end journals crack tested and the minimum amount taken off in regrinding and polishing. (1st grind of big-ends!)

New Phoenix rods directly metalled (bored to allow for an optimal white metal thickness)

New centre main bearing bronze made

All main bearings fitted with additional / supplementary machined & ground bearing straps

Flywheel lightened

New flywheel bolts made to suit

Crank, rods, pistons, flywheel balanced by Bassett Down Balancing

New Leonard Reece BM 1800 camshaft made from BM drawings with additional oilways as per later Bentley camshafts.

Camshaft bearings line bored (camshaft made to suit)

New double thrust race arrangement for front bevel on cam
(as per Bentley's first drawings)

New cam followers - rockers jigged to give precise alignment

Omega spares scheme pistons in very good order re-ringed as a matter of course

Bronze cross-shaft set of gears very carefully fitted up with new bronze bearings to suit

New vertical shaft top bearing made, fitted and lapped to fit

Complete turret set up and run as an assembly to check and bed in before fitting to engine

New additional cross shaft oil feed fitted.

Valve seats very carefully recut by Paynes of Oxford to ensure enough 'meat' remained for future inserts should they ever be required.

Valves refaced by Paynes at the same time.

Valve geometry accurately measured and restored as necessary

New correct single entry water pump casing cast and water pump rebuilt with lipseal on driving gear.

New block sideplates made and fitted with stainless countersunk screws as original

New block to pump pipe fitted

Oil pump fettled, cover lapped, and 3 no additional fixing screws fitted

Magnetos
Twin ML G4s, correct for an early car, completely rebuilt (rewound, new bearings etc)

Front Axle
Checked for alignment - and the straightened!

Steering arms and track rod ends rebushed / pins reground

Springs rebushed and new shackle pins made & fitted

Propshaft
Completely rebuilt with new pin & slippers in pot joint and new pins and bushes in front UJ

Barker Dipping
Completely dismantled and rebushed with oilite bushes and tecalemit oilers fitted

Wheels
5 good beaded edge wheels (3 rebuilt by Richards of Cardiff)

Derihon Shock Absorbers
Now all refurbished with modern oil seals and links fitted with new brass & PTFE cups and springs.

New balls on shockers and front and rear axles to suit

Steering
Steering box completely dismantled and rebuilt with new bearings, set up with minimal play.

New steering balls to Bentley drawings

New draglink to Bentley drawings

Driving - Notes by John Burgess
Since being put back on the road in 1998 and up to 2002 the car covered some 8500 trouble free miles.

Everything works properly (!)

The brakes are actually pretty good I am pleased to say (good enough to get sworn at for stopping too quickly!) and the car was regularly used around Bristol (any excuse would do!) as well as attending typically Prescott, Shelsley, Silversone, Donnington, Hatfield & Shuttle worth etc. etc.

The Smiths 5 jet gives good starting, smooth and even power and returns 20 m.p.g. on any reasonable run.

1922 Bentley 3 Litre
1. One of the first hundred, Chassis No. 35 owned by W. B. Dredge. Alongside is the Speed Six, originally the property of the late Duke of Kent.
2. George Strathdee's white 3-litre in the foreground (and Currie Henderson's black Bentley on left). — Bentley Drivers Club Review, October 1963.