Vintage Bentley
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Bentleys
1931 Bentley 4½ Litre 2-seater
Chassis No. FS3621
Engine No. FS3618
Registration No. GK 8063
This Bentley 4½ Litre was the 16th from last to be built, leaving the works in November 1930 and going to the coachbuilders Harrisons, from whence it was delivered to the first owner, Miss Wearing, on January 1st 1931 as a Harrison Roadster sporting white coachwork with a red leather interior. Being a late model, it includes all the improvements made during the production run and incorporates some of the better features of the supercharged 4½ litre cars. It has the heavy crankshaft fitted from 1930, the plate clutch (which replaced the cone type in 1929), a 353:1 final drive and a 'D' type gearbox.
According to the Bentley Drivers Club, GK 8063 was lost sight of for some years in Miss Wearing's ownership but reappeared in London during the Blitz in 1940/41 having been converted to a utility vehicle rumoured to have been used to deliver foods as part of the war effort. By 1961, this car was acquired by Sir Malin Sorsbie, then Chief Game Warden of Kenya where the car resided. In his ownership, GK 8063 was sent back to London to be restored by Jack Barclay of Berkeley Square. The coachwork was restyled by them to resemble the original Harrison body. It again drops out of sight, but emerges in the USA in the late 1980's passing through the ownerships of W F Ford of Pennsylvania, and C Mallory of New York. In 1985, GK 8063 returns to the UK and into the hands of Mr. Harry Fuchs who undertook a five year restoration completed by Tim Abbot Engineering of Northampton accruing bills of more than £70,000 and the license plate HF 10 along the way. In the early 1990's, following the cars offering at auction, we know that chassis number FS3621 was rebodied to sport Birkin style Vanden Plas team car coachwork and fitted with a John Bentley supercharger to complete the car, now re-acquainted with the original license plate of GK 8063. In 2000, this special Bentley 4½ made its way into the private collection of South African, Casper Scharrighuisen because in September 2000, on instructions from the trustees of the Scharrighuisen estate, GK8063 was again auctioned in the UK, this time to be bought and delivered to Japan where it remained from 2001 until 2007. During this period, and in the ownership of a well known and respected Japanese Bentley collector, GK8063 competed in the Japanese Mille Miglia and the Le Mans Classic Japan.
Source: Classic Auctions
Posted: Jul 29, 2010
2010
Source: Bill Barron (Owner)
Posted: Jan 28, 2013
This car is one of the last built in January 1931 benefiting from the Blower Spec, heavy chassis, all electron heavy crank engine, the legendary self wrapping brakes and an electron bulkhead, now boasting 'D' close ratio gearbox, zeuss fork mounted headlamps, Birkins Le Mans Spec coach work, fitted with Amherst Villiers Supercharger producing enormous power. All this adds up to an eminently usable and fast car easily living with modern day motoring.
Source: Neil Davies Historic Racing
Posted: Oct 21, 2008
A late matching numbers 4 1/2 litre, meticulously rebuilt to Birkin Blower spec. Recently released from a fastidiously maintained private collection, this Blower is well sorted and ready to use. The car recently completed La Festa Mille Miglia event without problem. It doesn't get better than this.
Source: Old English Classics advertisement which appeared in the May 2007 issue of "Classic & Sports Car" magazine
Posted: Jun 17, 2007
2006
Posted: Jan 1, 0001
Earliest Record Of Historical Facts & Information
| Chassis No. | FS3621 |
|---|---|
| Engine No. | FS3618 |
| Registration No. | GK 8063 |
| Date of Delivery: | 31 Dec 1930 |
| Type of Body: | 2-seater |
| Coachbuilder: | Harrison |
| Type of Car: | No info |
| First Owner: | Miss Wearing |
| More Info: | Michael Hay, in his book Bentley: The Vintage Years, 1997, states: "Utility. Rebuilt by Barclay as 4 seater 1952. Reg KHB 91 now HF 10." |
Mar 1, 2007
















