Birkin Rally Grimsel Pass, 2013

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

Bentley 4.5 litre supercharged; 1930; chassis no. SM3920; Vanden Plas 4 seater Sports Tourer; 4 cyl. The 20iest of the 50 ever produced "Production Blowers". Was Vanden Plas's show car at the London Olympia Car Show 1930. Unrestored original car. For 33 years in the family

Participating Team: Werny, Maeggie, Franco and Kathy Weibel; Switzerland

I noticed that there is no 2010 update for GK 3841 which is a pity, as 2010 is the year was when my wife Kathy and I have organised the 1st International Blower Rally with the participation of 16 original-chassis Blowers.
GK 3841 (Chassis No. SM 3920) at the 1st International Bentley Blower Rally (2010) beside some of the other 15 original Blowers (St. Ursanne, Switzerland; picture Franco Weibel)

"Here is another picture of Blower GK 3841, formerly owned by us. The picture was shot by Peter Singhof at the Swiss Klausenpass during the 1st International Blower Rally in 2010. It is the cover photo for a DVD on that rally produced by Nick Breeze."

The car at "2008 Villa D'Este"

Bentley 4.5 Litre Supercharged "Blower" (GK 3841), 1930.

All the above photographs were taken in April 2008.

We have added here the updated and verified information on GK 3841. From our point of view it is the most complete and verified information on this car.

The history of this 4.5 Litre, throughout originally preserved, supercharged Bentley (registration No. GK 3841, chassis No. SM 3920) is in detail documented e.g. in the books of Stanley Sedgwick and Michael Hay and by numerous original documents.

Concerning originality FIVA has classified GK 3841 into category A/2 meaning "As standard delivered by original manufacturer, included accessories / as delivered but used and maintained" (FIVA card No. 031816 DF11241).

Delivered in November 1930 GK 3841 was the 18th, so called "Blower" Bentley built for road use from a series of in total 50 cars that had to be fabricated by Bentley Works in order to get the homologation for the 24-hours race at Le Mans in 1930 for their 4 team Blowers (only 3 started). GK 3841 was the show car of the famous coach builder Vanden Plas at the London Olympia Car Show in 1930. Her first owner was R. Kershaw.

From 1946 she was owned by Alan M. Elliot, the well-known founder member of the Bentley Drivers Club and personal friend of Jan Flemming, author of "007-James Bond". Flemming knew GK 3841 well, even from behind the steering wheel. Thus, no wonder that James Bond's first "business car" was a Blower Bentley!

In 1962 GK 3841 moved into the vintage car collection of Reg and Joan Parker (UK) who are internationally known for their perfect and originality preserving care to their classic cars.

In 1982 Maeggy and Werny Weibel-Widmer, in personal presence of - at that time - 78-years-old Alan Elliot, bought GK 3841 in London. Since then she has never changed the owner and is driven regularly; also in long-distance rallies such as the Mille Miglia.

Historic photographs of the London Olympia Car Show in 1930 demonstrate that GK 3841 still is and looks unaltered since then. Chassis, engine (No. SM 3924), the wooden dashboard with original instruments and last but not least the gorgeous Vanden Plas "Special two doors four seater Sport Touring body" (No. 1703) fully in aluminium are completely original. Notably special are her so-called "Spanish Helmet wings". Because these where very difficult to handcraft they were rarely built but "each a masterpiece on its own". GK 3841 was never rebuilt or restored. Even her deep black, mirror-like reflecting paintwork is still that first one of 1930.

From the still existing "Blowers" GK3841 is the only surviving original car of those few built with such a laborious art of coachbuilding and material choice (today most "Blowers" are fitted with sporty but "simple" Le-Mans type coaches). Extraordinary is also the original fitting of "Anore-Hydro Control" shock absorbers; they allow the adjustment of hardiness while driving. Some traces of worn trough the decades the car wares with pride, because such a high level of originality is extremely rare among the 43 still existing Blower Bentleys.

In the early 80s a soft and as original as possible repair of the interior leather was made. Few years later, in order to be able to participate to long-distance rallies like Mille Miglia, the boot-box (holding also the spare wheel) was removed to mount a larger fuel tank, and holders for spare wheels were fitted on both sides of the car. The original parts presently not fitted are carefully stored, also the full aluminium cover of the supercharger. Never alterations were carried out on chassis, brakes, engine, supercharger, carburettors (HVG-5) or on the coach work.

Events and awards
Even over long distances GK 3841 is always driven on its own axis to and trough the events.

1951, 1953, 1955: Best Turned-out 4.5 L (S) at Kensington Gardens Rally
1991: 12th place at the Mille Miglia
1993: 2nd place at the mountain race "Klausenpass-Rennen" in Switzerland
1997: Winner of the Rolls Royce International Trophy in Switzerland
2000: Winner of the Register Meeting (class vintage cars) of the Swiss RREC
2002, 2004: Class Winner at the Europ. Concours d'Elégance at Schwetzingen and Düsseldorf, Germany

Villa d'Este 2008

Photograph were taken at 2006 Nog & Natter at Balmer Frühlingserwachen in Switzerland.

In Switzerland in 2006 / Owned by a BDC member

1930 Bentley 4½ Liter Kompressor Vanden Plas, Chassis SM3920 / Motor SM3924, Ausstellungsfahrzeug der Motor Show.

Photograph was taken during European Concours d'Elegance at Schloss Schwetzingen near Heidelberg, Germany, in 2003.

Bentley 4½ litre Vanden Plas Tourer, 1930.

Photograph was taken during the European Concours d'Elegance in Schwetzingen in 2003.

This car was owned by Franco Weibel from 1982 to 2014.

In 1982 Maeggy and Werny Weibel-Widmer, in personal presence of — at that time - 78-years-old Alan Elliot, bought GK 3841 in London. Since then she has never changed the owner and is driven regularly; also in long-distance rallies such as the Mille Miglia.

"Original article on James Bond and GK 3841 from 1962 (I think the pictures of Fleming and the car were taken that same year, but am not sure. For sure the pics were taken in London, Palace Gate (or Place??) Mews (to be seen by the arc in the background)."

In 1962 GK 3841 moved into the vintage car collection of Reg and Joan Parker (UK) who are internationally known for their perfect and originality preserving care to their classic cars.

Ian Fleming poses with Chassis No.

Car was owned by Alan M. Elliot, the well-known founder member of the Bentley Drivers Club and personal friend of Ian Flemming, author of "007-James Bond".

"Hi, I'm hoping you can help me! I'm trying to track down my grandfather Alan Elliott's old 4½ litre Bentley with registration GK 3841. I was just wondering if the car was still intact as I know how attached he was to it (and I was very attached to him), so any connection to him I can have, I would love. Currently I have some photos of him in the car and his Bentley cuff links, but just to know the car is doing okay would bring me such happiness!"

James Bond's first Bentley was a 1930 4½ litre with an Amherst Villiers supercharger. It was a "Convertible coupé" with large French Marchal headlamps. Fleming introduces the car in his first novel "Casino Royale", published in 1953, stating "Bond's car was his only personal hobby... Bond drove it hard and well with an almost sensual pleasure." (See chapter 2, "Dossier for M") Bond had bought this car in 1933, keeping it safely in storage throughout the Second World War. The Bentley is wrecked when Bond crashes at high speed whilst chasing the villainous Le Chiffre in a front-wheel drive Citroen 15 'Traction Avant', after running into a "small carpet of glinting steel spikes" that have been strewn across the road ahead of him. (See chapter 16, "The Crawling of the Skin")

The car is presumably repaired, since it reappears in the third Bond novel "Moonraker", published in 1955. In the opening chapter "Secret Paper-Work" Fleming writes: "He had a small but comfortable flat off the King's Road, an elderly Scottish housekeeper - a treasure called May - and a 1930 4½ litre battleship grey Convertible coupé, supercharged, which he kept expertly tuned so that he could do a hundred when he wanted to... On these things he spent all his money and it was his ambition to have as little as possible in his banking account when he was killed..." In Moonraker, the car is wrecked yet again, chasing the wicked Sir Hugo Drax. Bond, in his "battered grey Bentley" is following Drax's white Mercedes Type 300S convertible at high speed in Kent; he crashes into heavy rolls of newsprint that fall out of a lorry into the path of his speeding car, after Drax has had the load sabotaged by his Peter Lorre lookalike 'dogsbody', Willy Krebs. (See chapter 20, "Drax's Gambit") Once again, Bond miraculously survives but this time the car does not.

"Hello there, I am wondering if you have any information on the current whereabouts of 4.5L Supercharged Bentley GK 3841? It used to be my partner's grandad's (Alan Elliott). She would love to be able to find it and get a photo with it."

Bentley Blower GK 3841. "My late grandfather John Robertson at some point once owned the Bentley Blower GK 3841 (in the early '40s?). In the fact the last photograph of it on your website (below) is of my grandfather taken on the Blackpool front. I have the exact same photograph of it hung on my office wall. I simply Googled the reg plate and up came the potted history of the car on your website -- simply fascinating. I was wondering whether you had any more history of it or could put me in touch with the current owners. I would love to see it as would my mother who was only a little girl at the time."

 

Car was purchased in 1962 from Alan M. Elliott, who had owned it for 25 years. Its condition is original throughout.

 

This photograph was taken at the Swiss Transport Museum.

The first 25 production Supercharged 4½ Litre cars where Chassis Nos. SM3901-SM3925, all with "smooth-case" blowers. The next 25 were Chassis Nos. MS3926-MS3950 and had "rib-case" blowers. Production Blower Bentleys had handbrake handles made from rectangular stainless steel, whereas the five 4½ litre race cars for Tim Birkin had the "H" section handle, but were drilled for lightness.

These photographs are from an advertisement by Coys in "Thoroughbred & Classic Cars" magazine, June 1982.

Text in advt reads: "1930 BENTLEY SUPERCHARGED 4½ LITRE"
"This magnificent ex Olympia show car, owned for over 25 years by Bentley Drivers Club founder member, Mr A. M. Elliott, is fitted with original Vanden Plas Special 2 door touring coachwork, with many interesting features, including helmets wings. valanced tool boxes and fitted suit cases."