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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
Chassis No. YM5039
Engine No. YM5039
Registration No. WD 4499
September 2026

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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July 2025

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
Won the Coachbuilder's Art: Handmade Perfection class at the inaugural Royal Automobile Club Concours, Woodcote Park, Surrey, judged by five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE and Georgina Wood.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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July 2016

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon

Source: Flickr, posted by user 'Frans Verschuren'
Posted: Feb 24, 2017

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September 2014

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
Won the FIVA Preservation Award at Salon Privé.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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2013

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
Coppa Classic, 2013

Source: Flickr, posted by user 'André Ritzinger'
Posted: Jun 5, 2014

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September 30, 2012

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
YM5039 Oct 2012 Zoute Grand-Prix, Knokke-Heist; Belgium

Source: Sports Car Digest & Flickr, posted by user 'Roberto Bram'
Posted: Oct 23, 2012

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July 31, 2012

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon

Source: Flickr, posted by user 'Graham Woodward'
Posted: Jan 20, 2015

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1998
Purchased by current owner, in whose care the car has remained.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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1996
This car was was offered for sale by Stanley Mann in 1996.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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1996
The car was owned by Reto F. Domeniconi in Switzerland in the 1990s, and offered for sale by Stanley Mann in 1996.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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1983
This car was owned by Mr. D.J. Hope, Darbyshire UK in 1983.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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1983
Listed as owned by D.J. Hope, Derbyshire, in 1983.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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1980
By the late 1970s the car was back in the UK, owned by a Mr Claybourne in 1980. The coachwork was renovated and repainted in green and black.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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1949
Jack Wemyss Charters and his wife drove the car across Canada in winter from Halifax to Soda Creek, 400 miles north of Vancouver, where they lived. Jack Charters died in a blizzard in 1949, having got the car stuck and attempting to walk to safety. The car was recovered from the British Columbian wilderness by Captain Lawrence Goudy, a retired naval officer, who took it to Vancouver and restored it. Capt. Goudy kept the car until at least 1971. He recalls being stopped by Vancouver police who, on seeing the engine, mentioned that one officer's uncle was called Lycett — and used to race Bentleys. This was, of course, the famous Forrest Lycett.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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December 1947
The BDC Review no.7 for December 1947 lists J.W. Charters of Dorney Lodge, Dorney, near Windsor as a new member. Shortly afterwards Charters emigrated to Canada, taking YM5039 with him; the last UK licence expired 31 December 1947 in his name.

Posted: Jan 1, 0001

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1947
The first post-war owner on record is Lt. Col. W.E.V.H.P. Gates.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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1947

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1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
1931 Bentley 8 Litre 13 Saloon
The car was in Canada in 1947 with Mr. J.W. Charters.

Jack Charters bought the car when he lived in the UK but took it over to Canada in 1948 and, with his wife, drove it across Canada in the winter from Halifax to Soda Creek 400 miles north of Vancouver where they lived. Jack died in a blizzard in 1949 and the car was rescued from the British Columbian wilderness by Capt. L. Goudy. He took the car to Vancouver and restored it. It was in a poor state having had a collision with a moose and the wings had been trimmed. It was also painted white by then. Capt. Goudy kept the car until at least 1971. Capt. Goudy recalls the time when he was stopped by the police in Vancouver and thought he was about to be charged with a motoring offence, but the officers only wanted to see the engine and then one of them stated that his uncle was called Lycett, and he used to race Bentleys. This, of course, was the famous Forrest Lycett.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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1947
This car was owned by Lt. Col. W. E. Gates in 1947.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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1934
This car was owned by V.R. Crompton of West Horsley, Surrey in 1934.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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November 3, 1933
Less than a year later, the car was advertised for sale in The Autocar on 3 November 1933, with a mileage of 7,000 and an asking price of £1,175. Similar advertisements appeared through to 9 February 1934, when the car was sold to V.R. Crompton of Wix Hill House, West Horsley, Surrey, with a six-month guarantee. Mileage at this date was 10,430, recorded 6 February 1934.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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June 9, 1932
The Barclay invoice, dated 9 June 1932, shows YM5039 was sold to the first owner, Bernard Hopps of Messrs Lodge Plugs Ltd., Rugby, with his home address recorded as Thurlaston, near Rugby. The price was £905 — less than half the pre-receivership retail price of £1,850 — and supplied with a one-year guarantee in place of the old five-year guarantee.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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May 23, 1932
The Service Record notes a completion date of 23 May 1932 — the date the chassis was despatched to H.J. Mulliner.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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March 29, 1932
YM5039 was sold in chassis form to Barclay and Olding on 29 March 1932, as part of a job lot of seven 8 Litre chassis.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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November 1931
When the company emerged from receivership in November 1931 as Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Rolls-Royce, the remaining unsold chassis were transferred to the Service Department at Kingsbury and sold through Jack Barclay and Jack Olding.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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July 11, 1931
YM5039 was unsold when Bentley Motors went into receivership on 11 July 1931, and the chassis remained at the Works throughout.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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1930
Chassis YM5039 is the 64th of the 100 8 Litre Bentleys built in 1930–31. Engine number YM5039. Gearbox "F" type, number 8063. 13-foot wheelbase. H.J. Mulliner 4-door 4-seater saloon body with owner-driver interior, sun roof, no division, and separate adjustable bucket front seats. UK registration WD 4499.

Posted: Sep 1, 2026

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The car was owned by Reto Domeniconi in 1990s in Switzerland.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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YM 5039 was first delivered to first owner Bernard Hopps of Rugby in September of 1932. It was on a 13' wheelbase chassis with engine number YM5039. The body was a 4 door 4 seater saloon by H.J. Mulliner and the UK registration number was WD 4499. The Gearbox was an "F" type numbered 8063.

Source: Jake Cotton
Posted: Sep 17, 2010

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Earliest Record Of Historical Facts & Information

Chassis No. YM5039
Engine No. YM5039
Registration No. WD 4499
Date of Delivery: 31 Aug 1932
Type of Body: Saloon
Coachbuilder: H J Mulliner
Type of Car: 13
First Owner: HOPPS BERNARD
More Info: Michael Hay, in his book Bentley: The Vintage Years, 1997, states: "F/8063"

Mar 1, 2007

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