Photograph was taken during Italy's Lakeside Concours d'Elegance in 1999.

YX5122 (1931 8 Litre, Vanden Plas (England) drophead coupe - Owner: T Reich

Seen here at a joint RROC/CCCA kite flying picnic meet at Ft. Casey on Whidbey Island, Washington, in May, 1989, are representatives of two of the greatest models built. If you could own but one of these two spectacular specimens, how would you decide which? Drive them both, then pick the Phantom II not for its sheer performance where the 8 Litre clearly scores best, but for the sweetness of the steering and gear change and the overall lightness of the car. Someone once said that the 8 Litre has what could be called a 'thinking man's gearbox'. They are both 12 foot chassis; both have their original coachwork -- one from England, one from Brussels, hence the two spellings.

"The Queen Mary's presence was felt throughout the Meet. Here she forms an appropriate Art Deco background for Ted Reich's 8 litre Vanden Plas tourer, YX5122 — best in the Vintage Bentley class and winner of the Vintage Bentley Longest Distance Award. YX5122 motored down from Pebble Beach, where she had won the 8 litre class." — From the article 'The Perfect 36: 1987 National Meet, Long Beach, California' by Phil Brooks