A rare Bentley that has been stored in a shed for more than 50 years is set to fetch up to £70,000 at auction.
The car – a Bentley 3.5 Litre – rolled off the production line in Derby in 1935 and was then delivered to its wealthy tea merchant owner, who lived in Sydney, Australia.
After being returned to the UK in the early 1950s, the car was bought at auction for £1,050 – the equivalent of more than £20,000 in today’s money – by Dorset-based farmer James Young.
The farmer then went about spending a further £500 on respraying the car from its original yellow to black.
When the Bentley failed its MOT in 1968, it was stored away in the farmer’s cart shed and – bar a single appearance in 1971 – has remained there continuously since then.
The current owner, who is the farmer’s grandson, is now selling the dilapidated classic car via Charterhouse auction house, which is based in Sherborne, Dorset.
When the Bentley 3.5 Litre model was originally for sale, it was described in adverts as being a ‘perfect piece of mechanism’ but the one that is up for sale is now in need of urgent restoration before it will run again.
A rare Bentley that has been stored in a shed for more than 50 years is set to fetch up to £70,000 at auction. The car – a Bentley 3.5 Litre – rolled off the production line in Derby in 1935 and was then delivered to its wealthy tea merchant owner, who lived in Sydney, Australia
After the car was built, wealthy tea merchant Philip Bushell had a Drop Head Coupe body fitted at coachbuilders Thrupp and Maberly, making it a convertible. Above: The car outside Bushells’ headquarters in Sydney in 1936
The car emerged from its cart shed for the only time since 1968 when the farmer’s grandson, Roger Young, carried out minor repairs in 1971.
He also removed its winged B radiator cap for safe keeping.
It had been the seller’s intention to have the car restored, but he was unable to fulfil his ambition.
Auctioneer Richard Bromell said: ‘Growing up as a child I thought every farm had old buildings hiding away classic and vintage cars.’
‘Although I have seen and sold many barn finds at Charterhouse over the decades, this one certainly trumps all other previous discoveries.’
After the car was built, wealthy tea merchant Philip Bushell had a Drop Head Coupe body fitted at coachbuilders Thrupp and Maberly, making it a convertible.
A photo taken in 1936 shows the car outside the Bushells company headquarters in Sydney.
The lower estimate for the sale – which takes place on October 12 at the prestigious Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset – is £50,000.
After being returned to the UK in the early 1950s, the car was bought at auction for £1,050 – the equivalent of more than £20,000 in today’s money – by Dorset-based farmer James Young. Above: The dilapidated engine
The car still has its original leather seats but needs extensive restoration before it will run again. The owner’s wife said it is a ‘beautiful car’
Mr Young’s wife Linda told Wales News: ‘At the moment there is very little rust and the leather is just at it was.
‘We’ve been told we did the right thing by keeping the car’s roof on as this has protected it.
A 1936 advert in the Daily Mail for the Bentley 3.5 Litre quoted the then popular inventor and racing driver George Eyston
‘It’s a beautiful car which holds a lot of memories for the family so we are sad to let it go, but it would be nice if someone can get her back up and running and care for her.’
Bushell, who was born in Liverpool in 1879, moved to Australia aged 11 and began working for his father’s tea firm.
He then set up his own business with his brother and the firm quickly grew, with branches opening elsewhere in Australia.
The businessman died at his home in Sydney in March 1954.
Bentley’s from the 1930s are called Derby Bentleys because they were built in the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby.
Rolls-Royce bought the Bentley brand in 1931. Bentleys before that date are known as Cricklewood Bentleys, named after the original factory in London.
When the 3.5 Litre was released, it was advertised as the ‘silent sports car’, a boast that Rolls-Royce continued to use until the 1950s.
A 1936 advert in the Daily Mail for the Bentley 3.5 Litre quoted the then popular inventor and racing driver George Eyston.
It read: ‘I have now owned a 3 1/2-litre Bentley for nearly a year and should just like to say that I have enjoyed every moment I have had with it.
The car has been gathering dust in a cart shed in Dorset since 1968, when it was stored after failing its MOT
The car’s last tax disc, which cost £17.10 and expired in December 1968, is still visible. The car was put into storage after failing its MOT
The car emerged from its cart shed for the only time since 1968 when the farmer’s grandson, Roger Young, carried out minor repairs in 1971. He also removed its winged B radiator cap (right) for safe keeping
The car is now covered in cobwebs and is in need of urgent attention so it can be restored to its former glory. It is being sold by Dorset-based Charterhouse Auctioneers
The car has just 13,145 miles on the clock, despite having been built in 1935. The interior features original wooden paneling and leather seats
When the 3.5 Litre was released, it was advertised as the ‘silent sports car’, a boast that Rolls-Royce continued to use until the 1950s. Above: The car’s steering wheel is seen covered in cobwebs
The car hasn’t left its current spot since 1971, when it was taken out briefly for minor repairs to be carried out. It then went back inside
The car also comes with its original hand book. The lower estimate for the sale – which takes place on October 12 at the prestigious Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset – is £50,000
The logo of Thrupp and Maberly is seen on part of the car. The firm fitted it with a Drop Head Coupe body
‘Your engineers seem to have studied every point and the car is a perfect piece of mechanism.
‘Above all, I find it very sound sound value – I can undertake the longest journey in the shortest time with the minimum of fatigue and each time it is a new pleasure.
‘It is most economical to run, and of all means of transport to-day I say “go by Bentley – it is the soundest “buy” I have ever made.’