History Wanted

Sir,

I have enjoyed your writings about Vintage cars and motoring for many years, and wondered whether you could help me with the history of my car from your extensive archives?

It is a 1928 Vanden Plas fabric saloon-bodied 4 1/2 litre Bentley, XV 1291, chassis and engine numbers XR 3334.

I believe it to have been the show model on the Vanden Plas stand at Olympia in 1928. Registered on October 22nd 1928, it was originally blue but had been re-covered black when I bought it ten years ago.

Several things show traces of chrome plating wheel rims (!), plug-lead tubes, etc. but all these are now painted over or polished off.

The two maker’s seals on the camshaft drive are still in place and the car is as standard as possible.

If you have any material or memories relating to my car I would be delighted to hear from you.

I contacted the original owner, Mr. Ogden (the jeweller but he could only recall that “he bought a new Bentley at the show every year” and could not remember my car specifically. The early owners were:

William Ogden ’28-’29.

John Lindsay ’29-’32.

Sabina Feather ’32-’33.

Blackett Gill ’33-’57. It would add tremendously to the pleasure that

I derive from this lovely car if you could shed further light on its history.

Weston-Super-Mare MICHAEL HASE

(The Bentley DC records confirm that Mr. Ogden took delivery after the 1928 Motor Show. Can anyone help further? -ED.).