03 June 2024

The 1927 Le Mans 24 hours was notable for the crash at the White House around 9.40pm which involved all three works Bentleys. Fortunately for the Cricklewood team, Sammy Davis sharing a 3-Litre model with Dudley Benjafield managed to pull their car from the melee and went on to take overall honours.

The sister 3-Litre driven by George Duller and Baron d’Erlanger did not enjoy such good luck and was retired on the spot. Registered YF2503, the Duller/d’Erlanger car was subsequently repaired by the factory and raced at Brooklands in 1928 before passing on to various privateers to campaign into the 1930s. More recently, the car was restored to Vanden Plas-bodied 1927 race specification and was displayed at the 2024 Villa D’Este Concorso D’Eleganza where it won the prize for the most sensitive restoration.

Winner of Class A ‘The Dawn of the Performance Age’ was another Bentley - a 1930 4 ½ Litre Supercharged model. This car was commissioned by legendary Bentley Chairman and three-time Le Mans 24 hours winner, Woolf Barnato who had a hand in the design of the distinctive Gurney Nutting body. The handsome 1938 Lagonda V12 Rapide also in competition had a notable first owner, Alfred ‘Jimmy’ MacAlpine, son of Sir Alfred MacAlpine, the construction magnate. Built in Staines, this car’s engine was designed by W. O. Bentley.