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<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Drive the spectacular vistas
of the Banff-Jasper Parkway (Highway 93) to Jasper.</s> | 2,159 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
In order to understand
why the Speed Six came into being it is necessary to
know something of the background which brought it about
and to trace its development from the first six cylinder
car which Bentley Motors made. The Standard Model 6
1/2 Litre, or Big Six Bentley, as it was sometimes called,
was in production long before the 4 1/2 Litre appeared
on the scenes and when the Three Litre was still only
four years old. The smaller car, designed as an open
rugged sports car for the enthusiast then looking for
something to replace the excitements of the first World
War, was rapidly becoming known to the public following
its successes in sprints, hill-climbs, the Tourist Trophy
of 1922 and Le Mans 24 hours races of 1923 and 1924.
It was almost inevitable that all kinds of people with
money and a taste for the latest novelty wanted a Bentley-but
one with bodywork a little more civilised than the open
sports car. This led to totally unsuitable and heavy
closed coach-work being fitted to the chassis in an
endeavour to turn the car into a town carriage. To try
to cope with this situation the firm introduced a long
chassis version, the Standard or Long Wheelbase model
Three Litre. History merely repeated itself, and the
size and weight of coachwork was increased accordingly,
killing all semblance of performance.
The time had come for a much more powerful engine and
a stronger chassis, specially designed to carry spacious
bodies under town and country conditions. It was in
1924 that W. O. Bentley started work on a chassis which
was to produce high speed touring in comfort with all
types of closed coachwork. A six cylinder engine was
an obvious starting point. Although there were several
big engined cars on the market, they tended to be huge,
unwieldy machines, comfortable enough, but their performance
and road holding left much to be desired.
THE PROTOTYPE
The new engine followed closely the design of the Three
Litre and was in fact much the same engine with two
more cylinders added and the stroke shortened by 9 mm.
Thus the engine had six cylinders of 80 mm. x 40 mm.
with a capacity of 4,224 c.c. or 4 1/2-litres. The camshaft
was driven by coupling rods from the rear instead of
by a vertical shaft from the front as in the Three Litre.
The steering, gear box, rear axle and frame were redesigned
to give additional strength. Unfortunately figures for
the b.h.p. of the engine are not known but they must
have been around the hundred mark. The new car, disguised
under the name of the 'Sun', an ugly angular radiator
and an equally ugly Weymann saloon body with a huge
trunk overhanging the rear, was taken over to France
and driven by 'W. O.' for long distance testing which
included a visit to the 1924 French G.P. It was on this
trip that there occurred a chance encounter with the
new prototype Rolls-Royce Phantom I which had a momentous
influence on the future design and career of the Big
Bentley.
'W. O.', who was driving at the time, gives a dramatic
description in his Autobiography of seeing a long trail
of dust raised by a car travelling very fast towards
a Y junction for which he himself was making. Neither
car gave way and they arrived together at the junction
and continued, side by side, along the Route Nationale.
'W. O.' recognised his 'opponent' as the new Rolls-Royce
Phantom I prototype, of which there had been rumours,
and he in turn was recognised by the driver of the Rolls-Royce.
As this was an opportunity not to be missed, both cars,
still side by side, travelled flat out for mile after
mile along the straight, deserted French road. The encounter
ended abruptly when the Rolls-Royce driver's hat blew
off and he stopped to retrieve it, much to 'W. O.'s'
relief as he was on his last set of tyres.
As the engine had proved deficient of power low down,
and would probably not, even when developed, have a
sufficient margin of speed over the Phantom I, 'W. O.'
decided to increase the cylinder bore from 80 mm. to
100 mm. and the cubic capacity to 6 1/2-litres. The
new engine produced 140 b.h.p. on the bench and in practice
gave greatly increased acceleration over all ranges
and a higher maximum speed.
After months of experimental work and road testing,
a polished Standard 6 1/2 Litre engine and chassis were
exhibited at the 1925 Motor Show where it attracted
a great deal of interest.
THE CHASSIS AND ENGINE
All models of the 6 1/2 Litre chassis and engine followed
the same general design and differed only in modifications
to strengthen components by use of newer materials or
by increases in the section of certain parts; in the
development of power and reliability and in variations
of wheelbase, gear box and rear axle ratios to suit
particular types of coachwork. The descriptions which
follow, therefore, cover the Standard, Speed and 'Le
Mans' models. More detailed variations will be found
in the tables of specifications (see pages 10 and 12).
The frame is made of high grade steel and the side members
are of exceptionally deep section. The four press steel
and three tubular cross members make the bracing of
the frame complete in itself.
Front axle is of 'H' section 40-ton tensile steel which
was progressively thickened as more powerful braking
was evolved.
Rear axle is of semi-floating type with a four bevel
pinion differential and spiral bevel final drive.
Gear box (all types) is mounted by three-point suspension
and has four forward and reverse gears operated by a
right-hand change.
Universal joints are of the internal ring type enclosed
in oil-tight casings filled with oil. The fore-and-aft
movement of the propeller shaft is taken on a splined
coupling on the front joint.
Brakes are of the internal expanding type operating
on four large steel drums. The braking on all four wheels
is compensated by means of a balance beam differential.
The operation of the front brakes is of a Bentley-Perrot
design. The foot brakes are assisted by a Dewandre vacuum
servo motor. The hand brake operates on the rear wheels
only through a separate set of shoes.
Steering is by worm and sector adjustable for wear,
the thrust being taken by ball bearings.
Lubrication, except for one grease cup on the water
pump, is provided by Tecalemit connections which can
be loaded with oil from a gun.
The engine. The six cylinders are cast in one block
with non-detachable head. Each cylinder has two inlet
and two exhaust valves operated by a totally enclosed
overhead camshaft and valve rockers. The camshaft is
carried in seven bearings and is driven from the rear
end of the crankshaft, which ran in eight bearings.
Ignition is by twin synchronised magnetos (later one
magneto and one coil unit were fitted) firing twelve
plugs. The firing order is 1 4 2 6 3 5.
Lubrication is by pressure to the mains and big ends
and through the hollow camshaft to the cams and rockers.
Overhead valve gear. The valves, each with two concentric
coil springs, are grouped in sets of four, two inlet
and two exhaust per cylinder. The inlet valves are operated
by one forked duralumin rocker arm and the exhaust valves
by two single rockers each having a steel roller at
one end and an adjustable ball--ended tappet screw at
the other. The set for each cylinder is contained in
its own aluminium box.
Camshaft drive consists of a helical gear-driven three-throw
crankshaft at the rear end of the engine crankshaft
to which are coupled three connecting rods which in
turn are connected to a similar crankshaft direct driven
by the camshaft. The upper big end bearings of these
rods are fitted with an expansion device to compensate
for changes in crankshaft centres due to temperature
variations.
Dynamo and water pump are driven off the rear and front
ends respectively of the camshaft and the two together
damp out any irregularities set up by the action of
the valves.
Cooling system. This is unusual in that it has two distinct
water circuits controlled by a thermostat whereby the
radiator is by-passed in a cold engine. As the engine
warms up the circuit to the radiator is opened.
PRODUCTION MODIFICATIONS, 1926 1928
By March 1926, production models were in the hands of
the public and by the end of the year 58 cars were on
the roads. In the interval long range M.L. Type ER 6
magnetos were fitted to give increased flexibility;
a spring loaded clutch pressure plate replaced the cork
insert plate to prevent clutch judder; and to save the
batteries and make starting easier Ki-Gass injectors
were fitted to the engine. All these modifications made
the car much more pleasant to drive under town running
conditions.
For the 1927 Motor Show big changes took place which
were to be incorporated in the 1928 models. The more
important of these changes were:-the half-engine speed
dynamo driven by the camshaft was replaced by a new
5-brush dynamo placed between the dumb irons in front
of the radiator and driven from the front end of the
crankshaft through a flexible coupling, the dynamo casing
being bolted to to the front cross member; the radiator
tapered inwards towards the bottom and was redesigned
to fit the dynamo and at the same time was given a fuller
profile and a deeper, 100 mm. matrix which improved
the frontal aspect of the car and made it even more
imposing looking. For a time the camshaft had no damping
at the rear but after four months a torsional damper
was fitted to a taper on the end of the camshaft to
restore the damping effect exerted by the dynamo before
its removal.
A Delco Remy coil ignition set replaced the off-side
magneto and a Hardy Spicer propeller shaft took the
place of the plunging (pot) joint type which needed
frequent replacement of the blocks and slippers. To
make braking lighter, a Dewandre Servo motor was coupled
to the braking system. A third wheelbase chassis length,
12 ft. 7J in., was added to the range. By the end of
1927 the total of six cylinder chassis made had risen
to 185.
In mid-1928 two further modifications were introduced.
One was the change over to single pole wiring and the
other the provision of an 'oil bath' in the base of
the cam case. By this means the rocker rollers were
sufficiently lubricated to prevent pick up and the additional
lubrication helped to minimise the occasional squeak
from the tappet ball-ends.
Towards the end of 1928 there were persistent rumours
of the possibility ^^^^^_ of a 'Speed Model' version
of the 6 1/2 Litre. In fact a great deal of testing
had been going on, in secret, in the Firm's Experimental
Department for some months, and at the end of October
the first Speed Six was available for demonstrations.
The total number of Standard 6 1/2 Litres made by the
end of 1928 was 284.
THE SPEED SIX
1929. The Speed Model 6 1/2 Litre was conceived as a
stage in the 'improvement of the breed' with an eye
to long distance touring, and the design of the new
car followed generally that of the Standard model but
with certain important differences. The immediate outward
differences between the two models were the new shape
of the radiator, which had parallel sides, and the green
background to the radiator and fuel tank badges to distinguish
it from the Standard model which had a blue background.
Throughout all his designs W. O. Bentley insisted on
reliability as the first consideration. When he wanted
more power he built a bigger engine ('There is no substitute
for horsepower'). When it became apparent that a larger
car was needed to back up the hard-pressed 4 1/2 Litre,
it was natural that a Works' racing version of the new
Speed Six should be developed.
Early in 1929 Speed Six chassis were being delivered
to the public, though very slowly. On the 10th of May
1929 Woolf Barnato took delivery of the first of the
'Le Mans' racing models, destined to be known as 'Old
No. 1'.
The standard model continued in production and by the
end of the year 66 of them had been made, while 69 Speed
Models had been completed. The total for the Standard
model had risen to 350.
1930. The Speed Six for 1930 incorporated many of the
items tried out in the 1929 'Le Mans' car, such as the
single port block and induction manifold; the strengthened
connecting rods; the 5 gallon Elektron sump; racing
type rockers without the third rivet hole; Bosch magneto
and a compression ratio of 5-3 : 1 giving 180 b.h.p.
Two new 'Le Mans' Speed Sixes were built for the 1930
season and 'Old No. 1* was brought up to date. The only
major change was the introduction of the heavier front
axle with integral jacking pads which were incorporated
in the late 1930 models.
Production of the Standard model had almost ceased except
for special orders and only 18 more were made, making
the total up to 368. 108 Speed Sixes were made during
the year bringing their total to 177, after which no
more were made.
THE SPEED SIX IN COMPETITION
1929 DOUBLE TWELVE, BROOKLANDS
This was the Speed Six's first race and was driven by
Barnato and Benjafield. The car was far and away the
fastest on the circuit and led for the first four hours
at a speed of 92 m.p.h. Just after its first pit stop
it came in again with a broken dynamo drive. Driver
and mechanic removed the radiator and dynamo but as
it was impossible to repair the coupling on the spot,
the car was forced to retire.
This was the only occasion on which a Speed Six retired
from a race because of mechanical failure.
1929 LE MANS
Five Bentleys, including the Speed Six, were entered
by the Works in opposition to three Stutz, two Chryslers,
a du Pont and fourteen smaller cars. Birkin took the
first spell and completed his first lap with not another
car in sight. Then three Bentley's two Stutz and the
fifth Bentley came round in a bunch. The last Bentley,
which the week before had taken the Class 'C Twenty-Four
Hours record driven by the Hon. Mrs. Victor Bruce, retired
early. Birkin set the lap record for the year on the
slightly shortened circuit at 82-98 m.p.h. During the
night the four Bentleys increased their lead in spite
of faulty headlamps which flickered on and off. In the
early hours of the morning two Stutz and the du Pont
dropped out. The ballast of Clement's car shifted and
broke a brake rod which was repaired and by 10 a.m.
the Bentleys were back in their places again. So great
was their lead, the Speed Six was slowed down to a fast
tour for the last twelve hours of the race and the 4
1/2-litres were likewise slowed down for the last two
hours.
At the finish four Bentleys crossed in line ahead, led
by the Speed Six, to take the first four places. The
winner's speed was 73-62 m.p.h. This was Bentley's third
successive win at Le Mans and in addition they were
first and second in the Index of Performance, the first
time any car had won both awards.
1929 SIX HOURS, BROOKLANDS
Five Bentleys were entered, the Speed Six (Barnato and
C. Dunfee), a Le Mans 4 1/2 (Cook and Callingham) by
the Works, two 4 1/2s entered privately and Birkin's
prototype supercharged 4 1/2 Litre. The supercharged
car was fast but it soon had engine trouble and retired.
The Speed Six, lapping at 74 m.p.h., was leading on
distance but was way back on handicap. After four hours'
running it was in third place and had increased its
lap speed to 75 m.p.h. One of the privately entered
4 1/2s dropped out as did two Mercedes. At the fifth
hour, having made up its handicap, the Speed Six took
the lead and an hour later won the race at 75-88 m.p.h.
An Alfa was second and the remaining two Bentleys third
and eighth respectively.
Mercedes put in the fastest lap of the race with 81-19
m.p.h. but failed to finish.
1929 IRISH GRAND PRIX, DUBLIN
This was a two-day event, the winner being the car with
the best performance on handicap on either day. Ivanovski's
Alfa won the first day's race for cars under 1,500 c.c.
at 75-02 m.p.h. The second day, for cars over 1,500
c.c, attracted Kidston's Speed Six, three A\ Litres,
two of the Birkin supercharged cars, a 7-litre supercharged
Mercedes, three 1750 Alfas and eight other cars.
For 27 laps the Mercedes led Birkin, the two cars never
far apart. Then the inevitable happened and the the
Mercedes blew a gasket and retired. Meanwhile the three
Alfas retained their lead on handicap but after two
and a half hours one of them ran out of road and retired.
Birkin's car was overheating and Kidston's Speed Six
passed him to take fourth place on handicap.
Kidston again increased speed in an effort to catch
the Alfas but slid on the melting tarmac and buckled
a wheel. The wheel was changed at the pits in record
time but it cost them the race nevertheless. In a most
exciting finish Ivanovski's Alfa won by a bare fourteen
seconds at 76-4 m.p.h.; the Speed Six was second at
79-8 and Birkin third at 79-0. All six Bentleys finished.
Mercedes again made fastest lap (83-8 m.p.h.) but failed
to stay the course.
1929 TOURIST TROPHY, BELFAST
This was again a handicap race over 30 laps of the 13-66
mile tortuous circuit with 65 starters taking part.
Bentleys entered Kidston in the Speed Six; Birkin his
3 Blower cars ('W. O.' rode as Birkin's mechanic); and
Hayes his private 4 1/2. On scratch with the Bentleys
were 2 official Mercedes and 2 private ones; 3 official
and 4 private Alfas which received two credit laps.
There were 49 other cars of various sizes including
Austin Sevens with up to five credit laps handicaps.
The small cars held the lead for most of the race because
of their handicaps. Rubin overturned his car. Then it
rained, slowing all cars except Caracciola's Mercedes.
At half distance Kidston got into a series of slides
lasting about a quarter of a mile and crashed. Caracciola
was steadily passing car after car but with half an
hour to go the Austins were leading with the Alfas close
behind. First Campari's Alfa, then Caracciola, passed
the Austins. Heavy rain fell again but Caracciola, undeterred,
went on to win at 72-82 m.p.h. The Alfa came in second
at 67-54 m.p.h. and Birkin, with 'W. O.', finished 11th,
having averaged 69-01 m.p.h. Harcourt-Wood's supercharged
car had retired and Hayes, still running, was nagged
off at the end of the race.
Caracciola's Mercedes made fastest lap at 77-81 m.p.h.
in the wet.
1929 :: 500 MILES, BROOKLANDS
The Firm entered the Speed Six (Davis and C. Dunfee),
fitted with a stubby two-seater body, one of the Le
Mans 4 1/2 Litres (Clement and Barclay), now with a
long tailed body, and two other 4 1/2- Litres. Birkin
entered his prototype single-seater supercharged Bentley
and Kaye Don two 4-litre and one 2-litre Sunbeams. There
were five classes each with a time handicap, and all
cars ran in stripped form.
Birkin lapping at 121 m.p.h. developed an oil leak and
dropped back; Jack Barclay had two narrow escapes with
monumental slides, but in turn with Clement continued
to lap at around 110 m.p.h. The Speed Six lapped at
125 but had continual tyre trouble. Birkin's car caught
fire and retired at the same time as one of the 4-litre
Sunbeams and the 2-litre. Clement and Barclay went on
to win at 107-32 m.p.h.
The Speed Six, having made the fastest lap of the day
at 12609 m.p.h., and being ordered to slow down, finished
second at 109-4 m.p.h. Third place went to the remaining
Sunbeam which had broken its frame.
1930 :: DOUBLE TWELVE HOUR, BROOKLANDS
The Works entered two brand new Speed Sixes, Dorothy
Paget three Birkin supercharged 4 1/2 Litres and Durand
a privately owned 4 1/2. 59 cars started including teams
of Talbots and M.G.s in their first race.
On the first day, Kidston, in one of the supercharged
Bentleys, led the two Speed Sixes for a time, then slowed
and later retired with a broken valve. Birkin retired
with a broken frame and Durand's 4 1/2 caught fire and
later retired with a broken back axle. The third supercharged
4 1/2 caught fire at the pits but continued. Clement
led in the Speed Six with Davis in the other Speed Six
in second place. The latter broke a valve spring which
was replaced without the car losing its place. Two of
the Talbots were involved in a serious accident and
the third car of the team was withdrawn.
On the second day the Speed Sixes led comfortably. Marinoni's
Alfa, well ahead of its handicap, retired and Benjafield
refitted a new back axle to the remaining supercharged
Bentley but retired shortly afterwards. Davis' Speed
Six broke another valve spring and later an oil pipe,
both of which were remedied without losing second place.
In the afternoon it rained heavily but at last the race
was over and the two Speed Sixes finished 1st and 2nd
at 86-68 and 85-68 m.p.h. respectively. M.G.s won the
team prize.
The dress rehearsal for Le Mans had proved very successful.
1930 LE MANS
Seventeen starters came to the line, among which were
three Works' Speed Sixes, two of Dorothy Paget's supercharged
4 1/2 Litres and Caracciola's 7-litre Mercedes.
Caracciola led off, pursued by Birkin, who had passed
Kidston in 'Old No. I*. Birkin passed the Mercedes,
lost a rear tread, broke the lap record at 89-69 m.p.h.
and continued for another lap before coming slowly into
the pits. Davis in No. 3 Speed Six increased speed,
on orders, to make the Mercedes keep using its supercharger.
Dunfee took over Davis' car and crashed it. Barnato
and Kidston in turns began to reduce the Mercedes' lead
and finally passed it. On the next lap the Mercedes,
using its supercharger continuously, passed the Bentley
only to be re-passed again. Thereafter the Speed Six
gradually drew away until on the 83rd lap the Mercedes
retired, defeated by the 'World's Finest Sporting Car'.
Both Speed Sixes were ordered to reduce speed to a fast
tour and hold first and second places. Both the Birkin
cars continued during the night in third and fourth
places. Four hours before the end, Birkin's car broke
a connecting rod and an hour later Benja-field's similar
car retired with a broken piston. At 4 p.m. the Barnato/Kidston
Speed Six crossed the line to win Le Mans for the fourth
successive time at a speed of 75 -88 m.p.h. Close behind,
Clement and Watney brought their Speed Six into second
place at 73-73 m.p.h. These two cars also finished first
and second in the Index of Performance.
An interesting sidelight on Bentley's racing is that
'W. O.' never allowed his cars to show more speed than
was necessary to win; in consequence no one knew what
their potential really was. Daimler-Benz completely
underestimated the Speed Six. How much faster the Speed
Six could have gone has never been disclosed but from
strip reports after the race, it was stated both cars
could have continued for another eighteen hours untouched.
Shortly after Le Mans, Bentley Motors announced their
retirement from racing for the time being, so as to
incorporate the lessons they had learned in their production
models.
At the Motor Show of 1930 the magnificent 8 Litre made
its appearance but the clouds of the 'great depression',
spreading from the West, were already looming up on
the horizon.
Darell Berthon, 1966</s> | 2,160 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Thus by the end of the 1929 season
the car was overdue for a major overhaul. This must
have taken a considerable period of time because there
are no photographs between October 1929 and June 1930
when the car was entered for the Le Mans. In the intervening
period two new Speed 6's were built to a new 1930 specification
and the 1929 winner was similarly rebuilt. It is common
ground between the experts and accepted by the defence
that of the 1929 Le Mans winner possibly only the pedal
shaft and the compensator survive.</s> | 2,161 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Mrs Brewer is entitled
to repayment by Fortis of all hire payments that
she has previously paid since she was entitled to
rescind the contract and such payments are recoverable
as reliance damages in accordance with the principle
identified in Yeoman Credit Ltd [18].
(4) Credit for use of the car during the period
of hire</s> | 2,162 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
For £165
a month you can take out a loan that will make a two-litre
Ford Sierra or Mazda 626 yours in ten years' time. The
car won't be worth much then, and you'll have spent
nearly half of your £20,000 outlay on interest
charges.
Or, you could follow David Wickers' example and channel
the money into the restoration of a vintage Bentley.
Then you'll end up with a car at the upper end of the
classic market that looks like new, is glorious fun
to drive, and would fetch more than £100,000 if
you decided to sell it.
There is, of course, a catch in this financial illustration.
To benefit from it, you need to have bought your Bentley
cheaply, years before the classic boom started.
David Wickers got his 1926 three-litre Speed Model open
tourer in 1960 for just £200. In those days, however,
that was still a hefty sum for a 24-year-old to find.
He sold a vintage 20-horsepower Rolls-Royce to raise
the deposit and paid off the balance by hire-purchase
installments. Then, after driving the car for some years,
David realized that the Bentley needed major attention
if he was to continue to enjoy the old warrior's immense
torque and 90 mph top speed.
Thus began a restoration that was to absorb ten years
and an awful lot of money and patience. But David now
has the car back on the road and is delighted that his
determination to see the project to completion never
wavered.
"Driving it again is like stepping back in time
- it feels just like the same car," he says.
A finance broker in Exeter, Devon, David is obviously
well aware of the fact that the Bentley represents a
blue-chip investment. But he hasn't devoted a decade
of spare time to the car for that reason. How could
he have forecast today's price levels when he bought
the Bentley 29 years ago, or even when he began the
restoration in the late seventies?
"I've never bought a car for its investment potential,"
he insists. "I just love driving old cars and the
challenge of maintaining and running them."
He hasn't even worked out the total bill for the Bentley's
restoration. "I've never added everything up. It
feels like £20,000, but it could be less,"
he says. "Even if the facilities had been available
for the car to be restored in two years, I couldn't
have afforded the expenditure. I just took it steadily
and plodded on, and in that way I kept the bills reasonably
under control."
What his experience proves is that even expensive cars
can be tackled by enthusiasts with only basic mechanical
ability, who have to farm out all the major jobs. "You
don't have to be very skilled at restoring cars to be
better than me," he admits. You do, however, need
unfaltering persistence and a willingness to handle
mundane chores like stripping and cleaning. A nose for
local, inexpensive sources for some of the work also
helps.
Once he had decided on a full restoration, David settled
on a widely accepted policy: inspect every component,
assess its condition, and replace it if it is beyond
salvation. He also wanted to return the car to its original
appearance, although finding out exactly how it looked
when it was first registered on 26 June 1926 proved
impossible. Numerous original parts, including the windscreen
and the wings, had already disappeared by the time he
acquired the car in 1960, when it was painted in several
shades of green.
David actually met the Bentley's original owner, one
Mervyn Rollason, in the late sixties. Mr. Rollason,
from Warwickshire, said it had been his first car and
a twenty-first birthday present. But he had crashed
it in Italy during his first year of ownership, and
the vehicle had had to be shipped back to England for
repair. Meanwhile, Mr. Rollason bought himself a 4½-litre
Bentley; he was on his seventh Bentley, the only make
of car he had ever owned, when David talked with him.
At that time, however, there were no plans to restore
the three-litre car, so David didn't ask about its original
appearance. When he did start the project, he had lost
contact with the former owner; but in any case the car's
registration document revealed that it had been painted
blue. Only when the restoration was well under way did
confusion arise: David bought a book on the history
of Vanden Plas, the coachbuilders, which revealed that
the car had been finished in blue and grey. But which
parts were painted in which colour remained a mystery.
One of the first jobs was to repair the car's wooden
frame, much of which had been attacked by woodworm and
rats. Here a local craftsman came in handy: David found
a young joiner who had never worked with cars, but was
able to replace sections of the frame that had degenerated
beyond rescue. The original wood still makes up more
than 60 percent of the frame, but the discarded sections
were used as patterns for new pieces.
David decided on a simple polished finish for much of
the aluminum bodywork, but this plan had to be abandoned
after stripping of the old paint exposed an assortment
of filler and scratches. He eventually compromised with
a light, non-metallic silver paint on the bonnet to
make it look as much as possible like polished alloy,
but admits that the similarity is not as close as he
would like.
The body paneling from the scuttle to the rear of the
car had oxidized and needed replacing. Here David was
lucky in finding a retired panel beater who relished
the chance to get involved with such a rare challenge
as a vintage Bentley. He provided excellent, inexpensive
craftsmanship, and also advised against David's idea
of having fabric-covered bodywork, a popular choice
in the pre-war period. In the event of an accident,
the fabric would have to be stripped from the underlying
metal before repairs could be made.
The panel beater also made the windscreen and the wings.
The windscreen style is based on a photograph of a 1925
works Le Mans Bentley, while Le Mans cars also provided
inspiration for the blade-type front and rear wings.
David knows that his car - chassis number RT 1550, engine
number RT 1530, body number 1278 - was originally fitted
by Vanden Plas with prominent valences on the inside
of the wings. But he felt the valences were too bulky
and preferred the racier look of the simple blade wings.
These have been made in steel to withstand the pounding
they take on the road.
As an illustration of the problems that can arise during
a wheels-up restoration, the panel beater had to sketch
out on the floor of his workshop the Bentley's tyre
size to obtain the proper wing radius and then make
an allowance for the wheel's bounce height. But the
springs that were ordered for the car have given a ride
height that is too great by about two inches. Fortunately,
this flaw isn't really noticeable unless it's pointed
out to an observer; and anyway, David is hoping that
the springs will eventually settle down to give the
correct relationship between the various components.
A crash at some stage in the car's past - possibly the
one in Italy - had left damage to the chassis and front
axle. A bend in the chassis near the steering box mounting
had been strengthened with a welded-on plate, but an
engineering company in Sussex removed this and straightened
the original pressed-steel members. The front axle was
straightened, and new kingpins and bushes fitted by
the Rolls-Royce/Bentley specialists, Hoffman of Henley-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire.
The engine is an impressive, three-foot high construction
with the extraordinarily long-stroke dimensions that
were fashionable when W. O. Bentley designed his famous
three-litre unit in 1919. The bore and stroke are 80mm
x 149 mm (conrod length is more than 11½ inches!),
and peak revs occur at only 3300 rpm. But there is an
overhead camshaft driven by bevel gears and a vertical
shaft, four valves per cylinder, and twin-spark ignition
provided by two ML magnetos. David's car has a compression
ratio of 5.6:1 - it was as low as 4.3:1 in some earlier
Bentleys - and twin SU carburettors. Output is rated
at 85 bhp.
The five-bearing, forged-steel crankshaft was reground
and the bearings remetalled. New parts were obtained
including piston rings, rockers, valves, valve springs
and guides; but replacement pistons were not available
at that time, and David reluctantly kept the originals.
The engine components were then given to Martin Morris,
a vintage car enthusiast in Devon, best known for his
racing performances in ERAs, for reassembly.
Martin decided that as a safety measure the renovated
crank should be crack-tested, and was told that it had
failed. This meant that David had to buy another crank
and have that reground, a process that must have tested
his dedication to the project.
"You have to be pretty stoic about the expense
when you have to pay to get the same job done twice
during a restoration," he says. "I should
have had the original crack-tested in the first place,
but you don't always think of these things."
Some Bentley owners lighten their cars' flywheels, but
David has left his standard. He also retained the original
cone clutch, simply relining it with Ferodo material,
rather than modifying the car by installing a modern
multi-plate clutch. Fortunately, the components in the
four-speed gearbox required no attention.
Many parts required during the restoration were supplied
by D. H. Day in Wroughton, Wilts, the type of firm without
which the classic movement would founder. From his 25-page
catalogue, proprietor Donald Day offers a vast array
of chassis and engine components for the "W. O."
Bentleys made prior to the company's takeover by Rolls-Royce
in 1931. You can spend as little as 16p on an SU carburettor
float chamber plug washer, or £2850 on a nitrided-steel
crankshaft for an eight-litre, six-cylinder engine.
For David Wickers' car he provided a stream of parts
including a crown wheel and pinion, lynch pins, tie
rods, spring gaiters and bushes, a brass cover for the
starter motor and alloy support brackets for the body.
David particularly remembers Day's response to his telephone
plea for the alloy brackets. "I made those 11 years
ago, and you're my first customer!" Day responded.
Final assembly of the car was undertaken by Fred Gudgeon,
in Ringwood, Hants, an acquaintance David had made through
their common interest in Morgan cars and three-wheelers.
Gudgeon rebuilt the Andre friction shock absorbers and
the rear axle, set up the steering mechanism correctly,
and made running boards and wing irons to accept the
new wings.
Mating the body to the chassis was tricky because there
were areas where the body did not quite fit by perhaps
a quarter or half an inch. Gudgeon's solution was to
prepare some thin splines of ash wood of the correct
shape, Araldite them to the body, and then bolt the
body to the chassis. When the components were separated
a week later, the Araldite had acted as a filler and
made good the inaccuracies between the body, the spline
and the chassis.
There is a network of car craftsmen in the Hampshire-Dorset
area that can handle a variety of jobs, so while the
Bentley was with Fred Gudgeon he sent out parts for
nickel-plating and the upholstery for attention. The
upholsterer, Ken Day of Wimborne, handled the seats
(in Connolly leather), the interior trim, the hood and
its bag, and the tonneau cover, while new Wilton carpets
now line the car's floor. Fettling the Bentley, incidentally,
proved a turning point in Fred Gudgeon's life. The job
persuaded him to use his background in the engineering
industry to become a fulltime restorer. Now his workshop
is full of historic vehicles from Bullnose Morrises
to Aston Martins and motorcycles.
Ironically, after the leisurely pace of the actual restoration,
the car's bedding-in process became a frantic hurry
when David decided to drive it to a Bentley Club function
in Brittany only two weeks after collecting it from
Hampshire. "A universal joint broke up, the autovac
was playing up, there was a noisy tappet and the brakes
needed adjusting," he remembers.
But the problems were solved in time -a UJ from a Jaguar
V12 was fitted into the Bentley housing, and thus is
undetectable from original - and a successful trip to
France was made with three passengers. David has now
completed 2000 miles in a car that is surprisingly practical
in modern traffic, even though it has a central throttle
pedal.
"I've seen an Alvis with a central throttle turn
over when the driver hit the wrong pedal in a panic
stop, but it doesn't bother me at all," he says.
Of the 3051 Bentleys made, 1636 were three-litre models.
The Bentley club believes that less than 700 survive.
Three-litre cars were used by the 'Bentley Boys,' the
factory's colourful team of drivers, to win two of the
five Le Mans victories the marque recorded from 1924-30.
The Speed Model was distinguished by its twin SU sloper
carburettors, sporting camshaft, and 9-foot, 9-inch
chassis; a longer or shorter chassis could be ordered.
David's car is also known as a Red Label model, due
to the backing colour beneath the Bentley emblem on
the radiator shell.
It cruises at 60-65 mph and lugs high gears magnificently
up Devon's innumerable hills. The 400mm drum brakes
stop the 3200-lb car reasonably well, but high pedal
pressure is needed. Bentley had started fitting four-wheel
brakes only two years before this Speed Model was made.
Sitting behind that immense bonnet, you watch the road
reeling in over the winged-B radiator mascot and feel
a gentle thrumming from the big four-cylinder engine.
An exhaust system made by Donald Day provides a civilized
note, but from the smiles and waves the Bentley arouses
by its progress, you feel that the public wouldn't be
offended even if it did rattle their window panes. The
ride is fairly harsh, but David is still experimenting
with damper settings, and reckons the whole car will
continue to improve until 5000 miles of running-in have
been completed.
Meanwhile, this gorgeous reminder of aristocratic motoring
in the twenties returns 20-25 mpg, and under a Bentley
Drivers Club limited-mileage, agreed-value scheme costs
only £250 a year to insure. Many Ford and Mazda
drivers probably pay more.</s> | 2,163 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Thus, the statement
that the engine was "to Speed Six specification"
could have meant one of two things and either of
these meanings was misleading. Firstly, the statement
could have meant that both the static and dynamic
parts of the specification had been satisfied. If
so, it would follow that the engine was being held
out to be a Speed Six engine and was not merely
"to Speed Six specification" since only an original
Speed Six engine could satisfy both parts of the
specification. Secondly, the statement could have
meant that the engine met the dynamic or performance
part of the specification in which case the statement
was untrue since Mr Mann had never formally tested
the engine under working or load conditions and
he possessed no test certificate for that reconstructed
engine which showed that the specified performance
requirements had been met under working conditions.
Moreover, on the basis of the evidence adduced at
the trial, I have already found that the engine
did not in fact satisfy the performance parts of
the BDC's specification. Thus, if Mr Mann referred
to the engine as being "to Speed Six specification",
he was either confirming that the engine was a Speed
Six engine or he was making an inaccurate statement
about the engine's capabilities. In either sense,
this phrase was both inaccurate and a misrepresentation.</s> | 2,164 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Of the three experimental cars built,
only EXP2 remains and it has been rebodied more than
once. Of the first five customer cars built, only #3
and #5 exist, and only #3 retains its 1921 specification.
The years-long restoration of Chassis
#3 was made more challenging by the fact that in
1921, Bentley was just beginning customer production
and hadn't yet standardized his parts suppliers.
"Essentially this was the fourth car built,"
said Hagenan. "On a car this early – the first
car Bentley ever got paid for – he was working
with different suppliers of parts like gauges and carburetors,
so early cars have components that are unique to that
chassis only, or 3-Litres only.
Twigg-Smith spent years scouring catalogs and employing
the resources of the Bentley Driver's Club to figure
out what was correct on the pieced car he bought, and
determining the exact specification of Chassis #3 in
1921.</s> | 2,165 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Research has revealed that the Times
reporter was Maynard Greville, a much respected commentator.
These two articles again reveal the contemporary perception
of the car, namely that it was the same car that had
raced in 1929 and 1930 and again in 1931 and for the
last time in 1932.</s> | 2,166 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Mrs Brewer's
case - contractual inducement. On
8 May 2007, Mr Brewer saw an advertisement that
Mr Mann had placed in Classic and Sports Car.
This described the car as a "1930 Bentley Speed
Six". Mr Brewer discussed this advertisement with
his wife and he then contacted Mr Mann and went
to inspect the car. That visit and the advertisement,
together with Mr Mann's additional advertisement
of the car on his website that both Mr and Mrs Brewer
saw before Mr Brewer undertook his initial inspection
visit, led to Mrs Brewer inspecting the car with
her husband and negotiating with Mr Mann to buy
the car, to her agreeing to buy the car and to her
buying it on hire purchase terms from the second
defendant, a finance company, Fortis Lease UK Limited
("Fortis").</s> | 2,167 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
At Prince Rupert we will embark
on a ferry and travel (12-14 hours) through the
Inside Passage of coastal British Columbia to
Port Hardy near the northern tip of Vancouver
Island (This is the cruise ships route).</s> | 2,168 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
~~</s> | 2,169 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
30th Jul 1966; A Day that will live
in memory, especially if you are English. Actually I'm
a Kiwi but I was in the UK on that day and it has more
memories than a mere sporting event.
Starting from the beginning; in 1966 I was part owner
of a Fireball Dinghy and the Fireball Class World Championships
were due to take place off the south coast of England
in August. I was determined to represent New Zealand
and 'borrowed' a Christchurch helmsman, Brian Trelevan,
who was touring Europe sailing his Finn Dinghy.
A few weeks before the Championships I discovered that
our boat did not measure according to the class rules.
Luckily a guy named Roger Fauchon, who later moved to
New Zealand, was able to fix it. While we were waiting
for the resin to cure we watched the World Cup Final
which is of course why some people still remember that
date. I have other reasons.
The resin still wasn't cured so, for something to do,
I was introduced to Roger's neighbour Bill Mason, the
same Bill Mason who had put together all those marvellous
Shell history of motor racing films. Sitting outside
the front door was a 1930 something Aston Martin belonging
to his son, Nick. Who? No not The Who; actually the
Nick Mason who would later be the drummer for Pink Floyd
and an avid car collector.</s> | 2,170 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
I inherited a third share in 348 after Father’s death in December 2005. My brothers had been helped on to farms while my two sisters and I inherited 3 cars. Luckily for me, my sisters don’t share our passion for old cars, and were happy to sell their
shares to me, so I became the latest custodian of 348 in 2006. 348 had developed a knock in the engine during the later part of Father’s time, and after I missed a gear down-change on a steep hill out of Dolamore Park, worsening this situation, it was decided an engine reconditioning was due. Father had had Auto Restorations recondition the engine in the late 1980s, and it was decided that another visit should be made, and maybe they could tidy the body a little, and give her a change of colour. 348 still sports her original Park Ward tourer body, and has an Auster screen for back seat passengers. The tidy-up of the body ended up as a full body-off restoration with the skin coming off, and now any damaged timbers have been repaired or replaced, and the original skin and guards have been repaired. For anyone interested, there are photos on the Chassis page. She is now back to her original form (as much as we know it) except for before mentioned spare wheel placement and strengthened windscreen brackets.
Auto Restorations initial mechanical report on the engine read:
“Hi Guys, We have now completely stripped the engine, there is a lot of wear on most working parts of the engine. Listed are the faults we found: Number 2 big end bearing had failed, there was excessive wear on main bearings,broken piston rings, worn piston ring grooves, broken valve guides,broken valve springs, worn inlet valves, worn cam followers, worn camshaft, all thrust bearings (vertical drive and crank) will be replaced, there is a minor crack in one of the camshaft caps we will weld up and remachine the cap. We will remetal the bigend and main bearings. There is some good news! There is no cracking evident in the crankshaft or conrods. The crankshaft has had a light grind to remove the damage from the run bigend bearing, oil pump ok.”</s> | 2,171 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
I have come to the conclusion that
these submissions rely upon extracts of a letter taken
out of context and which contain material inaccuracies.
The letter as a whole relates to the history of the
one and only car from 1929 up until he sold it in 1936.
He makes it clear that it was his decision to rebuild
the same car. He did not let it go into limbo, nor did
it cease to exist. More importantly, he regards the
car which raced in the British Empire Trophy Race at
Easter 1932 as the same car that had won all the previous
races back to the 1929 win. It also refers to the fact
that it was racing with its old chassis and the 6+ litre
engine in both 1929 and 1930 Le Mans races.</s> | 2,172 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
He drove the car for about two years
until he remembers hearing his 18-year-old son shout
"Conrod!" after hearing a bang in the engine.
He immediately shut off the engine and it was in fact
a broken connecting rod, which meant it was time for
an expensive rebuild. It would be off the road for six
months, but in that time, there was a two-week road
trip planned to Devon and Cornwall.
With the Bentley in the shop, what do you do? Rent a
car? Nonsense! You take your 1926 Austin Twelve. He
had previously taken a camping trip to France in his
TVR Taimar, so this wouldn’t be that difficult.
Despite rainy weather, there were no problems and the
Austin held up.</s> | 2,173 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
I derive some assistance from some
of the contemporaneous reports and documents from outside
sources. In a letter dated 17th September 1931 Mr. Nobby
Clark, who was in charge of racing shop, wrote to a
gentleman in New Zealand about other</s> | 2,174 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Parties.
There were, originally, three parties to this
claim: Mrs Brewer, Mr Mann and Fortis. On the second
day of the trial, I granted Mrs Brewer permission
to add SMRL as a third defendant. Mrs Brewer now
pleads exactly the same claims against that company
as she had pleaded against Mr Mann and she alleges
that if Mr Mann provided the contractual warranty
that she contends that he made, but only as the
agent of SMRL and not in his personal capacity,
that warranty gave rise to an action against Mr
Mann as the agent for SMRL as principal whose existence
had not been disclosed to Mrs Brewer prior to the
warranty being given. There is, on this basis, simultaneously
an action against SMRL as the principal on whose
behalf the warranty had been given and against Mr
Mann as the agent of an undisclosed principal.</s> | 2,175 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Mr Sibson had inspected
and measured the chassis very carefully and had
concluded that the only surviving section from the
original 1930 chassis was part of the small front
section. He also concluded that the engine could
not be described as satisfying the 1930 Speed Six
specification since its performance had never been
properly tested or verified and its outward appearance,
particularly its new pistons, suggested that it
had never been capable of generating the power that
would have been needed to satisfy the performance
requirements of that specification.</s> | 2,176 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Mr. Slowe relies upon this remark to
show that the car ceased to exist. However, this was
only three days after the race and before Wally Hassan
had made his vital inspection and made the decision
that it was only superficially damaged and that a rebuild
was possible. I must also bear in mind that the defendant
has never seriously contended that the 1932 post-crash
rebuild was not a rebuild of the 1931 Brooklands car.</s> | 2,177 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
On June 18 it was twenty years from
that famous crash following which a much-tattered Bentley
won at Le Mans. Today, looking back at that incident,
it seems to both "Benjy" (Dr. J.D. Benafield)
and myself as fresh as when it happened; and not even
the modifications that the long-bearded old gent with
the hour-glass timepiece has power to introduce have
made the memory one whit less satisfactory...
Continued...</s> | 2,178 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
~~</s> | 2,179 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Over the past week, 30 Bentleys, all
built in the 1920s and 1930s, have been driven from
Christchurch to Nelson and down the West Coast.
Even a small collision has not dampened the enthusiasm
of a group touring the South Island. Members of the
Bentley Drivers Club International were halfway through
the New Zealand Vintage Bentley Tour 2008 of the South
Island, organiser Adrian Cook said.
Christchurch Bentley owner and tour engineer Frank Renwick
came to grief on Monday when his 1925 3-litre Bentley's
brakes failed while he was trying to give way on a one-lane
bridge. No-one was injured and the car is repairable
but out of the tour.
As well as experiencing the grandeur of the South Island
there were plenty of hijinks. "We've had a lot
of boat tours and most of the cars arrived by boat so
we are having a pirate theme," he said.</s> | 2,180 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Source materials.
The fragmented records available for many vintage
Bentleys have given rise to a fascinating new branch
of mechanical archaeology in which these records
are combed to produce books of factual information
about all vintage Bentleys that were produced at
Cricklewood and also Bentleys produced in the Rolls
Royce works near Derby in the years between 1931
and 1939. These sources of recorded information
about vintage Bentleys are, principally, the works
records, which are still available, from the Cricklewood
works and also from the Van den Plas coachworks
which is the coachworks that supplied more bodywork
and livery for the 6�-litre and Speed Six cars than
any other coachworks. The sales records of Jack
Barclay Ltd, who sold many of the vintage Bentleys
that were produced when they first came onto the
market, are also still available. These records
are supplemented by the extensive records of the
BDC which was formed in 1936 and is open to all
Bentley owners. Finally, the DVLA licensing records
and the service records, log books and related documentation
of many vintage Bentleys have also been used as
source materials where these are available. All
these sources have been used to produce three invaluable
books or inventories which list every vintage Bentley
that was produced with details of its original chassis,
engine and vehicle registration numbers and as much
additional detail as is available about the subsequent
individual ownership history and available details
of any restoration, rebuilding or reconstruction
that has taken place. Much technical detail about
Speed Sixes is also recorded in a further book sponsored
by the BDC[5].</s> | 2,181 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Principal
findings. The principal findings
are as follows:
(1) (a) Mr Sibson had inspected and measured the
chassis very carefully and had concluded that the
only surviving section from the original 1930 chassis
was part of the small front section.
(b) He also concluded that the engine could not
be described as satisfying the 1930 Speed Six specification
since its performance had never been properly tested
or verified and its outward appearance, particularly
its new pistons, suggested that it had never been
capable of generating the power that would have
been needed to satisfy the performance requirements
of that specification (paragraph 32).
(c) Overall, Mr Sibson contended that the car could
not be described as a Speed Six and the engine could
not be described as either a Speed Six engine or
as one which was to Speed Six specification, whereas
Mr Fenn contended that the car was a Speed Six car
whose engine was to Speed Six specification. On
all three of these issues Mr Sibson's evidence was
accepted (paragraph 34).
(2) The terminology used for vintage Bentleys including
Speed Sixes varies but conventionally the term "restored"
usually refers to the restoration of original parts
and "rebuilt" to the taking apart and putting back
together again of a car predominantly using original
parts from the original car (paragraph 45). There
is no generally accepted term that describes the
use of a substantial part, particularly the engine,
which has been transformed from its original place
in one model to resemble and be placed in another
model. (paragraph 46). I have adopted the word "reconstructed"
to describe this substantial process of change since
it is a fundamentally different process to that
of "rebuilding" a Speed Six car (paragraph 47).
(3) It is clear that everyone involved with Speed
Sixes now regard it as essential, for such a car
to be properly described as a Speed Six, to be accompanied
by a continuous history, being a full, unbroken
and authentic set of documents which identify in
a reliable manner who has owned the car, the uses
that it has been put to and a description of its
service history and any restoration, rebuilding
or reconstruction work that the car has experienced
throughout its life since originally leaving the
Cricklewood works. The evidence suggested that this
view arose, or was at least confirmed, as a custom
of the Speed Six trade by Otton J's judgment in
1990 in Hubbard v Middlebridge Scimitar Limited[19]. This "Old Number One" judgment is certainly widely known to,
and relied on by, enthusiasts, owners, dealers,
auctioneers and valuers involved with Speed Sixes
(paragraph 55).
(4) A specification has since been compiled retrospectively
for the Speed Six and Standard 6�-litre engine types
by the BDC. This specification was accepted at the
trial as being the relevant specification against
which the car's engine should be compared and, by
inference, was the specification that Mr Mann claimed
in evidence to have referred to in his discussions
with Mrs Brewer as the "Speed Six specification"
(paragraph 58).
(5) Part of the front section of the chassis and
its attached chassis number is the only surviving
part of the 1930 Speed Six car that had originally
been delivered to Miss Unwin in February 1930(paragraph
77).
(6) The engine was a standard engine when it arrived
in Mr Mann's workshop and that he himself undertook
the conversion work between 1979 and 1980 which
he stated must have been undertaken in South Africa
(paragraph 82).
(7) Mr Mann's implied representation to the Brewers
that the car had a continuous history as a 1930
Speed Six car was obviously false (paragraph 90).
(8) the car was not satisfactorily tested in 2009
and that such test results as were claimed to have
been undertaken apparently showed that the engine
under load displayed significant non-compliance
with the BDC's 1930 Speed Six specification (paragraph
93).
(9) Whatever the value of a 1930 Speed Six might
be at any one time, it will be appreciably higher
than the corresponding value of a reconstructed
Speed Six with a reconstructed 1927 Standard 6�-litre
engine a reconstructed 1930 chassis with no relevant
continuous history and with no verified and authenticated
ability to satisfy any relevant 1930 Speed Six specification
(paragraph 96).
(10) The car lacked a continuous history for the
entire period between 1930 and 1981 and any authenticated
documents proving that history in that period. No
such documents were provided to Mrs Brewer (paragraph
98).
(11) The pre-contract representations in the advertising
material inaccurately and misleadingly conveyed
the meaning to an informed reader such as Mrs Brewer
that the car retained its original Speed Six engine
and chassis which had been rebuilt but which still
survived as a Speed Six engine with a proved capability
of satisfying all aspects of the Speed Six specification.
These representations were reinforced and confirmed
by the absence of any reference in any of the documents
to the fact that the engine was a Standard 1927
6�-litre engine and that the chassis had been significantly
reconstructed so as to resemble a Speed Six chassis
that satisfied the Speed Six chassis specification
(paragraph 108).
(12) In relation to the collateral contractual warranty:
(1) Mr Mann stated unequivocally that the engine
was a Speed Six engine;
(2) Mr Mann did not make any reference to the engine
being to Speed Six specification;
(3) If Mr Mann used the phrase "to Speed Six specification"
this would reasonably have been taken to have been
a reference to an original 1930 Speed Six engine
that had been renovated to Speed Six Specification
and that phrase would have been an erroneous misrepresentation;
and
(4) The statement "the engine is a Speed Six engine",
in its context, amounted to a collateral warranty
whose consideration was provided by Mrs Brewer's
reliance on that statement to conclude her contracts
with Fortis to hire, and with SMRL to buy, the car
(paragraph 131).
(13) Mr Mann is personally liable to Mrs Brewer
and, in addition, is liable to her as the agent
of SMRL who was his undisclosed principal. Furthermore,
SMRL is separately and severally liable for any
breach of warranty. SMRL's additional liability
for any such breach was established at the trial
since its counsel accepted on its behalf that it
would be liable to Mrs Brewer if and to the extent
that any breach of warranty was established (paragraph
137).
(14) The description contained in the sale contract
must be subject to, and read together with, that
contractual warranty. This description must also
be read together with the same contractual description
that was contained in the hire purchase agreement
and the sale contract between SMRL and Fortis. Mr
Mann had drafted and inserted this description in
these other contracts and they were clearly intended
by Mrs Brewer, SMRL and Fortis to be interlinked
and to take effect together with SMRL's contract
with Mrs Brewer (paragraph 142).
(15) The description "One 1930 Bentley Speed Six
Car" in the sale contract from SMRL to Fortis and
in the hire purchase agreement between Fortis and
Mrs Brewer and "Bentley Car" in the contract between
SMRL and Mrs Brewer are contractual descriptions
which have the meaning: "a 1930 Speed Six Bentley
car containing a 1930 Speed Six engine and a 1930
Speed Six chassis" (paragraph 148).
(16) The description for the purposes of the implied
term in all three contracts is to be considered
to be and to mean: "'a 1930 Bentley Speed Six Car'
containing a Speed Six engine". By necessary implication,
that description in the context of this sale and
hire was also stating that the car's chassis was
'a 1930 Speed Six chassis' and that the car had
a continuous history (paragraph 160).
(17) The car was no longer capable of being accurately
described as a "1930 Bentley Speed Six Car". The
reasons why the car could no longer be described
in this way may be summarised as follows:
(1) The 1930 Speed Six engine had been substituted
with a reconstructed 1927 standard 6�-litre engine.
(2) The changes that had been made to the 1927 engine
were not documented, the contents of the Speed Six
specification the engine was said to satisfy had
not been identified and no formal check or certification
of the engine's compliance with the performance
specification relied on had ever been undertaken.
Moreover, the evidence showed that the performance
parts of the BDC 1930 Speed Six specification were
not capable of being satisfied by the engine that
was currently in the car.
(3) The chassis was, to a very significant extent,
different from and constructed to a different specification
from, the original 1930 chassis.
(4) There was no continuous history available for
the car or its chassis, its 1927 Standard engine,
the reconstruction of its 1927 engine and 1930 chassis
or the racing characteristics and Speed Six performance
capabilities that it was said to have been provided
with (paragraph 162).
(18) Mrs Brewer relied on a description within the
hire purchase agreement to enter into that agreement.
She had not provided that description, it had been
provided by the seller of the car to Fortis and
had then been approved by Fortis. In those circumstances,
this was a bailment by description. Thus, Mrs Brewer
may rely on any breach of section 9(1) of the Supply
of Goods (Implied Terms) Act 1973 that occurred
in consequence of that description being erroneous.
That liability is not excluded by Section 5.1 of
the hire purchase agreement (paragraph 175).
(19) Mr Mann was in breach of his contractual warranty
provided to Mrs Brewer that the car was a Speed
Six and that the engine was a Speed Six engine both
personally and as the agent of an undisclosed principal;
SMRL was in breach of its sale contracts with both
Mrs Brewer and Fortis that the car was a 1930 Speed
Six and Fortis was in breach of its bailment by
description contained within the hire purchase agreement
that the car was a 1930 Speed Six (paragraph 176).
(20) Mrs Brewer had not accepted the car and if
clause 2 of the agreement has the effect of her
having to be presumed to have accepted it, that
presumption has no effect as a result of section
13 of UCTA. She remained entitled to reject the
car at the time it was retaken and she sought to
reject it on the grounds of its non conformity with
its contractual description. This was not a tactical
move on her part that was intended to allow her
to avoid her financial difficulties. Instead, Fortis's
purported termination on the grounds of Mrs Brewer's
arrears was itself a tactical move which had been
taken in an attempt to forestall Mrs Brewer's notified
claim against it based on that misdescription. Overall,
however, although Mrs Brewer still retained the
right to reject the car, her claim is not dependent
on that right but is one that is confined to a claim
for damages (paragraph 187).
(21) Mrs Brewer is entitled to both heads of damages
as claimed by her and is also entitled to an indemnity
from both Mr Mann and SMRL against any outstanding
liability she might have to Fortis (paragraph 191).
(22) Fortis had no entitlement to counterclaim the
arrears of hire outstanding at the date it purported
to terminate the agreement nor to damages for future
loss of hire recovery at the date it purported to
terminate the agreement (paragraph 194).
(23) Mrs Brewer is entitled to repayment by Fortis
of all hire payments that she has previously paid
since she was entitled to rescind the contract and
such payments are recoverable as reliance damages
in accordance with the principle identified in
Yeoman Credit Ltd[20] (paragraph 195).
(24) It follows that no restitutionary claim arises
and Mrs Brewer need not provide any off-set for
her use and enjoyment of the car or on any other
basis (paragraph 199).
(25) For the same reasons as have resulted in SMRL
being joined as a party, it is fair and reasonable
that Fortis should be entitled to join SMRL as a
third party and to plead a third party contribution
or indemnity claim against it (paragraph 201).
(26) In the result, Mrs Brewer's claims succeed
against each defendant, Fortis's counterclaim fails
and Mrs Brewer is entitled to damages as claimed
against each defendant. (paragraph 204).</s> | 2,182 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
The later Bentley deeds at Le Mans
have been much celebrated, but one way and another the
two men who put Le Mans on the map of England remain
almost unsung. J. F. Duff and F. C. Clement were there
when the first 24-hour race was run in 1923; their Bentley
finished high up, and back they came for more the following
year. Continued...</s> | 2,183 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
...Upon examining the car, one is struck
by the comfort and roominess of the bodywork, which
has been attained on a chassis of short wheelhase. The
body sides are high, affording adequate protection,
and both front and rear seats are of comfortable shape
and dimensions. In order to increase the body space,
the steering column has been shortened to the extent
of 3 ins., and is less steeply raked than in other 3-litre
Bentley models; consequently, it has been found possible
to shorten the scuttle and move the dash farther forward.
The body does not overhang at the back, and the whole
car has a well balanced and pleasing appearance set
off by the handsome lines of the well-known Bentley
radiator and tapering bonnet. Continued...</s> | 2,184 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Factual background.
Mrs Brewer has potentially three remedies against
Fortis arising from its breach of the implied term
that the car should comply with its description.
These are the right to reject the car, the right
to rescind the hire purchase agreement and the right
to damages.</s> | 2,185 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The only accurate
description that the car could have been provided
with would have been one that explained in detail
all four of these changed aspects of the car. Alternatively,
these aspects would have had to have been listed
in a schedule and the description would have had
to have referred to the contents of that schedule.</s> | 2,186 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Imagine the living quarters of an ordinary
stable in a still more ordinary mews made into a workshop.
In the centre of the floor on a sturdy cradle, stands
a four-cylinder engine; it is new and polished, and
very impressive. A small group of people is assembled.
A man of medium height, dark, and rather thick-set,
is patiently waiting with one hand on a plunger-type
starter switch, while an assistant floods the carburetter.
Continued...</s> | 2,187 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
"The Bentley driven by the Dunfee
brothers in this race was not Old Number One."</s> | 2,188 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
If the Vauxhall Prince Henry was the
first British sports car, the one which most readily
springs to mind at the words "vintage sports car"
is the Bentley, and particularly the 3-litre. Yet when
the Bentley was announced in May 1919, there was no
car in existence, nor would there be for several months.
Walter Owen Bentley, or W.O. as he was always known,
had come up with the design after working on locomotives
and aero engines, as well as selling French DFP cars.
As an illustration, he used a drawing by the Autocar
artist, F. Gordon Crosby He described to Crosby the
car he had in mind and then gave him a free hand. The
winged B emblem and famous pointed radiator were Crosby's,
the rad a modified form of the DFP's which became more
rounded in the Bentlevs. Continued...</s> | 2,189 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
As to owners intent, Mr. Hay did not
think much of that as a test and attached very little
importance, if any, to it in the context of the car.
I take a slightly more generous view of that aspect.
Intent of itself would of course be nothing. It may
be the owner's or creator's intent to preserve the continuity
of the car by building a replica, but that would in
itself not make it a genuine car or authentic. However,
in this case I think there is sufficient evidence for
me to draw the inference that nothing that Captain Barnato
did or said, or any of the contemporary evidence can
be said to be inconsistent with an intent on his part,
a desire on his part to preserve the continuity of the
car in his own memory and in others'.</s> | 2,190 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The following is a short list of things one can do
to protect our cars' engines:
* Run a non-alcohol fuel stabilizer like STA-BIL in
the fuel system at all times. Especially, recommended
for engines that sit for a lengthy period.
* On your first tank of E10 fuel make sure to use up
as much of the fuel as possible as quickly as possible.
Then fill up again and add STA-BIL as recommended. Many
of the issues experienced are due to the mixing of old
and newly formulated gasoline. * The more the vehicle/equipment
is used the less likely it is to have problems.
* If you don't plan on using it for a while, keep your
tank 95% FULL to prevent any condensation but still
allow room for expansion. It's important to avoid water
intrusion into one's fuel system.
* Make sure you know what your fuel retailer is dispensing.
* Rubber fuel lines older than the mid-to-late 1980's
should be inspected and may need to be replaced since
they may not be compatible with ethanol-laced fuel.
Hagerty's periodical magazine lists a website maintained
by the Historic Vehicle Association that shows a map
of stations selling ethanol-free free in North America.
For a print-friendly list of stations (by state) selling
ethanol-free fuel go to www.pure-gas.org
For more information about Ethanol (probably much more
information that you will want to read) go to: www.goldeagle.com
- click on the "The 411 on Ethanol". The RROC
Forum has scads of information with a multitude of members'
views being available to read.
Sta-Bil Ethanol Treatment**
If you are looking for an additive that will help
protect your vehicle or equipment from Ethanol-blended
fuels, you should be using new STA-BIL® Ethanol
Treatment. Used regularly, it helps to protect against
corrosion while cleaning the fuel system and removing
water at every fill up. It also cleans fuel injectors,
carburetors and intake valves to keep the fuel system
free of gum and varnish and deposits. It will also stabilize
fuel for up to 12 months and is perfect for regular
use in one's everyday driving vehicle.
Sta-Bil Ethanol Treatment is not available at Canadian
Tire or Lordco. It is, however, available in the USA
at Walmart (part #1075635), Autozone and NAPA Auto Parts.
Disclaimer by John Peirson:
*I am not engineer. For this article, I'm more like
a parrot, so please make your own decision.
**Paraphrased from Sta-Bil FAQ website content.</s> | 2,191 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
It is at this stage that mystery and
myth start to surround the car. Commentators writing
many years later seem to have formed the view that the
car had suffered so much damaged that it was irreparable.
This may well have been engendered in part by the dramatic
newsreel film record. The doubting Thomases underestimated
the skill of Wally Hassan. He examined the car. He told
me: "The body was of course ripped off but all the mechanics,
the mechanical parts, were all perfectly OK. The RAC
held an inquest on the thing and no mechanical fault
was found as a cause of the crash." Later he put disarmingly:
"We were just able to clean it up and we had a new body
built for it, a coupe body this time." The original
6.5 litre Speed 6 radiator was put back on the car.
This item was very unusual because Captain Barnato had
had all the cars successes inscribed upon the radiator
and insisted that the radiator was incorporated in the
car in the 1931 rebuild and the 1932 repair after the
crash. The significance of this gesture appears hereafter.</s> | 2,192 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
It is some considerable time since
a vintage Bentley came into this series. The example
now selected is thoroughly "special" and a
decidedly live specimen. At all events it was live to
good effect during last year's sprint events, in the
hands of its builder and owner, Maurice Brierley, of
Speldhurst, Kent. With a cut-down 3-litre chassis and
a 4 1/2-litre engine a decidedly potent piece of machinery
has been evolved and the car handles very well indeed...
Continued...</s> | 2,193 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
On June 15th 2007, as the Brooklands
track celebrated its centenary, the most famous of the
vintage Bentley racing cars were reunited at the circuit
for the first time in the company of the very latest
Bentley Brooklands coupe.
Bentley's proud sporting pedigree, forged by the exploits
of the immortal Bentley Boys on this famous racetrack
in the 1920s and 30s, was the inspiration for the new
Bentley Brooklands coupe. During this period, Brooklands
was the scene of some of Bentley's greatest triumphs,
as the Bentley Boys raced their machines on the treacherous
Members' Banking.
Two of the most successful Bentley racers at Brooklands
were Speed Six models with special Vanden Plas bodies,
known affectionately as ''Old Number Two'' and ''Old
Number Three''. These were the only cars created by
Bentley specifically for competition purposes.</s> | 2,194 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
The Essex Club are to be congratulated
on their enterprise in organising the first British
race on the lines of the famous Grand Prix D'Endurance.
The exigencies of Brooklands prevent the holding of
24 hour races, but as a trial venture, the 6 hour race
proved extremely illuminating. A few minutes before
11 o'clock on May 7th the competing cars were lined
up along one side of the finishing straight, while drivers
and mechanics fidgetted nervously on the other side
of the concrete. Continued...</s> | 2,195 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
The Essex Club are to be congratulated
on their enterprise in organising the first British
race on the lines of the famous Grand Prix D'Endurance.
The exigencies of Brooklands prevent the holding of
24 hour races, but as a trial venture, the 6 hour race
proved extremely illuminating. A few minutes before
11 o'clock on May 7th the competing cars were lined
up along one side of the finishing straight, while drivers
and mechanics fidgetted nervously on the other side
of the concrete. Continued...</s> | 2,196 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
"He would have been
a clever man who could have indicated what
constituted the basis of the Rudge-Whitworth
Cup. A minimum distance had to be covered
in the two rounds of the clock, this distance
being in proportion to the size of the engine
and rising from 503 miles for the 1100cc
Amilcar to 968 miles for the big French
Excelsiors. All those covering this distance
would qualify for the following year's race.
Such a basis, however, left the race without
a winner, and was as unsatisfactory for
the drivers as for the public."</s> | 2,197 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
(3) The car and its history</s> | 2,198 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
To the man who wants the best, price
is not of such vital importance and the connoisseurs,
whose number is increasing, will always be prepared
to purchase such a car as the 6 1/2-litre Bentley…
The most striking thing about this model is the amazing
quality of silence at all speeds. One naturally expects
a 6-cylinder to be flexible but there are few, which
combine flexibility and silence with such an excellent
performance… Continued...</s> | 2,199 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
"At first there was no suggestion
of my building a special track car for Barnato.
I simply maintained his road cars whenever they
were based at Arden Run and concentrated on preparing
and developing his racing Bentley. The first car
was the old Speed 6 which had brought Barnato so
much success in the works team. He had all the successes
he had gained with it engraved on the radiator.
It had become his own property and in October 1931
he took it to Brooklands for the 500 mile race,
where Jack Dunfee and Cyril Paul were to drive it
."</s> | 2,200 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Mrs Brewer.
Mrs Mercedes Brewer is an American citizen and
she is both a practising US attorney and a practising
English solicitor. She was admitted to the Bar in
New Jersey in 1980 and has subsequently been admitted
in New York and Florida. She was admitted as a solicitor
in England in December 2005. She married her British
husband in November 2002 and they live in Rutland.
Following her marriage, she has acquired from her
husband an enthusiasm for vintage racing Bentleys
in general and Speed Sixes in particular and, as
a result, she decided in 2005 that she wished to
acquire a Speed Six for herself if and when one
came onto the market.</s> | 2,201 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
1929 In Retrospect
By E. K. H. Karslake
Published in "Motor
Sport", December 1929
ANOTHER year has come to an end, another succession
of epic battles has been fought out on road and track,
and once more we may look back on the year that has
passed and see how we stand for the future. There is
no doubt that the 1929 season was eminently sucessful;
we must see to it that the future is equally well filled
with scope for the racing enthusiast.
In the first place the point which stands out is that
the race for standard cars has swept everything before
it. Starting as almost a local affair in 1923, the Le
Mans race has now become the cardinal event of the year.
We have got our own Tourist Trophy on an assured footing.
Ireland has started her own race, and the Italians in
typical fashion have set the seal on their own idea
of reviving almost the town-to-town races of the young
years of the century. On the other hand, races for real
racing cars have practically vanished from the calendar.
The French Grand Prix has become an affair of very little
importance, and the 200 Miles Race has faded.
There is no doubt that the new type of racing has provided
excellent sport. Entry lists are very much better filled
than they were in the latter days of the Grands Prix,
while the public are definitely more interested in comparing
the performances of various cars which they can buy
than they were in noting the success or failure of some
novelty in design. The fact, however, remains that as
a result of this situation, no special racing cars at
all are now being built. In Italy alone have any successful
races of the old type been run—the Targa Florio
and the Grand Prix at Monza. Neither of these events,
however, occasioned the building of new and special
cars. The Targa Florio became a battle between the standard
type Bugatti and the equally standard Alfa-Romeo; while
the Monza race united a collection of sports models
and old racing cars. Finally the Brooklands 500 Mile
Race organised by the British Racing Drivers' Club witnes.sed
a battle between modern production models and special
racing cars two or three years old. This race alone
showed how quickly things still move in the automobile
world, for it was the modern sports car and not the
racing car of yesterday which carried off the prize
in a straightaway track race of 500 miles.
This situation, however, is one that must give us pause.
There is, without doubt, no better way of finding the
weak points in a production model than in racing it
against its rivals. No one can deny that the sports
car race is an excellent idea, and ought never to be
abandoned. On the other hand, one may ask how well we
are going to get on without any races of the old type.
What is going to be the effect of running no races for
special cars?
Take the outstandingly successful cars of this year—
the 4i-litre Bentley, the big Mercedes, and the AlfaRomeo.
The last-named especially may be taken as a good example
of how we are using the lessons of the post-war Grands
Prix. Would Alfa-Romeo now be building a car with a
supercharged multi-cylinder double overhead camshaft
engine, had it not been for the firm's experience in
the Grand Prix races of 1924 and 1925?
During those years the most advanced type of engine
in the modem sports car was tried out, its weak points
eliminated and the whole design brought to perfection.
But this development of the modern engine could never
have taken place with the same rapidity, had it not
been for the special racing car. When Fiat appeared
at Tours in 1923 with a supercharged engine of this
type, would this or any other firm have dared first
to sell 50 such cars to the public and then try out
the design in racing ? One hopes not, for at Tours the
Fiats all fell victims to their superchargers, and it
was not until the next year that the device was really
perfected. The lessons learnt at Tours in 1923 and at
Lyons in 1924 are directly embodied in the Alfa-Romeo
of 1929: but what advances in design are to be learnt
to-day and incorporated in the sports cars of 1934?
When the Mercedes won the Tourist Trophy at Newtounards
this year, it achieved its victory over a course by
nature winding and difficult and over wet roads—
both features unfavourable to the large car. It won,
however, on its road-holding because in fact its makers
had so embodied their experience with special racing
cars in the standard production, that they were able
to make a giant car more easy to handle under difficult
conditions than smaller machines developed only on the
experience of their manufacturers in touring car races.
The value of races of the old type is obvious to anyone
who has given any attention to the matter, and examples
from the past can be multiplied. How long would we have
had to go on changing the tyres in the old-fashioned
way whenever we had a puncture—and I know just
what that means having scoured the continent from San
Sebastian to Vienna at excessive speed in the days when
the roads really were bad in an und.ertyred light car
and the grilling heat of mid-summer—if Renault
hd not realised that he could win the 1906 Grand Prix
by using detachable rims, and thus set going the rapid
advance of quick tyre changing, perfected by Georges
Boillot when he evolved the integral flange type Rudge
Whitworth hub-cap ? How long, too, would it have been
until we got four-wheel brakes, if the same driver had
not insisted on them for his 1914 Grand Prix Peugeot,
and had left them to be developed on the standard cars
built by Argyll ? Would we now have the super-charger
fitted to so many standard sports models if Fiat had
not used the device at Tours, and had left it to be
evolved by Mercedes in the days when that firm was debarred
from all the classic races ? If design is to go on advancing,
we still need races for special cars, and the only objection
to their revival would seem to be the reluctance of
manufacturers to take part in them. I feel, however,
that the solution to this problem lies in the reorganization
of the Grand Prix. Why not revive the Gordon Bennett
Cup idea, that is to say, make the contest one between
nations rather than between firms ? Limit the entries
to three cars for each nation, and let the race be run
by the victorious country of the year before. I feel
that under these conditions entries would soon materialise,
and the old spirit of racing would return.
With regard to a formula governing entries for the race,
this has caused considerable difficulty in the past.
The capacity limit has apparently outlived its usefulness,
and the only alternative that I have seen put forward
so far, is the fuel consumption race. This limit, as
the only test of real efficiency, is obviously ideal
in theory, but is very far from it in practice, as it
spoils all the driver's fun if he has to close his throttle
in the middle of a real good "dog-fight" because
his fuel gauge does not look too healthy. What we are
really aiming at, however, in the air even more than
on land or water, is a good power-weight ratio, and
I should suggest that the limit for our new Grand Prix
race, should be one of engine weight. The engines would
only have to be weighed some time before the race, and
sealed by the examiners, and otherwise the designer
would be given a free hand.
However we can leave the actual regulations to be fought
out by the real experts, and I will content myself by
saying that I should like to see a race between Sunbeam,
Miller, Delage, Bugatti, Fiat, Alfa-Romeo, Mercedes,
Austro-Daimler and Minerva, using cars with supercharged
twin-eight engines with the crankshafts geared together,
working on the 2-stroke cycle, and each employing a
different valve principle : these engines driving propeller
shafts passing forwards through the crankcase between
the crankshafts and driving all four independently,
sprung wheels through de Lavaud-type infinitely variable
gears. That should develop quite an interesting sports
car for 1935! However, I seem to have wandered rather
far from my original subject of a review of motor racing
in 1929; and surely this subject has sufficient interest
in it. From a national point of view, any one who was
lucky enough to be at Le Mans for the 34-hours race
this year cannot complain of England's performance.
The Grand Prix d'Endurance is now the blue riband of
the racing calendar, and in this event the big 6-cylinder
Bentley driven by Birkin and Bamato showed its prowess
by contemptuously holding the lead throughout and finally
winning the race at the record speed of 73.6 m.p.h.
One might well feel proud when one remembers that it
is not so long ago that we all gasped at the Lorraine-Dietrich
for winning this same race at 100 kilometres per hour.
Nor was this all, for contemptuous to all other corners,
if respectful to their big brother, the three "
41-litres " steamed in in line ahead formation
behind the 6-cylinder. Bentley, always our great protagonist
at Le Mans, set the seal for ever on the prestige of
the British sports car on the continent.
Italy, too, may well feel proud of her Alfa-Romeo. When
the marque swept the board in the Italian 1,000 miles
race, we began to look forward to a good season for
the Milanese firm, and it was not long before the "
Alfa-R's " had gained for themselves a reputation
for invincibility in their class almost equal to that
of the Darracqs some years ago. The Brescia-Rome-Brescia
race was followed by the T.C.C. "double-twelve,"
when for two long days Ramponi with his 1500 c.c. Alfa-Romeo
fought with the big Bentley, and just won on handicap
at 76 m.p.h. in one of the closest races that has ever
been run. The greatest triumph of the year, however,
was undoubtedly the Dublin Grand Prix. In the light
car section of this event Ivanouski on the Alfa fought
with the Lea-Francis and came home a winner at 75 m.p.h.
; but not content with this, the same driver decided
that he must give the 2-litre model a chance to win
its spurs. This time it was the Bentleys that he had
to contend with, but once more he proved victorious
and put up his average to 76.4 m.p.h. The Alfa-Romeo
has certainly had its share of victories, and well it
deserves them. It is perhaps the most modem sports car
built to-day, and the most efficient for its size. Something
of the spirit of the great Ascari must live on in those
magnificent little cars. Finally the great races of
the season were brought to a climax by the Tourist Trophy.
Some of us, impressed perhaps by the huge chain-driven
veterans of the past, always suspected that Mercedes
still made the world's supreme sports car. We were impressed
with the 33-180 h.p. ; when the " 220 " appeared
we rubbed our hands with glee, but when the 250 h.p.
S.S.K. followed we just gasped and murmured "what
next ? " And when Rudolf Caracciola brought his
car home a winner of the 1929 T.T. at 72.82 m.p.h. over
a course which was altogether unfavourable to his car,
we realised that all our eulogies had been too faint.
I may be wrong but I fancy that there has been a slight
inclination in the British press to pass over the merits
of the Mercedes' victory, and I do think that Caracciola's
performance in the T.T. should live for ever as one
of the greatest achievements in motor racing history.
Some of us, at least will raise our tankards and cry
"Hoch die Mercedes!"
England, Italy and Germany may well feel then that their
cars have acquitted themselves well this season. But
what of Prance, one time the leader in all matters automobile
? France to-day seems definitely to have retired from
the field of motor racing. This course may seem on the
face of it to be very " pratique," but I think
that it is a most short-sighted policy. Bugatti it is
true won the Targo Florio, and when Albert Divo brought
his car home at 46.27 m.p.h. he had achieved a magnificent
performance, and that of Minoia on a similar car who
finished second was also remarkable ; but then we can
count on Ettore Bugatti never quite to let us down.
Otherwise France has this year hidden her light under
a bushel. At the Le Mans race the Bentleys scored a
clean sweep, and their most dangerous rivals were not
French cars, but American. In none of the other great
races of the year has France made so much as a showing.
All this seems to me to be terribly bad publicity. Time
was, shortly after the war, when we used to gaze at
the Hispano at Olympia and murmur "is not this
perfection? "Do we do this to any French car now
? France by refusing to race is losing ground in the
even keener race for automobile prestige. At Le Mans
where were the Bugattis, the Boulogne Hispanos, the
3-litre Delages, the Peugeots, the big Renaults, the
Voisins and the rest? At present, as is always the case
in the winter, rumour is busy with the French cars that
are going to compete next year. Let us hope that they
materialise, for whatever happens, good a season as
we have seen in 1929, 1930 must show us a better!</s> | 2,202 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
There is nothing
in writing to show whether Mr James contracted with
Mr Mann or SMRL when bailing the car. Mr James's
handwritten reference letter was addressed to "Stanley"
and it made no mention of SMRL. The only document
disclosed by Mr Mann related to the subsequent sale
contract. This was SMRL's sale invoice addressed
to Mr James and dated 8 June 2007, one day after
Mrs Brewer had taken delivery of the car. Since
there is no documentary evidence to suggest that
the original sale or return conditional contract
and consequent bailment of the car were agreed by
Mr James with SMRL and no evidence to suggest that
Mr James was aware of the existence of SMRL at that
stage, I conclude that the price at which Mr James
would sell the car and the understanding that Mr
Mann would arrange for the re-sale of the car and
that it would be bailed with him in the meantime
were agreed by Mr James with Mr Mann personally.</s> | 2,203 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Considerable interest is naturally
centred upon the supercharged 4 1/2-litre car which
makes its first appearance at this Show, though it has
already behind it a remarkable history in the competition
world... After its introduction last year the 6 1/2-litre
six-cylinder speed model appears in revised form. It
is the type of car, which won the Le Mans 24-hour Race
this year... Continued...</s> | 2,204 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Julian Ghosh - Feb 11,
2014
Dear Robert, I know we are united by a common
language but notwithstanding that, it is
easy to make assumptions.
Placing a modern filter in to the main oil
gallery will result in a considerable pressure
drop due to the ensuing restriction. No
modern car system does this but instead
filters the relief flow from the pump. Clearly
the flow rate of modern pumps is higher
than those of 90 years ago but engines nowadays
require more flow to cool the oil because
one can run at
continuous high speed more readily. We have
an arrangement whereby the oil to the overhead
gear on a Bentley engine only is filtered,which
appears sufficient, since the oil is circulated
so many times.
Apropos filters on carburettors; please
bear in mind that there is a secondary function,
which is to silence the intake roar. Hardly
significant on a Bentley but good reason
to fit such things on modern cars. I guess
you will not have any evidence to support
undue engine wear after 90 years on a Bentley
engine due to lack of an air filter but
needless to say fitting such a device will
alter the mixture strength</s> | 2,205 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
As to owners intent, Mr. Hay did not
think much of that as a test and attached very little
importance, if any, to it in the context of the car.
I take a slightly more generous view of that aspect.
Intent of itself would of course be nothing. It may
be the owner's or creator's intent to preserve the continuity
of the car by building a replica, but that would in
itself not make it a genuine car or authentic. However,
in this case I think there is sufficient evidence for
me to draw the inference that nothing that Captain Barnato
did or said, or any of the contemporary evidence can
be said to be inconsistent with an intent on his part,
a desire on his part to preserve the continuity of the
car in his own memory and in others'.</s> | 2,206 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Contracts.
The sale of the car was in fact undertaken by
four separate but inter-related contracts. These
were:
(1) A contract between SMRL and Mrs Brewer whereby
she provided a sum of �40,000 to cover the deposit
payable to SMRL when it sold the car for �430,000.
This deposit was not covered by the sum being advanced
by Fortis to enable it to buy the car and let it
on to Mrs Brewer since Fortis had contracted to
bail it on hire purchase terms to Mrs Brewer for
the repayment of the lesser sum of �390,000 and
financing charges on that lesser sum. The contract
was entered into on 5 June 2007 when Mrs Brewer
arranged for the transfer of the deposit from her
account to SMRL's account pursuant to SMRL's invoice
dated 30 May 2007. This contract was, therefore,
a contract which was both subject to and subordinate
to the contract of sale to Fortis. It was, in summary,
a contract which was evidenced by SMRL's invoice
to Mrs Brewer dated 30 May 2007 that was subject
to an implied term that the car conformed to the
description as set out in SMRL's invoice to Fortis.
(2) A contract between SMRL and Fortis whereby SMRL
sold the car to Fortis for �430,000 (the sum being
lent to, plus the deposit paid by, Mrs Brewer).
The contract was made on or about 6 June 2007 when
Fortis transferred �390,000 to SMRL pursuant to
SMRL's invoice of 30 May 2007.
(3) The hire purchase agreement entered into between
Mrs Brewer and Fortis. This agreement was entered
into by Mr Mann filling out Fortis's blank standard
conditions form by adding his description of the
car using his words "1930 Speed Six Bentley Car",
passing the completed form to Mr Hardiman who gave
it to Mrs Brewer to sign and who himself then forwarded
the signed form to Fortis on about 6 June 2007.
Fortis subsequently countersigned that agreement
and sent a copy to Mrs Brewer on 3 July 2007.
(4) The contract for the sale of the car by Mr James
to SMRL which was entered into when Mr Mann forwarded
�325,000 from SMRL to Mr James on 8 June 2007 with
a purchase invoice in SMRL's name. This contract
replaced the contract or arrangement between Mr
Mann and Mr James that had been entered into in
December 2006 when Mr James bailed the car to Mr
Mann to enable him to arrange for its sale on behalf
of Mr James.</s> | 2,207 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Conclusion
� right to reject. Mrs Brewer had
not accepted the car and if clause 2 of the agreement
has the effect of her having to be presumed to have
accepted it, that presumption has no effect as a
result of section 13 of UCTA. She remained entitled
to reject the car at the time it was retaken and
she sought to reject it on the grounds of its non
conformity with its contractual description. This
was not a tactical move on her part that was intended
to allow her to avoid her financial difficulties.
Instead, Fortis's purported termination on the grounds
of Mrs Brewer's arrears was itself a tactical move
which had been taken in an attempt to forestall
Mrs Brewer's notified claim against it based on
that misdescription. Overall, however, although
Mrs Brewer still retained the right to reject the
car, her claim is not dependent on that right but
is one that is confined to a claim for damages.
G. Mrs Brewer's claims for damages and Fortis's
counterclaim for damages
(1) Mrs Brewer's claim against Mr Mann and
SMRL</s> | 2,208 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Birkin was born in 1896 to a wealthy
aristocratic family in Nottingham. He took his first
steps in racing in 1921 but because of his young family
(he married 1921 for the first time and had two daughters)
it was not until 1925 before he returned to the race
circuit with his first own 3 Litre Bentley, a VdP bodied
Speed Model. He raced under his own entry for the next
year, and even the death of his older brother Archie
did not prevent him from racing, very much to his family's
dislike. After various successes he became part of the
Bentley Boys, racing a fully works-prepared 4.5 Litre
in the 1928 season in Brooklands, Le Mans and the Nürburgring.
Unlike “Babe” Barnato, Birkin had a rather
slender appearance and he was stammering, but behind
the wheel of the heavy Bentley he showed impressive
driving abilities. His philosophy in racing was certainly
different to the one of W.O.Bentley, who wanted to win
races in the slowest possible speed as to not overstress
the car, whereas Birkin could be always found in the
lists for lap records.
This different philosophy also led to what is today
considered Birkin’s biggest achievement, the development
of the famous Blower Bentley.
W.O. had the opinion that nothing but the increase in
the displacement could bring the needed performance
without impairing the reliability. As a result, the
works team entered a race version of the 6.5 Litre straight
six for the 1929 season after the 3 and 4.5 Litre 4-cylinder
the years before. That was despite the fact that the
Speed Six was never intended for racing, having been
designed to carry heavy coachwork when introduced in
1926.
Birkin on the other hand was of the opinion that the
future of racing was in the technique of supercharging
the 4.5 Litre unit. As this was not done by the factory
race department, Birkin had to raise outside money,
finding a sponsor in Dorothy Paget. The work was eventually
done in his own shop with the design of Amherst Villiers'
Supercharger.
As the cars were not ready in time for the 1929 season,
Birkin shared the drive in the new Speed Six with Barnato,
giving him his first victory at La Sarthe.
As soon as the new cars were finished Birkin entered
the Blower in various races but unfortunately not with
the best results, as the car was not yet fully sorted.
Several smaller problems left just few arrivals but
nevertheless a duo of Blowers was intended to race at
Le Mans in 1930, therefore Birkin had to convince Barnato
to finance a production run of 50 Blowers for the homologation.
The 1930 race saw the first appearance of the Mercedes-Benz
works team with a supercharged 710 SS raced by Rudolf
Caracciola, a winning combination on many circuits at
the time. As W.O. was still not convinced of the reliability
of the Blower, he set out a team order that was very
close to Birkin’s temper: the duo of Blower Bentley
had to chase the Mercedes into racing and force him
to retire to get a trouble free victory to the Speed
Six. Birkin and Caracciola played the game and set several
lap record in the early stage of the race. One of the
most famous motives in automotive art of that era shows
Birkin’s Blower partly off the track to pass the
white elephant. As intended by Bentley the Mercedes
retired after overstressing the engine by running the
supercharger too often; but so did Birkin’s Blower
Bentleys, later giving Barnato the second victory on
the very same car as the year before, the famous “Old
Number One”.
Birkin kept on racing the Blower achieving his best
result in at the Grand Prix of Pau, when he defeated
a bunch of favoured Bugattis to come home second in
front of an astonished crowd. Apparently this led Ettore
Bugatti to state “Mr. Bentley builds the fastest
trucks”.
Although the intended success of the Blower was never
achieved and Dorothy Paget lost interest in the project
by the end of the year, selling all but one of the cars,
the Blower Bentley today is one of the most iconic pre-war
cars in existence. The production cars are very well
valued in the millions and the most famous of the team
cars, the No.1 single seater, just changed hands at
last year's Bonhams Goodwood FoS sale for more than
5 Million GBP. Built as a track racer this car set the
outer lap record in Brooklands when Birkin was pictured
airborne on the bumpy track at full speed with flying
scarf (his trademark). This might be one of the most
important cars representing the era of the Cricklewood
Bentley, only surpassed by the double Le Mans winning
Speed Six.
But Birkin’s racing career did not end with the
end of the Bentley racing programme, Birkin moved on
and bought an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, the car to have in
the early 1930s to compete at race tracks all over Europe.
Birkin paired with another well-known gentlemen driver,
Lord Howe to win Le Mans a second time. Birkin also
drove a Maserati at the Tripoli GP in 1933, where despite
being a privateer he demonstrated driving performance
on par with the great works drivers Nuvolari, Varzi
and Campari. Unfortunately this was also his last race
as he burnt his arms on the exhaust pipe of the Maserati
and died the 22nd of June 1933 either from an infection
or Malaria (depending on the source).
Birkin is known to have lived his live at “Full
Throttle”, which is also the name of his autobiography.</s> | 2,209 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
"Then behind the members' hill
the exhaust noise of Old Number One suddenly cut
out. It was never heard again."</s> | 2,210 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
A Feb 19, 2010
update on CPedia.com said, "The case opens next
week and we predict Stanley will become the most famous
man in the history of Bentley since Woolf Barnato."</s> | 2,211 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
As already announced in the Autocar
of April 22nd, a three-litre Bentley car is to compete
in the 500 Miles Race at Indianapolis on May 30th…
The Bentley is one of the few cars, which can be converted
into a racing car by altering only a few parts, such
as gear ratio, carburetter, and compression. An interesting
regulation for this race is that the two-litre cars
may have single-seater bodies, whereas the three-litre
machines must carry two. This is a considerable advantage
for the smaller cars. Continued...</s> | 2,212 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
"The chase,
though, was still on with Barnato taking over from Kitston
with orders to push the Mercedes hard. Barnato finally
took the lead on the 36th lap, pushing the Mercedes
into using the clutch engaged supercharger all the time,
the whine of which could be heard all the way round
the track. It was well known that too much use of the
supercharger would blow the Mercedes engine and Barnato
was playing his part to perfection. The Mercedes led
again on lap 37 and then the Bentley on lap 40, then
the Mercedes again on No. 4's pit stop and handover
to Kitston. The Mercedes came in to refuel on the 46th
lap with Berner taking over for a brilliant spell in
the dark to regain on the 59th lap, but this last effort
heralded the demise of the Mercedes challenge. The reason,
though, remains unclear to this day. The motor noted
that the Mercedes had been suffering from weakening
brakes and that flickering of the oil pressure gauge
had been causing concern. Eton, in one of the Talbots,
passed the Mercedes on one part of the course and noticed
how powerful its headlamps were shortly before its retirement
on the 82nd lap due to the battery being completely
discharged. The failure of the Mercedes to respond to
push-starting, coupled with W.O.'s mention of water
pouring from a blown gasket suggests there was more
to the Mercedes retirement than met the eye, and Karachiola
and Berner told W.O. that their schedule, based on the
1929 Speed 6 performance, gave them a lead of a whole
lap at that point -- a vindication of W.O.'s policy
of not revealing his hand unnecessarily.</s> | 2,213 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Thus to race a standard Bentley, one
should remove the parts allowed by the regulations,
and ensure that everything on the car operates efficiently.
The brakes do not bind, and are at peak adjustment.
There are several methods of setting up standard brakes
described in the Technical Facts. If the windscreen
can be lowered, do so and use an aero screen; anything
to reduce the frontal area. Remember that a pair of
P.100 headlamps, (the dreaded Lucas again), take some
8 brake horsepower to drive them through the air at
80 m.p.h.! If leaded fuel is available, use it; it is
much kinder to the valves and seats. Ensure that there
is adequate oil in the engine, and, if necessary, put
baffles into the sump to reduce the effects of oil surge.
It is easy when racing to remove all the oil from the
pump for a short period. For example, under heavy braking
the oil is driven to the front of the sump. The 4½
litre engine oil pump is fed from the rear and will
suck air under these conditions. The cure is to fit
hinged gates on the holes in the sump baffles.
Do not put too much oil in the gearbox or axle; it is
necessary only for the layshaft or crown wheel to dip
into oil. Too much oil causes unnecessary drag.
If you can get Dunlop, or similar, racing covers use
them; They are round and will afford much better grip
than standard tires. Adjust tire pressures by experience,
but around 40 to 50 p.s.i. in the dry. One may want
to use less pressure in the wet; remember that ancient
racing tire patterns, even with modern rubber, do not
move much water. It is essential that the wheels, including
those on the rear, are dynamically and statically balanced;
this can reduce the onset of the dreaded axle tramp.
A circular spirit level balancer is ideal. Brakes that
do not snatch and dampers that are set correctly help
to reduce this problem. Friction dampers should be set
so that when one lifts that corner of the chassis it
stays in position. If you are a 7 stone weakling obtain
help from a 'sand kicker'! Modern hydraulic dampers
are proscribed by some ruling bodies, but on the road
they can transform the handling of some chassis; the
square wheel syndrome is overcome. They used to be permitted,
but I suppose that as most racing circuits, at least
in the U.K., are now as smooth as billiard tables, their
use in racing is not as essential.</s> | 2,214 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
This year the Annual Inter-University
Hill-Climb took place as before, at Ewelme Down, on
March 3rd, and resulted in a complete triumph for Cambridge,
the scores being 61 to 23. There is no doubt that the
Cambridge team were mounted on very much faster machines,
as a whole, than their Oxford rivals, and were, in addition,
perfectly adequate to handle their swifter vehicles. Continued...</s> | 2,215 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
"Regrettably, many are historically
unsound," he says. "There's more to it than
spraying the thing green. For example, the colour used
by Bentley Motors was, in fact, much lighter than what
is now termed British Racing Green. And putting a dustbin-lid-sized
plate on the back for a racing number and tying it all
together with bonnet straps is not sufficient either.
The competition cars had all sorts of subtle modifications
to the electrics, the horns, fillers and so on, and
these details are frequently ignored."
Ironically, it is with a team Bentley that Houlding's
personal archeological ambitions lie. "I should
like to trace Duff's 1925 Le Mans entry, a 3-litre with
chassis number 1040, engine number 1069, which is the
only team car unaccounted for."
Is this the ultimate barn yard find? If you fancy your
chance, it was last heard of as a saloon in Bradford
in 1932, owned by a family called Keighley and registered
MD 7187.</s> | 2,216 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
When he refers to the "inscribed radiator
as all that remains of Old No.4" he is literally correct.
The engraved radiator was on the 1930 Le Mans car. I
accept Hassan's evidence that it was still in the 1931
car when it raced at Brooklands and was incorporated
into the 1932 rebuild after the fatal race, and I infer
that it was probably still on the car when it went off
the track in the fatal race. I find on the balance of
probabilities that Hassan put it back on into the car
after the crash and Captain Barnato removed it before
he sold it in 1936. I see this as a deliberate, perhaps
even sentimental attachment of Barnato to the car, yet
indicative that he regarded the car between 1929 and
1932 throughout its four seasons of racing as one and
the same. It may be that the radiator still exists.
If so, it would be wonderful if it could be discovered,
refurbished and reunited with the majestic motor car
I saw in Lincoln's Inn; it would be its crowning glory.</s> | 2,217 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Moreover, the submission
that Mrs Brewer had lost the right to reject is
irrelevant to her current claim. This is because
she is claiming damages from Fortis and is not claiming
the right to reject the car nor to rescind the agreement.
This is because Fortis retook the car and Mr Mann
and SMRL then agreed with Fortis that SMRL would
repurchase it from Fortis and have now done so.
In consequence, Mrs Brewer is confining her claim
to one for damages for breach of warranty and of
the implied term that the car should conform to
its contractual description. These damages are her
outstanding and unrecovered loss resulting from
the misdescription following the repurchase of the
car by SMRL.</s> | 2,218 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The dickey is large enough for two
average size adults although we remove the seat bottom
and use the rear for luggage when touring. I like to
describe the body as a two door all weather coupe with
dickey.
As an early Big Six, the car came with a tapered radiator
and corresponding tapered bulkhead. The bonnet originally
supplied was "plain" with doors on both sides
which could be opened to provide for ventilation of
the engine compartment and the dynamo was mounted to
the rear of the overhead camshaft.
On 5 June, 1928 at 24,449 miles, the factory records
show that TB2542 was the recipient of factory changes
to the mechanicals and coachwork relating to the change
from a cam-driven dynamo to the more common crankshaft-driven
one. The records note the following changes: "1928
Head Lamps. 1928 mods. fitted. Rad, dynamo, Bonnet Sides,
Camshaft damper, Dashboard blanking plate." Hence
the later-appearing dynamo through the bottom of the
radiator, the louvered bonnet vents and the large round
plate fixed to the passenger side of the firewall where
the Smith's dynamo originally protruded through the
bulkhead. These 1928 changes apparently were post-sale
updates to this early 6½ car that replicated
production design changes made to the production cars
commencing with the cars shown at the 1927 motor show.
At 30,790 miles, on 14 November, 1928 the Dewandre vacuum
brake servo was retro-fitted, again as an update to
bring the car up to the 1927 specifications. The only
1927 spec. change not made to the car was the removal
of the nearside mag. so as to replace it with the Delco-Remy
distributor as provided on the later production 6-cylinder
cars. A "heavy-type" front axle was also fitted.</s> | 2,219 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Mr. Slowe relies upon this remark to
show that the car ceased to exist. However, this was
only three days after the race and before Wally Hassan
had made his vital inspection and made the decision
that it was only superficially damaged and that a rebuild
was possible. I must also bear in mind that the defendant
has never seriously contended that the 1932 post-crash
rebuild was not a rebuild of the 1931 Brooklands car.</s> | 2,220 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Dave Lyons - Jan 05,
2014
Many thanks for sending me your informative
newsletter. I am the lucky owner of a late
1930 4.5l genuine short chassis (AD3651).
Still with its original Harrison open body.
It has been restored and refurbished a number
of times and is currently in very good condition
both mechanically and bodily. I do indeed
have a cartridge oil filter system which
works very well. The car is fitted with
a D-type box. We are based in Cape Town
South Africa, where there are very few cars.
Your cars for sale column gives a good indication
of the value of these cars. I would imagine
an unmolested car like ours may attract
a premium.
Many thanks again for your input. Have a
great 2014.</s> | 2,221 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
The plaintiff agreed to sell this car
for �10 million, in exchange for the assets of Middlebridge
Scimitar Limited valued at �3.2 million, plus
�6.8 million in cash. When the agreement was reduced
into or evidenced in writing the car was described as
"Bentley. Known as 'Old Number One'". The defendants
subsequently resiled from the deal when they suspected
the
authenticity of the car.</s> | 2,222 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
A smile spread
across Bill Hardy's face as he talked about buying one
of the most coveted of all vintage cars. The year was
1943. There was a wartime ban on non-essential private
motoring in Britain, so the supercharged Bentley had
been languishing in an orchard. It had been listed at
£1720 - an enormous price for a car - when new
in 1930. Mr Hardy bought it for £140.
Bentleys built before Rolls-Royce acquired the company
in 1931 epitomise the Bulldog Drummond school of British
engineering. They attracted Ettore Bugatti's famous
remark, "The world's fastest trucks," and
won the prestigious Le Mans 24-hour race in 1924,1927,1928,
1929 and 1930.
The prospect of getting behind the wheel of Mr. Hardy's
car kept me awake at night. The mind's eye sees these
barrel-chested heavyweights cruising along the almost
deserted roads of pre-war England, crewed by characters
straight from PG Wodehouse. It pictures them being raced
by such swashbuckling 'Bentley Boys' as Woolf 'Babe'
Barnato, the diamond millionaire, and fearless Sir Henry
Birkin, whose friends and fans called him Tim.
But cars have changed almost beyond recognition since
the 'blower' was regarded with the awe now reserved
for the likes of the Jaguar XJ220 and McLaren Fl. I
was concerned about factors that a modern motorist takes
for granted, notably brakes and gears. I recalled what
a friend with a sense of humour said about his vintage
Bentley, "Three things happen when you push the
brake pedal. First, the nose weaves from left to right
a few times. Second, you smell a faint whiff of brake
lining. Third, you may detect a slight reduction
in speed."
Getting behind the wheel was an achievement in itself,
because there is nothing so wimpish as a driver's door.
You either slide in the passenger's side, or risk a
technique similar to that adopted when mounting a horse.
Points are lost for getting the gear lever up your trouser
leg. We're talking about the right leg, because the
lever is on the 'wrong' side of the cockpit.
The wheel looks big enough to have come from a Great
Western Railway steam locomotive, and the leverage it
provides is welcome when almost two tons is moving at
very low speeds. Getting a vintage Bentley in and out
of tight parking slots is a practical lesson in the
upper torso's musculature. Enough dials and switches
to delight Heath Robinson are scattered across the dashboard,
but there is no sign of an ignition key. Sparking life
into the four-cylinder, 4.4-litre engine depends on
flicking two magneto switches, retarding the ignition
and adjusting the mixture control before pressing the
starter button. An exhaust pipe big enough to be mistaken
for part of the Channel Tunnel plays basso profundo
music.
The blower Bentley's image conceals the fact that Walter
Owen Bentley opposed the idea of increasing power by
supercharging the engine that produced 130bhp when tuned
for Le Mans. Tim Birkin's enthusiasm for such a major
modification was endorsed by Woolf Barnato, who was
Bentley Motors' chairman as well as one of the team's
star drivers. The huge Amherst Villiers supercharger
boosted power to 175bhp at 3500rpm.
Birkin's car failed to go the distance at Le Mans in
1930, but hoisted the lap record to 89.69mph during
a Boy's Own Paper duel with Rudolf Caracciola's
supercharged Mercedes. Birkin later lapped Brooklands
at 137.96mph in a single-seater blower that is still
raced.
The swashbuckling baronet's team accounted for five
of the cars. Fifty were bought by wealthy enthusiasts.
Brave men have wept and contemplated suicide while failing
to master a vintage Bentley's gearbox. Getting it right
involves the almost forgotten art of double de-clutching.
Slot the lever into first, engage the clutch - no problem
- and the Bentley moves off like any other car. The
view down the long, louvred, leather-strapped bonnet
is inspirational, even at a walking pace, but it is
important to remember that the accelerator is where
you expect the brake to be. Another prayer wings its
way to heaven as I floor the clutch, move the gear lever
into neutral, release the clutch, then floor it again
and ease into second. Miracle of miracles! I can hear
Birkin applauding in Valhalla.
Confidence grew as the Bentley accelerated and the steering
lightened. Second to third? Perfect! But my attempt
to change from third to top produced noises like the
Anvil Chorus, leaving me with what the cognoscenti
call a box full of neutrals. All you can do, apart from
swear and apologise, is stop the car and start all over
again.
But I was soon confident enough to hum Land Of Hope
And Glory and The British Grenadiers as the Bentley
thundered along roads so quiet we could have been time-warped
back to 1930. The difference between vintage and modern
brakes had to be taken into account, of course, and
there is no way that a 64-year-old veteran's handling
or ride will match up to what is taken for granted in
even a run-of-the-mill 1994 runabout. To expect that
is to label yourself a fool.
Modern cars insulate you from the outside world, but
a vintage Bentley feels and sounds and even smells fast
with its bellowing engine, howling gears and hot oil.
And it can keep pace with today's traffic. The supercharger
provides strong mid-range acceleration and The Autocar
reported a top speed of 97.82mph when its issue of September
19th 1930 featured a report subtitled 'The Appeal of
Immense Power, Linked with Great Docility'. The test
car, GH 6951, was destined to be bought by Bill Hardy.
The vintage Bentley's peerless character is complemented
by a tremendous appetite for hard work. I know an owner
who took his blower to America for an 8000-mile tour
that included races on both sides of the continent.
Above all, these magnificent old motors are tangible
and indomitable links with the days when Britannia ruled
the waves and waived the rules.
Sotheby's sold Bill Hardy's beloved behemoth for £386,500
a few weeks after I drove it. That works out at about
£2 profit per mile covered since 1943. But the
fun factor is impossible to quantify. And fun is what
these cars are all about.</s> | 2,223 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
However, contrary
to Mr Brant's submission, clause 5.1 of the hire
purchase agreement does not exclude the hire being
by description. This is because the description
in this case is not provided by Fortis as a contractual
condition, warranty, stipulation or representation.
The description is provided as an express term of
the contract which Fortis approved. Thus, clause
5.1 does not extend to this provision and is not
applicable to this term.</s> | 2,224 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
On the basis of
this evidence, I conclude that the engine was a
standard engine when it arrived in Mr Mann's workshop
and that he himself undertook the conversion work
between 1979 and 1980 which he stated must have
been undertaken in South Africa. Had the conversion
work been undertaken in South Africa, Mr Greyvenstyne
would not have referred to the engine as a standard
touring 6�-litre engine in drafting the sale offer
for the BDC's Advertiser and Mr Smith would
not have invoiced Mr Mann for the resale of the
engine two years later by referring to it as a standard
6�-litre engine. Both would have referred to it
as a standard 6�-litre engine that had been upgraded,
converted or reconstructed as a Speed Six engine.</s> | 2,225 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Joe also mentions a higher geared back axle -- this may have just been a repair because the build sheet shows she had the higher ratio of 3.785:1 from new. As a late TT replica model, with a 1926 twin sloper, high compression engine, 348’s specs are the same as the speed model which was introduced at chassis no. 356. She also has 4 wheel braking, which was introduced a month before her completion.</s> | 2,226 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
SB2569 is a very low mileage car having
traveled only 11,400 miles since new. There have been
only 4 owners over the 78 years since the cars original
date of delivery. They are 1929, Dr. William Leib; late
1940’s or early 1950’s, Don Blank, Burlingame,
California; early 1980’s, Robert Martin, Houston,
Texas; May 1999, Lawrence Smith, Wichita, Kansas.
While in the ownership of Mr. Martin, SB2769 was completely
restored in the UK. This writer attempted to contact
Mr. Martin to no avail. Consequently, all information
about SB2769 during Mr. Martin’s ownership remains
a mystery unless readers can shed light on the history
of this car.
As was noted earlier, SB2769 was painted a shade of
cobalt blue with the polished aluminum swaging line
around the outer edges of all wings. The swaging lines
were exaggerated on the inner portions of the front
wings and give a very attractive styling flair to the
frontal view of the body.</s> | 2,227 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Mr Mann's
and SMRL's defence - conclusion. The
only reason why Mr Mann persisted in describing
the car as a 1930 Speed Six was because he, supported
by Mr Fenn, insisted that once a chassis had been
incorporated into the car with a Speed Six chassis
number, any car thereafter that incorporated the
same chassis number was to be regarded as a Speed
Six car. This approach to describing the car was
said to have been confirmed by the fact that the
DVLA had been prepared to re-register the car with
its 1930 Speed Six registration number and the BDC
and other European vintage car clubs would classify
the car as a Speed Six car.</s> | 2,228 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
While enjoying, and surviving, the
50th Bentley Drivers Club's "Scottish Whit Weekend"
2008, my colonial accent gave me away and I was asked
by one of the organizers if I could help a bit with
routing, etc. for the "North East U.S.A. Tour"
being planned for September 2009. By way of background,
I've been a BDC member since 1969, although I haven't
owned a Bentley for some years. I gladly agreed and,
as the starting date approached, a series of e-mails
shot back and forth across the Atlantic. Several of
the organizers had made a "dummy run" this
past April, checking routing, accommodation arrangements,
etc., so as things evolved, there was very little work
involved on my part.</s> | 2,229 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Bentley's blend of aristocratic cars
and pure speed will take center stage at the Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance as the storied British luxury
carmaker marks its 90th anniversary.
And it will celebrate in style at the Northern California
concours, with four classes of Bentleys set on the 18th
fairway of Pebble Beach.
Sure to be a favorite is the field of legendary Bentley
racers, going all the way back to its first LeMans entry
in 1923. Known as Chassis 141, this car set the race's
inaugural lap record and took a respectable fourth-place
finish with company founder W. O. Bentley on hand. It
fell into obscurity in a small English village, but
is now restored and will travel from Australia for the
concours.
This car was the pacesetter for the British marque's
emerging prowess in competition, and Bentley won LeMans
in 1924. It followed this up with four straight victories
from 1927 to 1930.
The wheelman for the last three of those wins —
also then-Chairman Woolf "Babe" Barnato, will
be represented by a car he drove across the United States
on his honeymoon, a freshly restored 8-liter Van den
Plas Tourer. Barnato was one of the "Bentley Boys"
from that time period, who shaped the growth of the
company and its race cars.
Another Bentley legend, Tim Birkin, who developed superchargers
for the racers in the late '20s, will have a presence
at Pebble Beach with four of the cars he influenced
on display. Fitted with superchargers, they were dubbed
the Birkin Blowers, and his personal racer — a 4.5-liter
that ran at LeMans three times (and, ironically, is
not supercharged) — also will be at the concours.
The event also will feature two classes of vintage cars
built between 1921 and 1931. One will have 6.5-liter
machines including the "Big Sixes" and "Speed
Sixes." The other is 8-liter Bentleys.
A class of Derby Bentleys — cars assembled in Derby,
England, when the company was owned by Rolls-Royce —
will be on display and are known for their coachwork.
Bentley will share the spotlight at Pebble Beach with
Audi, Bugatti and Morgan, which are the other featured
marques. The coachwork of Zagato also will be recognized.</s> | 2,230 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
In 2004 Dr. Boynton sold MR3390 to Don Meyer of New
Jersey, USA. Mr. Meyer drove the car on two North American
Vintage Bentley Meets in 2005 and 2006. This writer
had the opportunity to photograph the car on those rallies.
The rallying spirit of Mr. Wallace continued during
Don Meyer’s ownership.</s> | 2,231 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
~~</s> | 2,232 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The fact that twenty-four old-school
Bentleys were present at the recent Bentley Drivers'
Club rally at Cobham would seem to show that these cars
still retain the affection of many enthusiasts...
Continued...</s> | 2,233 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The short-chassis Bentley is very original,
still keeping the factory body and Smith five-jet carburetor.
Many cars have been coverted to Le Mans-bodied replicas
and most owners also change over to Sloper carbs, but
not this example.
Anthony purchased it 2004 from Beaulieu Garage in Hampshire
and it was a runner, but a bit of a project.
"Mechanically it sounded dreadful with knocks bangs
and splutters, but above all this, it had that charisma
that you only get from driving a vintage Bentley. I
just had to buy it – warts and all," Anthony
recalls.</s> | 2,234 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The second was
Inntrepreneur Pub Co v East Crown Ltd
[10] where Lightman J. summarised the relevant
principles for representations amounting to collateral
warranties as follows:
"The relevant legal principles regarding the recognition
of pre-contractual promises or assurances as collateral
warranties may be stated as follows:
1. A pre-contractual statement will only be treated
as having contractual effect if the evidence shows
that the parties intended this to be the case. Intention
is a question of fact to be decided by looking at
the totality of the evidence.
2. The test is the ordinary objective test for the
formation of a contract: what is relevant is not
the subjective thought of one party, but what a
reasonable outside observer would infer from all
the circumstances.
3. In deciding the question of intention, one important
consideration will be whether the statement is followed
by further negotiations and a written contract not
containing any term corresponding to the statement.
In such a case, it will be harder to infer that
the statement was intended to have contractual effect,
because the prima facie assumption will be that
the written contract includes all the terms the
parties wanted to be binding between them.
4. A further important factor will be the lapse
of time between the statement and the making of
the formal contract. The longer the interval, the
greater the presumption must be that the parties
did not intend the statement to have contractual
effect in relation to a subsequent deal.
5. A representation of fact is much more likely
to have intended to have contractual effect than
a statement of future fact or a future forecast."</s> | 2,235 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
What is not known
is how that engine got to South Africa and the circumstances
in which it was last used in 1949.</s> | 2,236 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The difficulty
with that approach is that it means that the car,
although reconstructed with an engine which is a
Standard 6�-litre engine in design and with a chassis
which now contains little more than the original
chassis number from the original car and with no
continuous history, is still correctly described
as 'a Speed Six car'.</s> | 2,237 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Because few people can these days afford
an annual tax of £28 10s., and a consumption of
fuel exceeding 1,000 gallons for a moderate year's motoring,
the Big Six Bentley is available secondhand for extremely
low sums. Nevertheless, it is ever an interesting study
to the enthusiast, who may even contemplate-limiting
his annual mileage and perhaps licensing only for half
the year, to enable him to experience the joys of owning
a really big-engined aristocrat that invariably carries
its age lightly. Continued...</s> | 2,238 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Engine: According to the book "Bentley Specials & Special Bentleys" 1th(?) edition page 80, by Ray Roberts, the engine is KM 3088 and modified again in 1950 by Southgate Motors/Syd Lawrence and additional stamped with 102/50 ML. (Photo)</s> | 2,239 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
With a performance
to satisfy the most critical speedman, coupled with
a degree of flexibility unusual in a sports car, the
1926 three-litre speed model Bentley shows a distinct
improvement over the very fine sports automobiles that
have hitherto left the Cricklewood works. Not only is
the new car faster by some 10 m.p.h. than the 1925 type,
but acceleration has been improved, while the brakes
are still more efficient than of yore.
It will be recalled that the Bentley engine is of the
four-cylinder type, of 80 mm. bore and 149 mm. stroke.
Four valves are provided per cylinder, all operated
from one overhead camshaft. The chief points of difference
between next year's and this year's models are that
the compression ratio has been raised, the piston crown
is now of a different shape a redesigned camshaft is
used, whilst slight modifications have been carried
out in the valve gear in order to get lighter parts
without any sacrifice of strength or reliability.
That the improved performance is solely attributable
to the greater power obtained from the engine is proved
by the fact that the car tested had exactly the same
gear ratios, and weighed within a few pounds, the same
as the previous model tried.
Commencing with some speed tests at Brooklands, we very
soon found that the speed of the vehicle had been increased.
Some half-a-dozen laps "all out" were indulged
in so as to warm up the engine to the most efficient
temperature. The day was so cold, however, that it was
not until the greater part of the radiator had been
blanked off by tying a handkerchief across the front
that the most efficient temperature was reached; it
was interesting to observe that the speed increased
by some 6 m.p.h. so soon as the water in the cooling
system became hot enough. Unfortunately, a fairly strong
wind blowing against the car militated against the attainment
of its maximum speed down the Railway Straight. Nevertheless,
the half-mile was covered in 20.8 secs., equivalent
to 86.54 m.p.h. Once in the shelter of the Byfleet Banking,
however, a genuine 90 m.p.h. was reached and held. It
should be mentioned that the car was in full touring
trim with wings, windscreen, etc. A complete lap was
accomplished in 1 min. 58 4/5 secs., equivalent to an
average speed of 83.84 m.p.h. over the 2 3/4 miles.
The test hill was afterwards climbed in 3 1/3 secs.,
equivalent to 18.19 m.p.h.
These tests were quite sufficient to show that the maximum
speed of the 1926 model has been appreciably increased,
but in order to convince ourselves that; the increased
speed was not offset by any disadvantages or attained
at a sacrifice of any of the flexibility or slow-running
which have always been characteristics of the car, we
continued our test over a couple of days under ordinary
touring conditions.
Even if one leaves the question of the high compression
ratio and the high gear out of consideration, the Bentley
may be described as docile in traffic. With the ignition
fully retarded it will crawl on its top gear of 3.78
to 1 at as low a speed as 7 m.p.h. However, the enthusiastic
driver would invariably change down before the speed
dropped as low as this. Third gear is only 5.03 to 1
and second gear 6.18 to 1, so that if, in traffic, one
is brought almost to a standstill behind a slow-moving
vehicle, a quicker get-away is assured by a drop straight
from top to second gear.
The combination of a well-designed gearbox and very
close ratios enables perfectly silent changes to be
made up or down, with none of those irritating pauses
in neutral which mark gear changes or the average touring
car. Indeed, changing from second to third at low speeds,
the lever is slipped through the gate as quickly as
it is possible to do so, while one can attain the maximum
speed on third gear-76 m.p.h. - and change straight
into top without waiting.
Even without making the best use of the gearbox really
high average speeds can he maintained without violating
any of the written or unwritten rules of the road. It
would perhaps, be unwise to give any figures, but we
can safely say that it is perfectly easy to average
40 m.p.h. or more from London to, say Bournemouth without
ever driving fast through inhabited areas, while, including
the inevitable reductions to half speed necessary when
meeting or overtaking other traffic, the. driver would
he able to cover the distance of 12 miles in 13 minutes,
assuming, of course that a reasonably straight road
were used.
Although the engine is in all respects a standard 1926
power unit, the particular car we tried had been driven
in the 24-hour race at Le Mans last June. The suspension
was therefore stiffened by the binding of the springs
with cord, while the Hartford shock absorbers were tightened
to such a degree that the faster one went the more comfortable
was the car. At 83 m.p.h., for instance, with four up,
the comfort was all that could be desired, while the
car held the road so steadily that it was not in the
least tiring to drive at this speed. Dropping to a relatively
modest 65 m.p.h., one had the impression that this was
the car's comfortable cruising speed. At 40 m.p.h.,
the accelerator pedal was scarcely depressed, while
the car burbled along in an irreproachable manner.
It is of course, essential that such speed capabilities
should be associated with the provision of very efficient
four-wheel brakes. Those on the Bentley, made under
the Bentley-Perrot patents, are not only amongst the
smoothest and safest we have tested, but are distinctly
more powerful than on the 1925 model. At 30 m.p.h.,
for example it is possible to bring the car to a complete
standstill in 24 ft., well under two car-lengths. From
10 m.p.h. the car can be stopped in a bonnet length
- 3 ft. 6 ins. From 20 m.p.h. it can be brought to a
standstill in less than its own length, while from the
higher speeds of 40 m.p.h., 50 m.p.h., 60 m.p.h. and
70 m.p.h. it can be stopped in 51, 77, 143 and 223 foot
respectively.
Now it is a very cruel thing suddenly to depress the
accelerator pedal of a car as highly geared as the Bentley
speed model when it is only crawling at 10 m.p.h. on
top gear. Nevertheless, in order to bring rhe acceleration
test into line with those of ordinary touring cars we
have tried, we measured the acceleration from 10 m.p.h.
on top gear. It will be observed that 30 m.p.h. was
readied in 12 secs., 40 m.p.h. in 18 2/6 secs., and
50 m.p.h. in 25 1/3 secs. It took only 38 2/5 secs.
to attain 70 m.p.h., while 80 m.p.h. was reached in
52 4/5 secs.
The control of the car is light and easy at all speeds,
and steering is accurate to the proverbial hair's breadth.
Starting is normally very easy, although on the car
we tried the battery was somewhat below par owing to
the car having been left standing with the lights switched
on for long periods after dark.
In a word, the speed model Bentley can he described
as a thoroughbred from radiator to tail lamp. It has
that reserve of power and speed which enables it to
be driven for 99 per cent of its life well within its
capabilities, thus assuring long life and reliability
of all working parts. Its instant responsiveness to
a touch of the accelerator or brake pedal, its very
high speeds on the indirect gears and the entire absence
of mechanical noises of any description make the handling
of it. sheer joy to the enthusiastic motorist. At the
same time it calls for no special skill in driving.
The makers are Bentley Motors Ltd., Oxgate Lane and
Edgware Road, Cricklewood, N.W.2. with showrooms at
3, Hanover Court, Hanover Street, London, W.1.</s> | 2,240 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
It is interesting to have the 4-litre
Bentley recalled by a reader who served his apprenticeship
with and was employed by the "old" Bentley
Company. Possibly many enthusiasts have gotten that
there ever was such a model. It appeared in the spring
of the very year (1931) in which the original firm went
out of business, that is, just before the acquisition
of the name by Rolls-Royce. Thus the 4-litre was short
lived as a model; in fact, it scarcely passed the experimental
stage, and even appeared to have been put on the market
prematurely. The design shared certain features of that
great car, in every sense of the word, the 8-litre.
Continued...</s> | 2,241 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
It cannot properly be described, as
the defendants in effect contend, as a mere "resurrection"
(another of the Jenkinson descriptions). Neither after
the 1931 rebuild nor after the crash in 1932 did it
reach the end of its useful life. The car in its then
form (on each occasion) did not die, was not abandoned
nor cannibalized, nor gradually dismantled and used
as a source of spare parts for other cars. It did not
reach the stage that such components as existed were
gathered together to form the basis of a new car "from
the bare bones or ashes of the original another one
appeared . . . a resurrection from the dead, or from
the graveyard". In 1930, 1931 and 1932 I am satisfied
it was rebuilt substantially from its component parts
and remained throughout a living entity.</s> | 2,242 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
We then went on to visit Chatsworth
House, the magnificent estate of the Cavendish family
for 16 generations and where the Duke and Duchess of
Devonshire still reside. The original house was the
work of Sir Wm Cavendish in the mid 16th Century. He
was a crown commissioner responsible for dissolving
monasteries and his reward was a gift of land here.
The park covers some 400 hectares and is enclosed by
a nine mile long dry stone wall and deer fence. The
old hunting grounds are beautifully landscaped, ground
work being planned by Lancelot "Capability"
Brown in the mid 1700's. The house is filled with baroque
art, the ceilings painted with voluptuous scenes, the
walls decorated with paintings covering a period of
400 years. The current Duke collects contemporary art,
so in between the collections of old dutch masters and
Chinese porcelain one can enjoy modern sculptures; a
true treasure trove of modern and historic artifacts.
Over the years many famous people have stayed in Chatsworth,
including Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned here.
Another was Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire who lived
here in a famous "menage a trois" in the late
18th Century. This visit allowed us to burn off some
calories as we walked the grounds and gardens extensively.
The next day started wet again and we drove to Ironbridge,
the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution some 300
years ago, where the first commercial foundry was constructed
and first cast iron bridge in England was built over
the river Severn in 1779. The town is now a World Heritage
site with a collection of well preserved brick buildings.
The weather improved gradually and we arrived in sunny
Stratford-upon-Avon where the forecast is warm and dry
for the next few days, i.e. 21 Centigrade, about 72
Fahrenheit with an occasional shower! (I have been advised
not to use the word "sprinkle" as it has a
different meaning in english!!}. Stratford is a town
small in size but large in history. Birthpace of William
Shakespeare, it is set on the banks of the river Avon.
Flowers abound everywhere and there are many parks and
green areas. There are still a large number of Tudor
styled thatched cottages - most famous being Anne Hathaway's,
a thatched farmhouse with stunning grounds and which
still contains many original items of the family. It
was here the young Shakespeare courted his future bride,
Anne. Being a favourite tourist destination, Stratford
has a rich programme of events and activities. In addition
to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is celebrating
it's 50th birthday season, there is music in the park,
river racing and river cruising and always walks along
the river banks. Wonderful old pubs such as the Black
Swan (aka the Dirty Duck) and English cream teas (scones
with clotted cream and strawberry jam) served in the
afternoons. Our hotel is located on the river just a
few steps from everything so we don't need to use our
car.</s> | 2,243 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
After two days of sightseeing in London,
we took the train to Bedford where we were met by our
"garagier" who took us to the Bentley and
we took off to our first stop in Lavenham. On the way
we met up with the group of 40, mostly vintage, Bentleys
at a firm where a BDC member hosted a lunch. The entertainment
was local dancing and a Tiger moth flying overhead.
The car needed a new battery, supplied by AA which has
special Bentley line. To our amazement they showed up
within an hour; so very good service.
The first rest day was spent in Lavenham, a well preserved
medieval town. We did join a guided tour and I had the
patience to follow for one hour and then disappeared
discreetly. In the evening we were joined by Sally and
Max our long time friends who live near by.
After two days of driving, and visiting many castles
including Sandringham and noble houses, we are now in
Yorkshire where Heather was born. I am writing this
note sipping a Starbucks after visiting the railroad
museum and the cathedral. As you can see this is a very
social and cultural trip! We usually depart by 8.30
am, stopping every two hours for a visit or a lunch
at the pub. The route selection takes us on B roads
and even single lane roads. The average speed is about
30 mph with all the roundabouts and stop lights in town.
So very relaxed but scenic driving. We arrive around
5pm, just in time to check over the car, get unpacked,
get ready for cocktails and dinner at 8pm. As we are
about the average age (mid-late 60s!), after dinner
at 10 everybody disappears, too tired for a drink at
the bar. The weather is typically English – sun,
rain and clouds, temperature between 12 and 18 degrees,
hot when the sun is out, cold in a windy rain.
We are having a good time meeting up with old friends
from all over the word and meeting some new faces.</s> | 2,244 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
When the ordinary model of the Austin
Seven made its appearance in the year 1923, few motorists
had the slightest idea that it was destined to reach
the high position it occupies to-day in the esteem of
the sporting motorist, and the present "Brooklands"
Super-Sports model certainly opens up possibilities
for many a keen owner to whom the ownership of a really
fast car had previously been a cherished ambition. Continued...</s> | 2,245 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
It was not, however,
established whether the Cricklewood works published
a formal specification for the Speed Six engine.
The way that the works operated would suggest that
no such formal specification was ever produced since
the various engines being produced there were constantly
being adapted and the designers and mechanics worked
from experience and not from a rule book. However,
a specification has since been compiled retrospectively
for the Speed Six and Standard 6�-litre engine types
by the BDC. This specification was accepted at the
trial as being the relevant specification against
which the car's engine should be compared and, by
inference, was the specification that Mr Mann claimed
in evidence to have referred to in his discussions
with Mrs Brewer as the "Speed Six specification".
The Speed Six specification comes in two versions,
being the 1929 and the 1930 versions, and the parties
accepted that the 1930 version was the appropriate
one to use for the car.</s> | 2,246 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Sidney Farnsworth -
Dec 28, 2013
We installed a Filter on our 4 1/2. If memory
serves me correctly the biggest concern
was to ensure the oil pump was adequate
to maintain a proper flow through it. We
use strictly 50 weight non detergent oil,
as difficult as it is to obtain sometimes.</s> | 2,247 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
After this race Bentley Motors retired
from racing and the car passed to Captain Barnato as
his private motor car. Captain Barnato was a rich man
and had many cars, including several Bentleys, but he
always regarded MT3484 as his racing car. The registration
book shows the alteration in ownership.</s> | 2,248 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Hay had joined British Aerospace in
1983 and trained as an engineer, which proved useful
during the long rebuild. "Much of the car went
in there and I came to know the sandblaster really well.
Some aluminium welding was also done at work but most
of the car was built in my parents' garden shed or a
nearby lock-up."
Toughest task was finding the mass of missing parts:
"I'd been a member of the BDC since I was 14, so
I was by then pretty familiar with the cars. Over the
years I collected bits from all corners of the country.
My luckiest find was a cheap cylinder block which turned
out to be better than expected. The engine I built myself,
with the exception of the line boring."
"Often I would salvage and repair parts that other
owners had discarded. The back axle I built up. It needed
a new crown wheel and pinion as it had at one time run
out of oil and was in a real mess. I made the shackles,
the kingpins and the brake rods from scratch."
The backplates are typical of Hay's ingenuity. He found
a set that had been converted to hydraulics. To return
to Perrot mechanical spec' he machined a block of Duralumin
for each mounting bracket and fixed these with 'Hysol',
a cold setting adhesive used on aircraft door frames.
"They would have cost me £200 each to replace
and I built the pair for £40."</s> | 2,249 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
SB2569 is a very low mileage car having
traveled only 11,400 miles since new. There have been
only 4 owners over the 78 years since the cars original
date of delivery. They are 1929, Dr. William Leib; late
1940’s or early 1950’s, Don Blank, Burlingame,
California; early 1980’s, Robert Martin, Houston,
Texas; May 1999, Lawrence Smith, Wichita, Kansas.
While in the ownership of Mr. Martin, SB2769 was completely
restored in the UK. This writer attempted to contact
Mr. Martin to no avail. Consequently, all information
about SB2769 during Mr. Martin’s ownership remains
a mystery unless readers can shed light on the history
of this car.
As was noted earlier, SB2769 was painted a shade of
cobalt blue with the polished aluminum swaging line
around the outer edges of all wings. The swaging lines
were exaggerated on the inner portions of the front
wings and give a very attractive styling flair to the
frontal view of the body.</s> | 2,250 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
With more knobs, dials and buttons
per square inch than your average aircraft, this classic
car requires a driver with a sure hand, fast reflexes,
and an ability to monitor a terrifying array of instruments
all at the same time — and that's just to get the
car started. But as the dashboard proves, this is no
ordinary vintage car. With a top speed of 170 miles
per hour, this customised Bentley could give many modern
cars a run for their money.
Bought in 1928, by an Australian marine engineer names
John 'Jumbo' Goddard, for the princely sum of £350
(about £15,000 today), the car was altered by
Goddard in 1954 when he replaced the original three-litre
engine with a Bentley eight-litre motor he had bought
second-hand after the war. The car was also given a
new sporty body and hydraulic brakes — a necessity
considering the astonishing speed the vehicle was now
capable of.
Its specifications are unique for a car of its type:
550bhp, eight-litre inline six-cylinder engine with
dual SU carburettors and twin Garrett turbochargers,
heavy-duty Bentley live axels and four wheel hydraulic
brakes.
It was one of the 98 vintage, rare and valuable cars
auctioned by RM Auctions this week at a special London
sale, including a 1955 Ford Thunderbird formerly owned
by John Travolta, and the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California
Sydre driven by Cameron Diaz in the Charlie's Angels
movies.
The unique Bentley attracted bids of £475,000,
but failed to sell.
Any new owner should take heed, however. With such a
complicated process of ignition, it takes close to five
minutes to start the car, and at high speeds the front
has a terrifying tendency to take off. So fast and furious
is this motor that Jumbo Goddard's wife once warned
him: "If you drive that thing again, I'm going
to divorce you."</s> | 2,251 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Considering this car has seen three
and a half years of service, and that the speedometer
recorded more than 30,000 miles, the mechanical condition
of the machine was a tribute to Bentley workmanship.
The rear wheel, when jacked up, had as little as 1 1/4in.
of travel at the tyre, with the gear lever in first,
while at the front axle no wear at all could be detected.
The wheel bearings had no shake, nor was there any perceptible
play in the steering connections. Continued...</s> | 2,252 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Bentley's blend of aristocratic cars
and pure speed will take center stage at the Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance as the storied British luxury
carmaker marks its 90th anniversary.
And it will celebrate in style at the Northern California
concours, with four classes of Bentleys set on the 18th
fairway of Pebble Beach.
Sure to be a favorite is the field of legendary Bentley
racers, going all the way back to its first LeMans entry
in 1923. Known as Chassis 141, this car set the race's
inaugural lap record and took a respectable fourth-place
finish with company founder W. O. Bentley on hand. It
fell into obscurity in a small English village, but
is now restored and will travel from Australia for the
concours.
This car was the pacesetter for the British marque's
emerging prowess in competition, and Bentley won LeMans
in 1924. It followed this up with four straight victories
from 1927 to 1930.
The wheelman for the last three of those wins —
also then-Chairman Woolf "Babe" Barnato, will
be represented by a car he drove across the United States
on his honeymoon, a freshly restored 8-liter Van den
Plas Tourer. Barnato was one of the "Bentley Boys"
from that time period, who shaped the growth of the
company and its race cars.
Another Bentley legend, Tim Birkin, who developed superchargers
for the racers in the late '20s, will have a presence
at Pebble Beach with four of the cars he influenced
on display. Fitted with superchargers, they were dubbed
the Birkin Blowers, and his personal racer — a 4.5-liter
that ran at LeMans three times (and, ironically, is
not supercharged) — also will be at the concours.
The event also will feature two classes of vintage cars
built between 1921 and 1931. One will have 6.5-liter
machines including the "Big Sixes" and "Speed
Sixes." The other is 8-liter Bentleys.
A class of Derby Bentleys — cars assembled in Derby,
England, when the company was owned by Rolls-Royce —
will be on display and are known for their coachwork.
Bentley will share the spotlight at Pebble Beach with
Audi, Bugatti and Morgan, which are the other featured
marques. The coachwork of Zagato also will be recognized.</s> | 2,253 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
In this part of the world — Vancouver/Whistler
— it seems about 25% of the people are from Asia
and the Pacific and generally very friendly. Canada
seems a little like Europe, a bit bureaucratic and not
as friendly as the Americans. It is rather expensive
with gasoline and alcohol heavily taxed, a glass of
wine costing between $8 - 13, so we are not drinking
too much — yet.
The excellent weather continued for our 255 mile/410
km ride from Whistler with its mountain passes and glaciers
to Salmon Arm on lake Shushop, which is about two-thirds
north west between Vancouver and Banff/Calgary. Salmon
Arm is a tourist town with many beaches and it is home
to the longest wooden wharf in North America. First
adjustments to the car and drivers were necessary. The
rear shocks needed tightening up as some of the steeper
pass roads were very bumpy, but the quality of the roads
improved as we descended into the valleys allowing us
to cruise at 70mph and enjoy the beautiful views. Due
to the recent heavy snow all the mountain peaks are
still covered with plenty of snow. Roger needed a cushion
to get comfortable in the driving seat, enabling him
to see the road and shift gears at the same time. Kurt
had a mishap (probably will not be the last!) —
his driving goggles decided to take time out and flew
off the top of his leather helmet without being noticed
by the driver. At the gas station we ran into our photographer
and like a miracle he produced the goggles. He had spotted
them on the highway and picked them up!</s> | 2,254 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Day 19. Roger and I took off with the
Smart car ahead of the other tour participants, our
assignment: supervise the loading of the cars in Nugget
City for transportation to Vancouver. Stopped at Carcross
Desert, known as the smallest desert in the world. It
was created by a retreated glacial lake leaving behind
nothing but sand. The winds from Bennet Lake have prevented
vegetation from taking hold. Stopped in Teslin for lunch
at Dawson's Peak resort on the lake and had a coffee
and cigar outside on the balcony, i.e. 15 ft from the
building, respecting the new smoking law. Saw a Grizzly
bear on the side of the road munching away. Arrived
back in Nugget City, population less than 50, where
the three Bentleys were stranded. They were well taken
care of by Linda and Scott, the owners of the Hotel
here. They moved here 15 years ago and started the place
from scratch — today it's a million $ business.
Doug and Penny from B.C. who take care of the RV park
for the season are here in the their 38 ft Holiday Rambler
right next to the three sad Bentleys and kept an extra
eye on them. They invited us in for a nice chat and
showed us the inside of the motor home which sports
a 350 hp Caterpillar engine right under the master bed.</s> | 2,255 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
(3) Background - Mrs Brewer
starts her vintage Bentley search</s> | 2,256 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The particulars
also explained that the car had shown up in St Louis
in 1965 but stated that it is not known how that
happened or to whom it was sold. However, the car
was found there in 1979 by its American owner who
was selling the car, Mr Paul Sydlowski. He had owned
this car for over 26 years before putting it up
for sale at Quail Lodge in 2008. Quite by chance,
at some time between 1981 and 1986, this car was
being driven by Mr Sydlowski to a rally in Venice
and, whilst parked, was joined in the adjacent parking
spot by Mr James who was driving the car to the
same rally. Mr James many years later, when writing
to Mr Mann to tell him how much pleasure the car
had given him, mentioned this chance encounter since
he had discovered during it that Mr Sydlowski's
car had the car's original engine in it.</s> | 2,257 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The sales literature
reads as follows:
Classic & Sports Car
The car appeared in a half-page vertical
advertisement in Classic and Sports Car with
three other cars under the heading "Stanley Mann
Racing". The car was the top car in this column
of four cars being advertised for sale. The advertisement
showed a photograph of the car from the front with
its number plate clearly visible. The text read:
"1930 Bentley Speed Six. Restored by Stanley
Mann 1980. [A] One owner
since then (well he liked her) �POA"
Stanley Mann Racing's website
The details of the car on Stanley Mann Racing's
website, which made no mention of Stanley Mann Racing
Ltd, read as follows:</s> | 2,258 |
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