Home  
Site Partners: SpotterGuides Veloce Books  
Related Sites: Classic Cars Monthly Your Link Here  

Go Back   TenTenths Motorsport Forum > Road Car Forums > Classic Cars

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 23 Jun 2000, 09:28 (Ref:18896)   #1
TimD
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
 
TimD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
United Kingdom
Derbyshire Peak District, United Kingdom
Posts: 3,797
TimD should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridTimD should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridTimD should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
I have no idea if what I found will be of interest to anyone, but I thought I'd share something which made me laugh a lot, and it means a lot to me, too.

You know I am always going on about vintage Bentleys? Well, this is entirely down to my grandfather, who had two, and was a member of the Bentley Drivers Club. After a long search, I found some of their earliest club magazines, and to my delight, I found some of Grandfather's sense of humour lurking within.

This story is his, it's entirely true, and it is recounted in the club magazine for September 1946....

"But dear Mr ......," I said, "I only want to borrow £100 for ever such a short time." "What for? asked Mr ......, in charge of loans and overdrafts for Barclays Bank.

"Well you see," I faltered, "I have the chance of getting a really terrific 3-litre, and er...."
"Bentley?" he demanded. "Three litre Bentley?"
I grinned sheepishly.
"Oh well," he said, "they do make a lovely noise, don't they? When do you think you'll be paying me back?"

And this, believe it or not, really did take place in a bank in 1936. Old Mother Barclays coughed up the money on the car's note of exhaust alone. No other collateral was required. Needless to say, as soon as the old B was my property I took that bank manager down the local bypass at a rate of knots."



He later recounts the tale of the house move, where the Bentley was employed as a removal wagon. "...the old Three was used to transfer books, lawn mowers, canary and other impedimenta to our new premises. Incidentally, towing a ton of garden roller behind a 3-litre on the King's Highway with a bucket of live goldfish on the passenger seat made an interesting if surrealistic piece of motoring...."


Can you imagine that taking place today? Incidentally, that 1925 Bentley, bought for £100 in 1936, still exists, although it has been out of the family for 50 years. I wonder if the current owner, who paid nearly £70,000 for it a couple of years back, has any idea that his prized collectors car took a garden roller under tow at considerable velocity down the old A3 bypass...!


I wonder, has anyone else got tales of motor mania from the carefree old days?
TimD is offline  
Quote
Old 23 Jun 2000, 16:34 (Ref:18991)   #2
Neil C
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
United Nations
People's Republic of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Posts: 1,038
Neil C should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Yes I do. None as well told, but when I have time I will relate the tale of the 1947 Chrysler New Yorker Highlander I found abandoned in an old shed in '72.

Several months ago, member Hans.ca related a story of his younger days in WWII Switzerland, discovering what appeared to be the Mercedes works team operating in exile. Hans, if you are lurking here, would you mind replaying that story. I thought it was incredible. (I think it may have been in the Historic Racing or Tech forum).

Thanks TimD
Neil C is offline  
Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
1964 Motoring News dereklola Motorsport History 1 26 Jul 2004 06:47
No motoring cavalcades this year ? Fab Sportscar & GT Racing 11 9 Mar 2002 11:16
Your favourite driver from the generations JTBK Formula One 19 15 Jul 2001 19:35
motoring fun mtpanorama Cool Sites 2 6 May 2001 22:36


All times are GMT. The time now is 07:49.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Original Website Copyright © 1998-2003 Craig Antil. All Rights Reserved.
Ten-Tenths Motorsport Forums Copyright © 2004-2021 Royalridge Computing. All Rights Reserved.
Ten-Tenths Motorsport Forums Copyright © 2021-2022 Grant MacDonald. All Rights Reserved.