Mystery car - What is it?

[Skodster]

Does anyone recognise the vintage car in this picture????

 

[78Z]

Looks rather Bentley-ish especially the grill.

 

[tony barnhill]

Definitely not an MG...hehehehe

 

[Banjo]

Mercedes? Dusenburg? Packard?
Cool whatever it is.

 

[ecurie_ecosse]

Here's my wild guess,it's a straight 12,triple carb Bentley grand tourer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

Stuart.

 

[Bugeye58]

1930 Bentley 8 Litre.
Jeff

 

[mrtvr]

I was also thinking a Bentley 8 litre.
Marshall

 

[kennypinkerton]

It's a 1930 Bentley Speed Six... The roofline is different than the one in this picture, but note the louvres on the engine cover, and the cover latches...

The 8 litre wears it's headlights higher up, and only has 2 sets of louvres on the engine cover, instead of the 3 sets seen on the speed six. Also, the speed six is the only one I can find (searching pictures) that has the center sheetmetal between the front frame rails.

 

[Steve]

Way to go Kenny! I thought Bentley as well, because of the shape of the radiator. Body by Gurney Nutting, perhaps?

 

[tony barnhill]

Possibly a one-off by the coachmaker thus the differences?

 

[kennypinkerton]

Or just a different model of the Speed Six... I found about 4-5 different styles of them while searching - From open top racing models, to 5 passenger sedans, coupes, and a few really odd looking chopped down "aero" models. The one I posted a pic of, has been gussied up... The stepboards are lower than normal, It's missing the screen over the grille, and it's been smoothed out more than it should be.

 

[Roger]

Since all Bentleys had coachbuilt bodies, and there were various wheelbases, to say nothing of specials, such details as height of headlight, number of louvres, and so on are pretty meaningless.
You can tell it's a tall radiator car, but that could mean either a 6 1/2 litre or 8 litre. If 6 1/2, might or might not be Speed 6.

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
Body by Gurney Nutting, perhaps?


[/ QUOTE ]

I have a few absolute fav cars from the prewar years. The Auburn boattail, the Cord 810/812, and a one off Bentley speed six nicknamed the Blue Train Bentley.

Blue Train Bentley

I just love the lines on this car, so streamlined for it's day and "hotrod" looking, if that could ever be said of a Bentley. Anyway, the story behind this car and it's owner, Captain Woolf Barnato, is really cool. There are a couple good online articles about it if you google. Article

However, the car is more appropriately named a Gurney Nutting coupe, since they built the custom coachwork at Captain Barnatos request. The Blue Train nickname is so much cooler though.

 

[kennypinkerton]

Yep, that was "one" of the weird "aero" one's I was talking about.... And as a rebuttal to Roger...

ALL the 1930 Speed Six bentley's that I've seen so far have the 3 seperate sets of louvres on the side engine cover, and ALL the 8 liter's have 2 (slightly longer) sets of louvres on the engine side cover. I am aware that most auto makers during the time used coach-built bodies. Heck - so did my first car - a 1973 buick.

But. One of the things that made the speed six Identifiable was the distinct long hood... and the 3 sets of louvres. And I'm not counting the one's in the front cowling.... That was present in different models of Bentleys, and not present in the same models too.

My guess would be that they came with a rolling chassis... including the engine covers... and the coach-builder had to include that into the design.

 

[Roger]

Kennt,
Rebut all you like - I'm old enough not to worry! I shall go to my library and dig around.

But please, sir, not Cowling and Engine covers! Scuttles and Bonnets, sir, Scuttles and Bonnets!

Ancient Briton . .

 

[ecurie_ecosse]

Scuttles & bonnets it is sir!! I remember in another life seeing one of these every other month.The gent who owned it drove it between London & Glasgow regularly.He was a director for Timothy White's Chemists.
All I remember is the very long bonnet and the engine,which had three carburettors.Just a massive engine with a box for the seats at the back. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
Stuart.