Bentley: Seahorse on the radiator instead of B
ORIGINAL The collection of the ZeitHaus automobile museum in the Autostadt in Wolfsburg spans a range of brands and includes around 260 vehicles from more than 60 manufacturers. Among the highlights is a rare Bentley 3 Litre Speed. When the vehicle was ordered in 1923, Anthony Methley, a loyal customer of the brand, was able to have the motorized chassis built by a body specialist of his [...]
When the car was ordered in 1923, Anthony Methley, a loyal customer of the brand, was able to have the motorized chassis built by a body specialist of his choice.
As one of 32 customers, he chose James Young Coachbuilder, a British company that produces exclusive custom bodies for high-end Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis.
The four-seat 3 Litre with chassis number 506 was delivered from the Cricklewood plant on February 24, 1924.
Checking valve clearance and the steering
The Bentley's brakes were first adjusted in January 1925, and in November, at a speedometer reading of 9746 miles, the valve clearance was adjusted and a wobble in the steering was rectified.
In 1927, the first engine overhaul was on the agenda, and later the pistons, water pump and crankshaft bearings were replaced. The records in the logbook end in 1938 with the note that "various bearing bushings and a cardan shaft bearing" were ordered.
Bronze filigree radiator figurine for the Bumble
Then the trace of the Bentley was lost. It was not until 1940 that boat builder Austin Packard Farrar found the vehicle in a scrap yard. He bought it for 20 English pounds and shipped it to his home in Portsmouth, where he breathed new life into it.
Because of its engine sound, he named the car Bumble (meaning bumblebee). The new owner replaced the winged Bentley-B on the radiator cap with a filigree seahorse made of bronze.
Farrar passed away in 2004 at the age of 91. With the acquisition of the Bentley 3 Litre Speed in 2006 by the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, the story of the Bumble is being retold.
