Bentley under wraps for 54 years set to fetch £70k

ARARE Bentley stored in an old shed for more than 50 years after it failed its MoT has been unearthed in the South West – and is expected to fetch £70,000 at auction.

The Bentley was bought by Australian tea merchant Philip Bushell after it rolled off the Derby production line in 1935.

It was then sent over to Australia before returning to the UK where it was sold in a garage at Shaftesbury in Dorset in 1954.

A 73-year-old farmer took a liking to the classic motor, which was yellow at the time, and bought it for £1,050 – as a farm vehicle.

The only change he made was repainting the car black, costing an additional £500.

The impressive car eventually failed its MoT in 1968, which resulted in its abandonment to the farm cart shed.

Three years later it was brought out again by the current owner, the farmer’s grandson, who invested some time in repairing a few of the Bentley’s parts.

But the car was pushed back into the shed again until it was unearthed this year - with the exception of the Bentley winged B radiator cap which was taken into the farmhouse for safe keeping.

With the original farmer’s grandson, and now his own son, realising they will never get around to restoring the beautiful Bentley, they contacted Charterhouse auctioneers.

Richard Bromwell, a Sherborne-based auctioneer at Charterhouse, valued the car which had been with their family for 68 years.

The rare 1935 Derby Bentley is being auctioned off at the Charterhouse auction of classic and vintage cars, held at the Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, on Wednesday, October 12.

Mr Bromell said: “Growing up as a child, I thought every farm had old buildings hiding away classic and vintage cars. Although I have seen and sold many barn finds at Charterhouse over the decades, this one certainly trumps all other previous discoveries.”

Charterhouse is accepting further entries for this auction, the September 29 auction of automobilia and memorabilia and the October 5 classic and vintage motorcycle auction also at Haynes.