We head to Knysna to drive a rare pre-war Bentley that has been thoroughly researched by its current custodian and his team.
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1935 Bentley 3.5-litre Coupe by Barker Fast Facts
- Engine: 3 669 cm3, six-cylinder, petrol
- Transmission: 4-speed manual, RWD
- Power: 89 kW @ 4 500 r/min
- Maximum speed: 145 km/h
- Fuel tank: 80 litres
- Weight: 1 759 kg
- Manufactured: 1933–1939
There is a level of opulent elegance from the pre-war era that modern cars simply cannot replicate. It was a time when a focused, handmade effort went into nearly every component, resulting in some of the most stylish cars in automotive history.
Bentley has been up there with the best, especially if you take all of its early racing success into account, most notably its achievements at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it was victorious in 1924 and from 1927 to 1930. Most of us now associate the brand with extreme luxury, and it was no different back in the thirties. As indicated on the metal sill plates you see when you open the doors, this 1935 Bentley 3.5 Coupé’s coachwork was done by renowned London coachbuilders Barker & Co, which also worked with other prestigious marques such as Daimler and Rolls-Royce.
This vehicle’s current custodian is a passionate, knowledgeable collector based in Knysna. His interest in cars spans across borders, but there is a clear lean towards cars from the early to mid-20th century. Before he handed over the key, he listed all the important historical facts about this specific example off the top of his head. “This car was on the Olympia Motor Show stand, where it was bought by a lady called Mary Straker. Eventually, it became the property of Dame Mary Bailey, the aviatrix. We found out Mary Straker was Mary Bailey’s aunt.”
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Further research by the current owner revealed another airborne threat to its ownership history, as the next custodian was commodore Jack Holmes, a respected World War II hero in the Royal Air Force. He continued, “That was the car’s early history but I do have the rest written down. It was recently owned by a chap who lived in Knysna for about 15 years and then moved to Johannesburg, which is where I bought it in 2014. It has been in South Africa since 1946. The car is absolutely original and we managed to get the original leather preserved.”
“It was originally painted the single green colour but Jack Holmes didn’t like it, so he hand-painted it the second colour and flattened it. It stayed like that for many years. When we received the car, it had black fenders, which were a little ropy. After some further research, we decided to return the car to its original colours in these areas, similar to the green of that era, but we kept the patina of some of the original paint. Even the chassis still has that original paint on it.”
“We haven’t done any major work on the engine. The carburettors, fuel pumps and distributor were all serviced, and so was the coolant and the braking system.” Taking my place in the driver’s seat, it was exciting to imagine the people who had sat there before me. The fact that this is still the original, albeit heavily cracked, leather is a feather in the cap of all the car’s custodians, and the seats are impressively comfortable. There is more than enough space for adults in the rear, an area that will provide a relaxing ride and a bit of privacy thanks to the curved rear side windows.
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An air of solid quality permeates the cabin. Above the windscreen are beautiful sun visors that can wind down to your selected height. You pull the door shut by tugging on a thick leather strap, and you have to figure out where the choke is and the function of each dial, lever and button.
The green-hued cabin ties in perfectly with the exterior. This Bentley came with metal wheel spats that screw onto the wheel, finished in the same green as the body. By hiding the multitude of spokes, the spats give this car a clean, smooth appearance. To my right was the very long, chromed gear lever. When you look down, you can see it seated in a type of open-gate system that clearly indicates the position of each gear. Selecting first gear provides a strong reminder of the mechanical effort required to pilot these old cars. As I increased my speed and changed into second and then third gear, a little bit of throttle helped to keep up the revs and aided the action of slotting the gear lever into the next ratio.
It really serves you well to have a fair bit of mechanical sympathy as you engage each gear. The level of torque makes cruising at a low 1 500 or 2 000 r/min possible, but I kept the throttle pedal down, and the revs enthusiastically climbed past 3 000 r/min towards 4 000 r/min. Although it is almost nine decades old, the engine felt strong and the car would probably be happy to cruise at fairly high speeds (for its time) all day long. Gearing down is slightly trickier…
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You have to use the throttle but, at the same time, there should be no hesitation to put it into the lower ratio. If you take your time, the gears could scratch and you really don’t want that. The clutch engages high up, and you also need to brake earlier because of the Bentley’s relatively primitive braking system. In the end, it is the type of car that you should respect and understand how to drive properly.
Once you reach top gear and have that view ahead over the long, vented bonnet with the Bentley emblem on the edge, there is a yearning to settle into a long drive on the most scenic roads in South Africa. Considering the entry-level cars that were available on the market during this era and the price of these Bentleys, it is clear these were aimed at the elite. They offered peak performance, style and luxury together with a taste of Bentley’s racing success. Quite a combination!
