1949 Bentley Other

Coupe

6 CYLINDER

Manual

B180EY

Clear

Gasoline

The owner listed B180EY as being a 1949 Freestone and Webb saloon. Bernard King, in his equally excellent book, "Bentley Mark VI," lists B180EY as having engine B90E, delivered April 1949 to its first owner, Capt. Andrew Mansel Talbot-Fletcher, with Freestone and Webb four door four light saloon, body no. 1498, design no. 3038. Freestone and Webb built 12 cars to design 3038. Capt. Talbot-Fletcher registered the car with British registration number SS7340, so it would appear that the car was re-registered. The "SS" registration number is an East Lothian number, and with only two letters and four numbers it was probably a number issued first in the early 1930s and then transferred by the owner (Capt. Talbot-Fletcher) to his Mark VI when he got the car. I would expect that that number was a "cherished number" and was transferred by Capt. Talbot-Fletcher to his next car when he traded in the Mark VI. The "YOE" registration is a Birmingham registration number ("OE), and with the combination of three letters and three numbers I would expect the number to have been issued in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The car was reported in the US in 2003, according to Bernard's book, but with no owner given. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF BEING RESTORED BY THE OWNER SO THE VEHICLE IS PARTIALLY TAKEN APART. ALL PARTS SHOULD BE THERE IN STORAGE WITH THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SECURE STORAGE FOR 26 YEARS. VEHICLE WAS IN RUNNING CONDITION IN 1988. THE OWNER PASSED AWAY IN 1988 AND HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE THAT CURRENTLY HAS THE TITLE. THE MILEAGE IS UNKNOWN DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE STATED MILEAGE ABOVE THE VEHICLE WAS IN RUNNING CONDITION IN 1988 WHEN IT WAS PUT IN SECURED STORAGE. THE OWNER DIED IN 1988 AND WAS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE WHO NOW HOLDS THE TITLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN STORAGE ALL THIS TIME. PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS. A $1000.00 DEPOSIT WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION CLOSING. AND AN APPOINTMENT DATE MUST BE SET WITHIN 10 DAYS TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE IF BUYER WISHES. THE $1000.00 DEPOSIT IS NON-REFUNDABLE TO COVER MY TRANSPORTATION AND EXPENSES TO CALIFORNIA. IF THE PURCHASE IS MADE, THE $1000.00 DEPOSITED WILL GO TOWARDS THE PURCHASE PRICE WHICH WILL BE PAID THROUGH WIRE TRANSFER OR CASH WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE INSPECTION. I GAURANTEE I WILL HAVE A TRANSFERABLE TITLE TO THE VEHICLE. WITHIN 5 DAYS OF THE INSPECTION DATE THE CAR MUST BE REMOVED FROM ITS CURRENT STORAGE FACILITY AT THE BUYERS EXPENSE. BUYER IS TO PAY ALL TRANSPORTATION AND SHIPPING AND MAKE THEIR OWN ARRANGEMENTS. PAYMENT AND INSPECTION ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MORE CLARIFIED IF YOU EMAIL ME YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND I'LL DO THE SAME AND WE WILL COMMUNICATE TO MAKE IT SIMPLER TO UNDERSTAND.