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The 4½-Litre was produced for four years, all but nine of the665 cars made being built on the 3-Litre’s ‘Long Standard’, 10’10”-wheelbase chassis. Purchasers of the 4½-Litre model were, incommon with those of all vintage-period Bentleys, free to specifytheir preferences from a very considerable range of mechanicaland electrical equipment, in addition to whatever body style andcoachbuilder might be required.The 4½-Litre offered here - chassis number ‘XT3635’ – wasmanufactured in February 1931 and is the third from last of its typeproduced. It was originally bodied by Gurney Nutting as a saloon andwas first registered ‘KF 3740’. The first owner was one G D A Clover.In his autobiography ‘All in Good Time: Reflections of aWatchmaker’, master horologist and dyed-in-the-wool motoringenthusiast the late George Daniels recalled the circumstances of hispurchase of ‘XT3635’ in 1960. ‘The body, very fashionable in 1930was so heavy as to ruin the performance, roadholding and brakes.Its interest to me lay in the chassis, engine and gearbox whichbeing of late manufacture (1930) were stronger and more suitablefor competitive events. It was used as a closed car in the wintersof 1960 and 1961 and then, because the body was rotting away, Idismantled it and began rebuilding.’2 and 3George Daniels competing in ‘XT3635’ at Silverstone, noteGeorge has yet to upgrade the car to Supercharged specification2 3© David Newman294 | Goodwood festival of speed