A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK, A COMMENT WAS LEFT ON THE SITE BY A GENTLEMAN CALLED MARK TURNER.
"I think I might have Bernard Sunley's 1948 Bentley. It was sold to Hunsbury and delivered to 24 Berkeley Square – would love to try to find out but can't see any email or contact details on the site??"
We responded with our direct email address, and Mr Turner duly replied…….
"Thanks for the very prompt reply – it was a random Google of Hunsbury that brought up your site & the picture of the plaque which made me think. Just the sort of car for the owner of that type of business.
I attach a photo of the car today (in her slightly racier colour scheme – she was black until the 70’s I believe) & the Bentley Delivery note & invoice – about £4,000 inc purchase tax in 1948."
Below is the original Bentley delivery note, and the invoice, which has to be a rarity.
The Jack Barclay reference on the delivery note is obvious, not so is the "RR, Lillie Halle, Seagrove Road, Fulham.
Having googled that address, we are pretty sure that it is coach building works owned by Rolls-Royce at the time, and where BS`s possibly first Bentley was finished off, see Mr Turner`s final comment.
"Looks like the link between the factory dealers/coach builders
Rolls had set up in business in London as an importer and vendor of high-class French cars in early 1902 and traded from Lillie Hall in Seagrave Road, Fulham. As with most things he did, the enterprise was well organised. A feature of Lillie Hall was an extensive machine shop, equipped to make spare parts that could not be obtained from the manufacturers, and space to display used cars. A showroom in Brook Street in the West End was opened later prior to the final move to Conduit Street in 1905."
An excellent little anecdote, and many thanks to Mr Turner for taking the trouble to let us know all about the car.
Leave a Reply