1925 Bentley 3-Litre “Light 15.9”
Chassis:
# 1145
Engine:
# 1149
Registration:
# YK 9063
Price:
£ POA
Duty:
UK
1925 Bentley 3-Litre “Light 15.9” Vanden Plas Open Tourer – Factory Demonstrator
A unique Bentley factory demonstrator and prototype Light 15.9 Tourer, with special Vanden Plas coachwork and three long-term custodians from new.
Ordered by H. M. Bentley as a showroom and factory demonstrator for the proposed Light 15.9 Tourer.
Special Sports open-tourer coachwork by Vanden Plas, body number 1182, completed on 30 June 1925
Its lightweight specification included a single Smiths carburettor, reduced equipment and no dashboard rev counter.
First owner Robert Epton Caudwell retained chassis 1145 for an exceptional 33 years from new.
Bentley replaced the chassis at Cricklewood in 1927 following an accident, retaining the established chassis identity.
The Unique Bentley 3-Litre Prototype for the “Light 15.9 Tourer”
Chassis 1145 occupies a particularly interesting place in W. O. Bentley history. Ordered new by H. M. Bentley as a showroom and factory demonstrator, it was conceived as the prototype for a more accessible Bentley, intended to broaden the marque’s appeal while helping to fund development of the 6½-Litre and Speed Six.
The proposed model was to be known as the “Light 15.9 Tourer” and identified as a “Blue Label Bentley”. Its specification reflected a clear brief of lightness, simplicity and value, with reduced equipment, a single Smiths carburettor and, unusually for a Bentley of this type, no rev counter fitted to the dashboard.
Special Sports open-tourer coachwork was supplied by Vanden Plas, giving chassis 1145 a specification and appearance specific to its demonstrator role.
Its first registered owner was Robert Epton Caudwell, a prominent Lincolnshire gentleman farmer and landowner. Caudwell retained the Bentley for an impressive 33 years, establishing the first of just three long-term custodianships across the car’s century-long history.
Factory records show that chassis 1145 returned to Cricklewood in May 1927 following an accident, when Bentley fitted a replacement chassis. The established chassis identity was retained, as was normal practice for such factory work during the period, making this an important and documented part of the car’s early history.
Three Long-Term Custodians and Remarkable Bentley Provenance
In 1958 the Bentley passed to motor dealer Joseph Ward of Boston, who held the car for approximately 18 months. In 1960 it was acquired by Robert Scott Noble of Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow, beginning the second of its three long-term custodianships.
Noble entrusted chassis 1145 to noted Bentley specialists Hofmann & Burton of Henley-on-Thames. Their work included a mechanical rebuild, repainting the car in blue and black and carefully recolouring the original interior trim.
Noble retained the Bentley until 1998, when it was offered for sale by Brooks Auctioneers. Our client’s father purchased the car at that auction and became its third long-term custodian. His appreciation of the Bentley’s significance was reflected in the purchase price, which was 39 per cent above the auction’s upper estimate.
The resulting ownership history is unusually concentrated for a Bentley of this age: three substantial periods of long-term custody, interrupted only by the relatively brief period with motor dealer Joseph Ward.
Original Vanden Plas Coachwork and Carefully Preserved Period Detail
A comprehensive programme of cosmetic work followed the 1998 acquisition, with preservation central to the approach. Contemporary photographs show a clear preference for repairing and retaining original components rather than replacing them. Even the wings, which had suffered from corrosion, were carefully repaired and kept with the car.
The Bentley was returned to its original factory colour scheme of Grey with Black wings, while numerous period details were deliberately left untouched.
The side screens remain stored beneath the front seat, just as intended, while lifting the original floorboards reveals natural-fibre soundproofing still in place. These are small details, but on a century-old motor car they provide valuable evidence of how much historic material has survived.
All components available for inspection correspond with the surviving records and specifications for the car, reinforcing its notable degree of originality and giving the knowledgeable Bentley enthusiast considerable detail to examine.
A Historically Important W. O. Bentley to Use and Enjoy
Chassis 1145 is a unique 3-Litre Bentley: a factory demonstrator, the prototype for the proposed Light 15.9 Tourer and a motor car clothed in special Vanden Plas open-tourer coachwork. Its history is further distinguished by three long-term custodians across more than a century.
Yet its significance is not confined to documents, originality or rarity. The philosophy behind the Light 15.9 was one of simplicity, reduced weight and usability, and those qualities remain relevant today.
Now well into its second century, this is a W. O. Bentley to inspect closely, understand properly and, importantly, drive. It offers its next custodian the opportunity to become part of an unusually continuous story while adding fresh miles and memories of their own.
Please contact Tom to discuss chassis 1145, arrange an inspection or learn more about the accompanying history and documentation.
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