Lot Ended
Description
A unique combination known as the 'Jentley'; Jaguar MkVIII running
gear with a William Arnold Derby Bentley body; CooperCraft brakes; power
steering; XJS manual gearbox; beautifully executed and on offer from a deceased
estate
This handsome special started out in life as a 1957
Jaguar MkVIII - a fine car in its own right, the history of which is scant other
than the chassis number suggests it had a manual box with overdrive and was
originally fitted with a 3.4-litre engine.
It was acquired in 1966 by
Arthur Billard, a silversmith by trade, but gradually the body deteriorated to
such an extent that it was decided to take radical action. In the early
1970s Billard had discovered a Derby Bentley body sitting in the corner of
a fellow silversmith's workshop which was acquired for £12! It was to be a
perfect match.
The Jaguar chassis was given a major restoration and notes
on file suggest the 3.4-litre engine was rebuilt by Ken Jenkins of Worksop
and mated to an all-synchro XJS manual gearbox with overdrive -
2,700rpm at 70mph by all accounts. The brakes were converted to CooperCraft
discs and Burman power steering fitted to make parking a
doddle.
The William Arnold Streamline body dates from 1936 and was
originally fitted to Bentley chassis number B180GA which was owned
by Frank Cobb, a well-known silversmith from Sheffield, who was a relative
of John Cobb, well-known racing driver and Land Speed Record
holder.
Cleverly grafted into position, it retains its original body
structure and bonnet, with modified wings and the Jaguar grille, modified by
Billard himself. It all sits very naturally in place and makes a very fine
combination - in effect a coachbuilt Jaguar MkVIII.
The retained dash is
Jaguar, with the rest of the trim/interior being Bentley/William Arnold,
complete with some nice touches including a flower vase.
Painted Biascan
Blue and sitting on E-Type V12 wheels, the job was finally completed in around
2005, but sadly the owner's eyesight was failing by then and he didn't get to
drive the finished car, although he did enjoy regular trips as a passenger. An
online check of the MOT history shows that it was tested every year between 2005
and 2014, covering some 4,750 miles during this period.
On offer from a
deceased estate, it was acquired through Jeremy Wade in 2015 and given regular
exercise up until about 18 months ago. Spencer Lane Jones gave the car a
comprehensive service and check over in 2019 costing £1,100 and the family have
recently had it running (see attached video) although it will doubtless
benefit from a degree of recommissioning.
Known as the 'Jentley' and
featured in a write-up in the Bentley Driver's Club magazine in 2014, it
looks like a very easy car to both drive and own, with an ability to cover big
distances with Grace Space and Pace....
Note that the car was started
on 23rd May and was running nicely as per the video
Contact
matthew.parkin@brightwells.com