February 2012 Newsletter - KDA132

Dr Ian Johnstone’s image of B118LS, a Van den Plas Drop-head
Coupé
B84MR, engine R4BW, originally Thrupp & Maberly Saloon,
delivered in November 1938 to A. Fraser. Now owned by
Lewis Townshend of Palmerston North, who commissioned
Roger Fry in Perth to build a “Bullion Bentley” replica. The
“Bullion Bentley” had been a 1935 Bentley 3½ Litre B38EF,
a 3-position Drop-head Coupé by Franay delivered in August
1935 to P. Bernot, and so known after a substantial proportion
of France’s reserves in the form of platinum were smuggled out
of the country as the German Army advanced in 1940. When
it went back to the UK in 1947, it was registered SML444. The
last known owner is M. Prince (UK) in 2000. Another replica of
it, built on a 4¼-litre chassis B126JD is exhibited in the Peter
Briggs Collection at the York Motor Museum, Western Australia.
B49MX outside Dansey’s Pass Hotel during a Bentley Drivers
Club touring weekend
B165MX, engine N4BL, Park Ward Continental Saloon,
registered September 1939 to London Metal Products as
FXN608. This car came from America, through the Real Car
Company, to the present owner, Berwick Taylor in Auckland.
B165MX in America (above) and outside Dansey’s Pass Hotel
(below) in Otago
Glynn Williams took these photographs of B84MR (above) with
the original Thrupp & Maberly body, and (below) as it had just
come out of its container in Palmerston North after re-bodying by
Roger Fry in Perth
B49MX, engine P9BY, Jack Barclay Park Ward Pillarless
Saloon, U.K. registration FYR100 to C.J. Campbell Steen in
August 1939. Imported by R.S. Mills, Wanaka, and now owned
by Bruce McIlroy, Ashburton.
In addition, the following note came from Peter Baines, then the
General Secretary of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, to Roy
Tilley in May 2000:
“B141JY The current owner of B141JY says that the car, a Vanden
Plas All-weather, was in Dunedin owned by someone whose
signature looks like J T Chalslock. Can you confirm the name? The
owner is planning to visit next February and would like to trace this
contact.”
In preparing this item, welcome help was received from Ramon
Farmer, Gavin Bain, Bruce Mcilroy, Roy Tilley, Geoff Beetham,
Glynn Williams, Richard Langridge, James Kirker, Clynt Inns,
Philip Eilenberg, Bob Johnson, Ron Hasell, and the late Willis
Brown, Dr Ian Johnstone, Denis Harwood, and Geoff Edwards.
NZRR&BC Issue 12-2 9