1936 Bentley 4¼ Litre Roadster by Chalmers & Gathings for sale on BaT Auctions – ending February 26 (Lot #181,314)

This 1936 Bentley 4¼ Litre began its life with Gurney Nutting coupe coachwork and was purchased in 1993 by designer and Art Center College of Design graduate Gary D. Moore, who set forth transforming it with custom roadster coachwork of his own design. Inspired by the streamlined styling of Georges Paulin’s “Emiricos” Bentley coupe of 1938, chassis B25GP’s aluminum bodywork was hand-fabricated by Bill Gathings over a wood body buck constructed by Doug Chalmers, who also contributed the build’s ash framework. After its completion in 2014, the car garnered several awards including Best of Show at the 2014 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, Best Classic Design at the 2014 Art Center College of Design Car Show, and the People’s Choice Award at the 2015 La Jolla Concours d’Elegance as well as class and special awards at RROC meets in Pennsylvania and California. The car remained with its designer until 2016 when it was purchased by its current owner. Finished in metallic gray, it is powered by a 4,257cc inline-six that features twin SU carburetors and is mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Additional features include servo-assisted mechanical drum brakes, hydraulic shock absorbers that are adjustable from the steering wheel, a Bijur central lubrication system, 18” wire wheels with body-color disc covers, a central fog light, tan ostrich hide over seating for two, and dual-grain wood interior accents. This custom-bodied 4¼ Litre is now offered on dealer consignment in California with spare trim pieces, a tool kit and owner’s manuals in ostrich-hide pouches, a portfolio with photos from the build, a black soft top with matching side curtains, and a clean Wyoming title.

The bodywork is said to have been initially conceived as a series of design drawings in 1992 and was inspired by the works of French dentist-turned-designer Georges Paulin. Among Paulin’s aerodynamically influenced creations was a 1938 Bentley 4¼ Litre outfitted with fixed-roof coupe coachwork for André Maris Embiricos that finished sixth in the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans before finishing the race twice over the following two years. Design elements of the Embiricos coupe carried over into this example’s custom open two-door body include teardrop-shaped fenders with rear spats, a sloping grille with an integrated fog light, louvered hood panels, rear-hinged doors, and a license plate faired into the trunk lid.

This example’s Gurney Nutting coachwork was removed and sold following the previous owner’s purchase in 1993, after which the rolling chassis is said to have been refurbished by MD Coachworks in Van Nuys, California. Named for its constructors, the custom Chalmers & Gathings body is finished in metallic gray and features integrated Marchal headlights, a low-profile V-shaped windshield hosting a driver-side mirror, a boattail rear-end profile, and taillights flush with the contour of the rear fender edges.

Black-painted 18” wire wheels wear body-color disc covers and are wrapped in 6.00/6.50 Firestone tires, as is a spare wire wheel housed in the trunk. Stopping is handled by drums all around, while a mechanical clutch-type servo driven via the gearbox provides braking assistance proportionate to the speed of travel.

The right-hand-drive cockpit houses bucket seats for two trimmed in pleated tan ostrich hide over the seating surfaces and slate gray leather over the seatbacks and bases. Matching upholstery covers the door panels in fan patterns with integrated storage pockets, while dual-grain wood trim and slate gray coaming surround the cockpit perimeter. Additional features include gray carpeting, a right-hand shifter, a dashboard-mounted rearview mirror above a shield-shaped wood accent, a passenger-side cubby, and leather rear luggage straps. A driver-side threshold plate notes Chalmers & Gathings as the coachbuilders, with inspiration from Georges Paulin.

The three-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a dual-grain wood dashboard that hosts a 110-mph speedometer, a tachometer with a 4,500-rpm redline and an inset clock, and gauges monitoring amperage, fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows 64k miles, and total chassis mileage is unknown.

The 4,257cc inline-six incorporates a cast-iron block, a separate aluminum crankcase, a crossflow cast-iron cylinder head, and pushrod-actuated overhead valves. Induction is via a pair of SU sidedraft carburetors.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission with synchromesh on its top two gears. The suspension incorporates hydraulic shock absorbers that can be adjusted to preferred firmness via a manette on the steering wheel hub. The car is equipped with a Bijur central lubrication system.

Included in the sale are custom ostrich-hide-lined pouches containing a tool kit and owner’s manuals, along with a variety of spare parts and accessories including replacement windshield glass, a license-plate cover, forms for the license-plate cover and taillights, a black soft top, and black side curtains.

An included portfolio features information and photos documenting the design and build process.