DRIVING THE PRE-WAR ROUTE

If you’re in the market for a classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley and you fancy a model that’s perhaps less predictable than some of those we’ve already looked at, this could be the ideal time to consider a pre-war alternative. There are plenty to choose from, aided by excellent survival rates in many cases. It’s estimated, for example, that up to 75% of all the Derby Bentleys built between 1933 and 1940 still survive thanks to their initial high quality and the care and attention lavished on many of them over the subsequent decades. And equally good news is that some of the pre-war offerings still manage to offer good value for money on today’s market.

For reasons of cost, let’s put aside the most iconic Bentleys of the ’20s, produced during the company’s independent days, and instead focus on the earliest cars built after the 1931 takeover by Rolls-Royce. The models colloquially known as the Derby Bentleys were produced at that town’s Rolls-Royce works from 1933, with both the 3½ Litre and 4¼ Litre proving to be a major success. Marketed as ‘The Silent Sports Car’,