The premier English coachbuilder, HJ Mulliner, built this beautiful body on a Bentley chassis in 1935. Today it retains almost 100% of it’s originality right down to anti-tampering lead seals Bentley put on stub axles. It’s history file has the original, handwritten 1935 HJM order and Bentley factory records showing how bespoke coachbuilding was ordered and executed in the golden age of motoring.

This 3-postion DHC (sedanca de ville) is a very rare body style on Derbys. HJ Mulliner built only 9 and this being the only one in Australia.

Before Australia, the car spent 40 years in Las Vegas, driven only 400 miles in that time. It was imported into Australia in 2012 and the owner spent 5 years, almost full time, personally restoring the body, mechanicals and electrical components. The all-aluminium body was removed to re-make the intricate wooden frame under the aluminum skin. The bare metal was painted in the original 1935 colours and pin striped. The chassis was sandblasted, primed, painted and rebuilt with its many hundreds of components.

Components were retained and sensitively restored. The engine and rear axle were completely overhauled with new bearings, pistons, valves, etc. All electrical components were rebuilt and a new cotton-covered wiring loom threaded around the chassis.

The interior was renovated with Scottish Bridge of Weir red leather, Wilton carpet, StayFast hood, English Mohair Bedford Cord Broadcloth and Dynamat Sound Deadening for a quiet ride. The original seat springing and wool padding was retained. The safety and integrity of the cabin has been improved with many invisible changes.

Another of this owner’s previous Derby Bentley restoration’s won the Best Touring Trophy, in a field of 1000 Rolls Royce and Bentley cars at the UK Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Annual Concours in 2013.

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