For sale: 1922 Bentley sports car, in excellent condition with two previous Bradford owners.

The three litre, two-seater sports car, was once a familiar sight on the highways and byways of Bradford, will go under the hammer at Christie's in London on March 27. And it is expected to fetch £55,000 to £60,000.

The blue model was number 113 to roll out of the Bentley factory in Cricklewood, London, in 1921 and was sold new to an enthusiast named Mr E W Knowles, of Charles Street, Bradford.

With its Bradford number plate, KU 631, it was sold within a year to a Mr R Smith, of Fieldhead Mills, Bradford, who looked after the motor for more than 50 years.

And according to newspaper cuttings in the car's file, Mr Smith used his car for the purpose for which it was built - sport.

He entered the car in speed trials on the Morecambe New Road during the Morecambe summer carnival of September 1923.

Simon Towle, executive director of the Bentley Drivers Club, said its first owner would have paid £1,050 for the chassis and engine, and an extra £450 for the seats and body.

"People who bought these cars were obviously well off, probably rich mill owners. And no doubt they'd cause trouble at t'mill if they pulled up in one of these," he said.

"It's a lovely little motor and the new owner will have lots of fun. It's nice to see a car that's been sympathetically restored. It has the original style wheels and it would appear it has the original body and still has the front wheel brakes.

"The early Bentleys were built with front wheel brakes but a lot of others have had them fitted since for safety reasons. The engine also has a very early carburettor set-up that's been retained."

He said there were about 1,600 classic Bentleys in the world, about 1,000 of which are in Britain.

"But a lot of them are a bit of one car and a bit of another. This one is quite unusual."

Colin Warrington, motor expert at Christie's said: "Initially it's quite a special car. It's almost one of the very first built by Bentley Motors and it appears to have the original body.

"It had long-term ownership in the north of England and ran in a very early motor sport event driven by a resident of Bradford. Obviously there are risks with this kind of sport but the car seems to have survived."

The car has the original chassis, engine, steering box and bonnet with matching numbers.

After its Bradford links the car moved to Dorset and was then sold on to the current vendor in London.

It is ready for road use and has a current MoT.

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