1938 | Bentley 4 1/4 Litre

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Cliveden House event, 8 July 2025.
£100,000 - £150,000 GBP

• Beautifully proportioned, streamlined coachwork
• Fascinating features, including a nearly full glass roofline
• Originally delivered to prominent Bentley client Robert Constantine Graseby
• Well-sorted and properly cared for in its current ownership
• An ideal contender for alpine touring and rallies; a marvellous Derby Bentley

Bentley 4¼-Litre chassis number B83LE, offered here, was bodied by H.J. Mulliner to a most unusual-yet-attractive design. Dubbed a ‘High Vision’ Coupé, it features a roofline that incorporates a Mulliner-patented curved Perspex forward panel, shaded by concertina blinds, and a full glass sunshine roof—permitting a marvellous panoramic view of surrounding scenery with enclosed “all-weather” comfort. Furthermore, the rear quarter windows and windscreen can be easily opened to allow flow-through ventilation, with the result being an almost convertible-like sensation at speed. All is wrapped in a beautifully proportioned body design, with swept wings and tail, and partial spats over the rear arches and wheel discs.
The car was originally delivered to Robert Constantine Graseby, a precision instrument manufacturer in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. A great enthusiast of the Derby Bentley, he acquired six of them new, one in each year from 1934. Reportedly, this was more than any other customer. All wore triple-digit number plates—clearly, he was a fastidious client who knew what he wanted and had the means to acquire it.
Chassis number B83LE eventually made its way across the Atlantic, and during the 1980s resided in the well-known Michigan Rolls-Royce and Bentley collection of Edward and Theodore Mintz. After this, it returned to the United Kingdom and was part of Gordon Willey’s noted stable from 1993 until 2016. It was acquired by The British Icons Collection in 2016 and, following considerable sorting, was much enjoyed on events, reportedly covering some 4,000 miles in the last eight years. The car was fitted with a stainless-steel exhaust system, which delivers a sharp and sporty sound.
A well-known example to the Bentley community, it is featured in Bernard L King’s book The Derby Built Bentleys, as well as, of course, being recorded in Stanley Sedgwick’s roster All the Prewar Bentleys As-New. It is accompanied by an impressive history and maintenance file, showing the fastidious care lavished during the ownership of the consignor.
This would be a lovely Bentley to continue to exercise on alpine tours, enjoying the numerous benefits of its striking coachwork and superb engineering—in the tradition of that great enthusiast, R C Graseby.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/ch25/.