1910 | DFP 10/12 HP

1910 DFP DROPHEAD COUPE Type 4 series E.
Chassis Number: 461
Registration Number; BF5365
Very Rare & great for any Bentley collector. DFP were the brand sold by Walter Owen Bentley & his brother Horace prior to founding the Eponymous company bearing the single brothers name. It was Walter who came up with the idea od alloy pistons instead of cast iron ones which close to doubled the 4 cylinder DFP's performance.
Auguste Doriot and Ludovic Flandrin had both worked for Peugeot and then Clément-Bayardbefore setting up their own car making company in 1906.[1] Their main product was a single cylinder light car and was sold as a Doriot-Flandrin.
In 1908 they were joined by Alexandre and Jules-René Parant and a new company was formed including all the names.[1] Four-cylinder models were now made with Chapuis-Dornierengines alongside the single-cylinder cars. The singles were discontinued in 1910 and a smaller 1592 cc four joined the line up.
This example known as the Foreign Legion car belonged first to a French officer in what is now Algeria. It was bought back to the UK some years ago & has been up prescott hill a few times.
Much money has been lavished upon it to put it into tip top mechanical condition. Indeed once the carb has been flooded the car starts on the first turn of the Handle every tims.
We have heard comments on the derogatory French meaning of DFP. I have heard that it also stood for Definitely First Pull, referring to the easy starting on the handle. I find that actually it is easier to prime (flood) the carburettor, wind it over for a few turns, switch on the only switch there is, then wind like fury until the engine takes over. This completely negates any chance of the engine throwing the handle back as there is a huge flywheel and low compression. This amazes onlookers & creates quite a spectacle.
It is very well worth reading the extensive paperwork & owners instructions & details of work performed on the car to put it in the excellent runniing condition we find it in today. Lubrication is a total loss system attended to by two visible oilers that should drip at around 6 drips per minute.
The original coachwork is both vintage and charming eliciting smiles wherever it appears. The car as a whole has a pleasantly original feel to it & lovely original black leather to the seats.
The car is VCC dated & comes with an exhaustive dating document running to some 30 pages & dating the car as of 1910 manufacture. With the car come assorted pictures of the extensive engine rebuild with the engine out of the car & disassembled into its component parts.
All lighting & brasswork is by "Helios" includig the running board mounted acetylene generator. A spare water tank sits on the bulkhead, no doubt for topping up the radiator in hot desert conditions but may also be mistaken for & pressed into service as a foot warmer for more inclement climes.
The 1.6 litre 4 pot engine gives excellent perfomance having been somewhat enhanced by boring out the Claudel Carburettor orifice from 8MM to 20MM. It trots along with gay abandon at up to 45 MPH on B roads with motorways best avoided.
THis is a very very rare car with just a few known in the UK & is everyday useable for pottering around town & taking on local trips. Walter Owen Bentley himself took one of these down to Lemans as a service car on his first foray into motor racing there. Any serious Bentley collector would do well to add it to his collection tracing back to the origins of the Bentley Marque.