- Bentley Motor’s first factory entry to the Le Mans 24hr race will be starring at the London Classic Car Show this February
- After the 3 Litre’s appearance in the 1925 edition of the famous race, MH 7580 went on to be the company demonstrator being driven enthusiastically by potential clients
- William Medcalf first restored the car in 2001 and has taken care of the car ever since, successfully preparing it for racing and rallying
- William Medcalf brokered the sale of this very important historic car to its current owner
- MH7580 will be returning to race at Le Mans for the first time in more than 90 years this year, as it is due to appear at the 2016 Le Mans Classic
- It will be driven at the ExCeL by Bentley Belle Georgina Riley
West Sussex, 4 February 2016 Bentley Motors’ first works entry Le Mans 24hr car will be playing a starring role at the London Classic Car Show this February.
This incredibly important piece of Bentley’s motorsport history will be making a public appearance at the London Classic Car Show, where Georgina Riley will be taking the wheel. Georgina is a member of the Bentley Belles racing team – a four-strong all-female historic racing team that has competed in the likes of the Mille Miglia, the Le Mans Classic and the Benjafield’s 24 hours race in Portimao.
The London Classic Car Show is a rare opportunity to see many famous, beautiful and iconic cars in one place. Not only are the cars on display, they are also fired up and driven, giving crowds the chance to see, hear and smell them on the move.
William Medcalf Vintage Bentley has looked after the Bentley 3 Litre Team Car for the last 14 years, having given it a complete and historically sympathetic restoration in 2001, and fully rebuilding it again in the last couple of years. The car remains remarkably original, and William Medcalf preserved as much of that as possible while working on it.
The car retains its original Vanden Plas four-seater body, and it was fitted with a lower, more aerodynamic windscreen than was standard, in a bid to improve its speed. It also came with a large, 25-gallon fuel tank, stiffened suspension and an engine that was uprated to ‘Supersports’ specification.
The car raced in the 1925 running of the Le Mans 24hr race, although unfortunately failed to finish, retiring on lap 19. A last-minute rule change meant that cars had to run with their hood up for the first 20 laps, which affected their fuel efficiency. Despite leading the race from the off, Number 10 inevitably ran out of fuel dashing W.O. Bentley’s hopes.
Herbert Kensington Moir and Dudley Benjafield, the founder of the British Racing Drivers’ Club and winner of the 1927 Le Mans 24hr race, were the Bentley Motors Works drivers for the race.
After Le Mans, MH7580 was driven hard as a company demonstrator before being sold into private hands. The car has always been in active service and in the 1970s completed over 1000 miles in a day just to prove her stripes. It was also named ‘Car of the Show’ at the Bentley Drivers’ Club Concours at Hatfield House in 2005. In 2013 MH7580 was driven by William Medcalf and Paul Carter non-stop for 24 hours at the Portimao race circuit, covering over 1400 miles, in preparation for the inaugural Benjafield’s 24 hour race that took place the following year.
This year it will be making an exciting return to racing at Le Mans after more than 90 years, when it takes part in the Le Mans Classic, alongside other notable cars of the period.
William Medcalf said: “It has been a privilege to work on such an important part of British motorsport history, and it will be fantastic to see it make a rare appearance in front of British crowds. The London Classic Car Show’s special setup means that attendees will not only be able to see this car up close, but watch it on the move as well.”
William Medcalf is an authority in all aspects of vintage Bentley ownership and his name is synonymous with the marque. William Medcalf started working professionally with Vintage Bentleys 22 years ago, and is situated on the road between Brooklands and Goodwood in West Sussex, England, and is the only place you need go to buy, sell, service or prepare a vintage Bentley from the iconic 1922 to 1932 era.
The state of the art workshop at the company’s headquarters is world-renowned for its rally preparation and car preservation. William Medcalf Vintage Bentley also offers the world’s best parts department for vintage Bentleys, and a full calendar of social events, races and rallying.
William’s passion for vintage Bentleys began at a young age, he first drove one at the age of just 12. Since then he has driven hundreds of thousands of miles in these cars, all over the world and is personally involved with everything related to vintage Bentleys, and is a highly regarded stalwart of the vintage Bentley community. He can often be found with his sleeves rolled up working on an engine, organising events and taking part in numerous races all year round; preserving the cars, at all hours of the day and night if needs be.