Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin on their winning Bentley Motors Ltd entered Bentley 4½-Litre at Le Mans, June 17, 1928. The duo completed 155 laps, 2669 km.
Second was the Robert Bloch/Éduard Brisson Stutz DV16 Black Hawk ‘Bearcat’ 5.2-litre straight-eight, with the André Rossignol/Henri Stoffel Chrysler 72 Six 4.1-litre third, having completed 154 and 144 laps respectively.
It was Bentley’s third victory in the race: Frank Clement and John Duff won aboard a 3-litre Sport in 1924 – the second time the event was held – and Dudley Benjafield and Sammy Davis, 3-litre Speed in 1927. The marque won again in 1929, Barnato/Birkin 6½-Litre Speed Six, 1930, Barnato/Kidston 6½-Litre Speed Six and most recently the Capello/Kristensen/Smith Speed Eight in 2003.
Tim Birkin/Jean Chassagne Bentley 4½-Litre in front of the other team car driven by the Frank Clement/Dudley Benjafield then the Louis Chiron/Cyril de Vere Chrysler Six Series 72. The Birkin car finished fifth, the other pair were DNFs: the Clement machine with radiator hose/oil issues, and Chiron/De Vere were disqualified after a bump-start.
Bentley 4½-Litre chassis ST3001…
The winning Barnato/Rubin machine, chassis ST3001 (above) was the first Bentley 4½-Litre off the Cricklewood production line. Completed in June 1927 with Vanden Plas Le Mans-type body, it was delivered to Barnato for use as a Bentley Motors team car.
Barnato gave ST3001 the nickname Old Mother Gun. YH 3196 debuted at Le Mans in 1927. Driven by Frank Clement and Leslie Callingham the car set a lap record on its second lap with the convertible hood still up. ST3001 retired from the race after 35 laps while leading, having become enmeshed in the infamous White House Crash that eliminated seven cars, including the Bentley team. There was a second 24-hour race held at the Circuit de la Sarthe on August 15-16 that year, the Grand Prix de Paris. Frank Clement and George Duller led from the off and won it by over 80 miles.
In 1928 the car won despite the challenges. Frank Clement’s car was forced out when the chassis frame cracked, disconnecting a water hose and emptying the radiator. All seemed lost again when the frame of Old Mother Gun, leading at the time, also cracked with about 15 miles to go. Despite having to ease, Barnato hung on with the other 4½-Litre of Birkin/Chassagne fifth after losing a lot of time during a wheel change.
ST3001’s chassis was then replaced with a new heavy-pattern chassis frame. OMGs second chassis was later used to rebuild the 4½-Litre MF3157.
In 1929, Old Mother Gun raced again Le Mans, as the only 4½-Litre entered, alongside Bentley’s two 6½-Litre Speed Six’. Victory went to the Speed Six Old Number One with Old Mother Gun second raced by Jack Dunfee and Glen Kidston.
The rest of the field…
The Maurice Benoist/Louis Balart Tracta FWD leads the similar car of Roger Bourcier/Hector Vasena, while below, the Bourcier/Vasena machine passes the stranded – but ultimately eighth placed and first in class – Robert Benoist/Christian d’Auvergne Itala 65S 2-litre.
The Clive Gallop/EJ Hayes FW Metcalfe entered Lagonda OH 2L Speed, DNF accident.
The Sammy Davis/Bill Urquhart-Dykes (ninth) and Maurice Harvey/Harold Purdy (sixth) Alvis TA FWDs and to the right, the Lucien Lemesle/Henry Godard S.C.A.P – Sociéte de Construction Automobile Parisienne – (DNF) in the pitlane before the off, and below, Davis at speed.
Action for the grandstand crowd, the Émile Maret/Gonzaque Lécureul S.A.R.A SP7 (DNF) battles with the Goffredo Zehender/Jérôme Ledour, Chrysler Six 72 DNF radiator.
The Maurice Benoist/Louis Balart Tracta-SCAP (12th) chases the (11th) Baron André d’Erlanger/Douglas Hawkes Lagonda OH 2L Speed.
The Robert Benoist/Christian d’Auvergne Itala 65S passes the crashed Sir Francis Samuelson/Frank King Lagonda, Samuelson was experiencing gearbox problems at the time he crashed.
As the MotorSport report reads, our Knight’s frenzied reversing efforts resulted in his teammate, D’Erlanger, in another FE Metcalfe entered Lagonda, colliding with him and pushing him further into the sand and through a fence. The shot below shows him in this situation, as the Gregoire/Vallon Tracta passes.
The shot above shows Samuelson attempting the difficult task of releasing the left-front guard/wheel from the voracious clutches of the fence and sandbank. A task in which he was unsuccessful.
Front of the field action from the winning Barnato/Rubin Bentley 4½-Litre and second placed Édouard Brisson/Robert Bloch Stutz DV16 Black Hawk ‘Bearcat’.
Journo’s enjoying a Gauloise – with a Pernod closeby no doubt – as they interview a driver atop the pit counter.
Gorgeous Lombard AL3 of Lucien Desvaux/Pierre Gouette, they finished 13th outright and third in the 1100cc class.
Winners are grinners, sort of. Not really at all actually. Bentley Boys Frank Clement, Tim Birkin and Woolf Barnato.
Credits…
LAT Photographic, MotorSport, MotorSport Images, F2-Index, Wikipedia
Tailpiece…
Incredibly evocative, romantic shot of Francis Samuelson trying to extricate his Lagonda from the ‘merde’ while the Maurice Harvey/Harold Purdy Alvis TA FWD passes (sixth)…and the shadows grow ever longer. Marvellous.
Finito…
primotipo... 