Brooklands New Year's Day 2013

On New Year's day it seems like a pretty good idea to take your British broom broom to Brooklands.

I can't think of a better viewing spot than the Member's Bridge looking up the banked track, just waiting for the cars to come.



You can just imaging back in the day car's flying under you.



It's just great.



And as expected, a number of Bentley motor cars turned up. Probably with hungover Bentley drivers from the night before.

Let's take a look down by the Club House. Oh look, a Bentley with yellow wheels, just like mine.

Yep, it's a 1924 Bentley 3L, chassis No. 413, engine No. 412 registration No. XP6994.



Now that is a trunk, not a boot.



Now this is a Bentley Boy racer!

How cool is the mesh covering the head lamps, the leather straps, the Union Jack and of course the white Race Spot. I totally want a race spot on my Turbo R.

It's just the business! Get your driving goggles and go.

It's a 1930 Bentley 4.5L chassis No. PB3538, engine No, PB3527 registration No. We6886.



But don't think it always looked like this. It did not.

Here is the car in the 1940's with the original Gurney Nutting saloon body. Same numberplate.

It just looks sad. Even the headlamps are pointing down in an unhappy manner.

"I want to be a Bentley boy racer, I have it in me, I can go fast, make you smile, please help me."



Parked next along is this combo.

The gatekeepers to the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club House.

The green car is a 1930 Bentley 4.5L chassis No. PB3536, engine No, PB3537 registration No. VR5906.



The red car is a 1926 Bentley 3L chassis No. 1235, engine No. 1242/82 registration No. NT8694.

Here is NT8694 from the 1960's doing a bit of paddock work. Not sure what colour it was then.



Next Bentley spotted is a car with plenty of stickers, it's Stanley Mann Racing!

It's a 1929 Bentley 4.5L chassis No. NX3466, engine No. AD3655 registration No. UW7644.

Looks good. I like the red on the front right fender/guard. No idea, but I'm going to say it's for racing. It makes it faster and conform to the rules.



And another race car. I can't find registration No. UR6847 on http://www.vintagebentleys.org/ so I think it could be a 'bitsa' W.O Bentley, but I don't know!

Dr Clare Hay is the expert on W.O. Bentleys, also know by the byline Michael Hay. She is the go to for W.O's.



We have a blower! Go the supercharger. 1929 Bentley 4.5L chassis No. FB3525, engine No. RL3428 registration No. UL8913.



Now we have a couple of Derby 2 door Bentleys.

I'm not sure of the coachbuilder, but we have a drop head coupé.



And this one is a fixed head coupé.

Can someone help with the coachbuilders? Leave a comment if you can.



Oh, and of course newer Bentleys turned up.

Is that a James Young S3 Continental 4 door? I'm not sure if it's called a Flying Spur or not.



Thanks so much to Clive Baker who goes by Flickr user Austin7nut for the Brooklands photos.

Also to Robert McLellan for the info on the W.O. Bentley on his great site http://www.vintagebentleys.org/