Paris calls: four legendary Bentleys head to RM Sotheby’s

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Just a few days to go, and Paris once again breathes oil, leather, and history. Salon Rétromobile opens its doors: a short week in which the “city of light” becomes the global epicentre of the classic car world. Between the stands of dealers, clubs, and artists, the major auctions traditionally take place as well. RM Sotheby’s has long been a constant presence—and this year, one group of lots stands out in particular: four exceptional Bentleys from the collection of Peter Godehardt.

Together, these cars tell the story of Bentley in its most heroic era: the 1920s and early 1930s, when the marque built its reputation on robust engineering, sporting ambition, and an almost aristocratic presence. Godehardt collected Bentleys to be driven. And you can feel that in every detail.

1924 Bentley 3-Litre Speed Model Tourer by Vanden Plas

Perhaps the most “classic” Bentley of the quartet. Originally delivered with its Vanden Plas tourer body, matching numbers throughout, and a documented history reaching back to 1924. Several owners used it exactly as intended: for long-distance travel. In the 1980s and ’90s alone, it covered more than 38,000 miles across Europe and even the United States.

This is the archetypal vintage Bentley: four seats, fabric panels, a Speed Model chassis, and a presence that is both sporting and stately. Cars like this define the benchmark for an entire generation of enthusiasts.

1924 Bentley 3-Litre Speed Model TT Two-Seater (Jarvis style)

This Speed Model is built around a 1924 engine and a chassis rebuilt by Bentley Works Service. In 1969 it received its sleek, taper-tail body in the style of Woolf Barnato’s famed Jarvis Bentley. The result is a car that visually points straight to Le Mans and Brooklands.

1926 Bentley 3-Litre Weymann Saloon by Gurney Nutting

Chassis AP325 marks the end of the second series of 3-Litre models. Gurney Nutting clothed the car in an elegant Weymann saloon body, with fabric panels that were light and quiet—modern for their day. After disappearing off the radar for decades, this Bentley resurfaced in 1991. Since then it has been sympathetically restored, retaining its original chassis, engine, steering box, and even the distinctive Smiths starter.

Finished in soft green leather, with Lucas “King of the Road” headlamps, a luggage rack, and matching suitcases, this is a remarkably authentic example.

1931 Bentley 8-Litre Tourer (Vanden Plas style)

This may well be the most eloquent expression of the Bentley philosophy. The 8-Litre, originally delivered with a Kellner body, was reborn after a storied life as a sporting tourer in Vanden Plas style. And it was used exactly as W.O. Bentley would have intended: hard and far.

Within a single decade the car covered some 75,000 miles, including eight Mille Miglias and journeys through Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, and India—often towing a period Eccles Jacobean caravan, also offered in this sale.

At events such as Classic Days, that caravan served as a mobile salon for drinks and conversation. It is a combination that fires the imagination.

Technically, the car has been optimised over the years—with, among other things, a Phoenix crankshaft and revised gearing—without losing its character. In the hands of the Godehardt family it was used intensively for rallies and tours throughout Europe, including laps of the Nürburgring. This is a Bentley that invites driving, not standing still.

What makes this selection so special in our eyes is the spirit behind it. These are Bentleys that have lived. They were not collected to age in silence, but to be driven, travelled, and remembered. At a time when more and more top-tier classics disappear into climate-controlled vaults and private museums, this collection stands as a counterstatement. We hope the future custodians understand that—and do the same. Because here, it has been convincingly proven that it is possible.

Details:

• Event: Paris 2026 by RM Sotheby’s
• Date: 28 January 2026
• Location: Les Salles du Carrousel, Paris, France
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