I recounted my first meeting in Paris with William Medcalf, founder and director of Vintage Bentley, in the first article of my blog entitled ‘THE GENESIS’.
After a few phone calls with William and Anna, I took advantage of a beautiful spring day to take the ferry from Ouistreham in Normandy to Portsmouth on the south coast of England.
Although I am an airline pilot and flying is a fast mode of transport, I have always preferred to travel at a leisurely pace when travelling for personal reasons – within reason, of course. The boat transforms a conventional journey into a lively adventure. Setting sail means arriving somewhere else before you even touch land.
Those who hesitate between plane, train or boat quickly realise the uniqueness of the crossing, where time takes on a different flavour. Some passengers settle down to read, chat or listen to music, while others wander around the ship in search of the ideal spot to watch the sea go by. This type of travel is conducive to relaxation. It is difficult to find this simplicity on a short flight or car journey.
Crossing the Channel by ferry has always been a pleasure for me: and as I love England in all its forms (or almost), I have made countless crossings of the Channel in all weathers and all seasons. I must admit that it is much less fun when there is a storm warning: in that case, I avoid the ferry!
After arriving in Portsmouth, it’s only a 25-minute drive to the beautiful and peaceful little village of Hill Brow. This is my first visit to the Vintage Bentley premises.
What strikes me immediately is the quirky and chic feel of the place. The architecture is in perfect harmony with Bentley’s vintage years. We enter through the magnificent showroom where the cars available for sale are on display. I am greeted by Ashley, whom I don’t know, but whose warm welcome leads to a conversation over a cup of tea. There’s no doubt about it, I’m in England. He tells me that William is still busy with an appointment, but that Anna Wilkinson, the very friendly Sales Director, will be here shortly.
I take the opportunity to take in the historical and cultural richness of the place. The walls are lined with relics of Bentley’s past glory, particularly the five victories of the Bentley Boys at Le Mans. Attention to detail is omnipresent in this magnificent room. Even the stands from the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been reproduced!
As for the cars, it’s a real treasure trove: there are several 3-litre models. A ‘3 4/5’ (i.e. a 3-litre chassis/body around a 4½ Litre engine, offering the best of both worlds: the agility of the 3-litre chassis with the extra power provided by the 4½ Litre). There are two 3 Litre Speed models and an extremely rare 3 Litre SuperSports. A little further on, there are three 4½ Litre models (including the one that would later become my car) and a magnificent 6½ Litre model that I had seen in an article by Octane UK magazine.
This is William Medcalf’s personal car (registered GJ755), which previously belonged to his own father. William and his team completely rebuilt it during the COVID period. It is a work of art.
I meet up with Anna Wilkinson, who arrives with William. Good humour and simplicity are guaranteed, just like when we first met in Paris!
They show me around the two floors of the building, starting with the workshop area. There are a dozen cars impeccably parked and mounted on jack stands (I have never seen a lift in workshops where vintage Bentleys are serviced. There are several key reasons for this, which I will come back to in another article).
There are about twenty mechanics, in black or ochre overalls with the ‘Vintage Bentley’ logo, busy working on the cars. Everyone is happy to chat with me, although I remain discreet enough not to disturb anyone. William describes the special features of the workshop, which is spread over two floors. For certain jobs, such as upholstery or car storage, the cars are lifted to the second floor by a huge hoist.
What is immediately apparent and also true here is the old adage ‘everything has its place and there is a place for everything’. Cleanliness is not just a concept either, it is a reality: you could almost eat off the floor! Whether it’s a simple repair, a service or a restoration, surgical precision and excellence define every action performed on a car at Vintage Bentley. I am very impressed. It reminds me of the guided tour of the McLaren Formula 1 team’s premises that I was able to take part in at Woking a few years ago.
William takes a look around the workshop and says to me, “The increase in space available at Hill Brow has allowed us to undertake more restoration and rally preparation work, with twelve bays in constant use to restore and preserve some of the finest Bentleys in the world. We carry out over 16,000 hours of restoration work per year. Over the last decade, the team has overseen incredible projects such as the Works Le Mans team cars, the discovery of major historical components, numerous cars with historic racing records, incredible 3 Litre SuperSports, Speed Six Sports Saloons, and even a Bentley found in pieces in a house!”
Before meeting Tyler and Ed, two very friendly young pillars of the workshop, William tells me that he has enormous respect for all his team members and their boundless commitment to the success of each project: ‘Our team is united in all situations and the pursuit of perfection brings us together.’
I stop in front of the huge Vintage Bentley logo bearing the number 8 (the number carried by the first Bentley 3 Litre Sport to win at Le Mans with John Duff and Frank Clement) and I am intrigued by a phrase written in Latin. It reads ‘Viscera et Gloria’. In English, this translates as the famous phrase ‘Guts and Glory’. William smiles and says to me: ‘It means that if you don’t have the courage to take risks, you won’t be able to achieve your goals or succeed. Without daring, there is no glory! Perseverance is the hallmark of our team.’
William seems to have an eye for everything, stopping and rolling up his sleeves to help put a wooden body structure back on a 4½ Litre chassis that is being restored. He picks up a rag and puts it back on a workbench. The boss’s personality is effortlessly apparent.
Still on the ground floor, the tour continues through a series of ‘white’ rooms worthy of a laboratory. The first room is occupied by HAAS machines. This is the company’s CNC (Computer Numerical Design) machining section.
William explains that “since the team published its first spare parts catalogue, it has set a new standard in the market with more than 2,000 parts manufactured for Bentleys built between 1922 and 1932. Designed and manufactured by our skilled toolmakers and engineers, they combine traditional tooling skills with the latest available technology. What makes our parts unique in the classic car industry is our use of CNC milling machines, lathes and CAD design, as well as our CMM (coordinate-measuring machine) inspection and in-house quality control. And if that weren’t enough, we install and use all parts in our workshops so that our mechanics can test everything and provide feedback to the engineering team. All data relating to our competition cars is recorded and logged so that we can predict the lifespan of parts and pass on any weak points to the engineering team for improvement. All of this ensures the best possible parts for customers who demand the most from their cars. It is this combination of talented and intuitive engineers and state-of-the-art design and manufacturing resources that sets us apart. High performance is in our DNA, and it is reflected in everything we do.”
The tour of the ground floor continues with two other adjacent ‘white’ rooms dedicated to engines and quality control. A 3 Litre engine is being reassembled. Parts are laid out on a spotless surface and two engineers are scrutinising a camshaft ready for reassembly.
The first floor holds many more surprises, starting with the area where several thousand spare parts are stored. The place is incredible. Everything is there, or almost everything, from tiny parts for a steering column to an imposing differential. Whether for one-off parts, small series or large-scale production, Vintage Bentley manufactures and stocks literally thousands of parts that meet the most stringent industry standards.
We then move on to the leather and upholstery workshop, which smells of the specific products used for the tasks and work carried out there. William points to a long piece of burgundy leather on a workbench and says, “Thanks to our experience, we know more or less what a car looked like when it left the factory or at another time in its history. Depending on the mood of the owners, Bentleys were first born as “Saloon” cars, then became “Tourers” before returning to “Saloon” status. In the same way, cars were first made with four seats before becoming two-seaters and vice versa. In 100 years, the life of a Bentley has inevitably seen many ups and downs. We are proud of our ability to recreate this look or add a touch of elegance and design if necessary. We can source most types of leather, trims, seat cushions, seat upholstery, tonneau covers, covers and bodywork coverings in Rexine and other products to ensure your complete satisfaction with any upholstery project we undertake for any of our customers”.
The last part of the tour takes place in the offices and various meeting and customer reception rooms. Here again, time seems to have stood still in the heyday of Bentley and the Bentley Boys. There are large leather club sofas and furniture made of mahogany and other precious wood.
The 1920s/1930s décor, reminiscent of the era of the Bentley Boys, reflects the elegance of the forms, the noble materials and the perfect balance between classicism and modernity: an era of artistic innovation and refinement. Clean lines, precisely proportioned furniture, a subtle interplay of symmetry and contrast: every detail of the 1920s/1930s style is designed to create an atmosphere that is chic, comfortable and imposing. The furniture is adorned with old and more recent trophies bearing witness to the victories of William’s customers from all over the world. Attention to detail is omnipresent. It feels like a museum, but one that is fully alive every day!
If you would also like to visit the magnificent showroom or workshops of Vintage Bentley, please feel free to contact them directly by email. The showroom is open on Saturdays by appointment between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The ‘Works’ can also be visited. The guided tour, ‘The Works Tour’, takes place almost every Thursday and allows visitors to go behind the scenes and immerse themselves in the world of Bentley. Book in advance for a very modest fee. The funds raised support a partner charity. The unique booking address is admin@vintagebentley.com / +44 (0) 1730 895511.