History of B37CW, 1934 Hooper Sports Saloon

by Noel McIntosh

This Derby was one of those “barn finds” which is so lucky because the car was preserved in absolutely original condition.  I found it in 2005 where it was hidden in the late 1960s.

The car featured in The Silent Sports Car and Great Cars of the Golden Era.  This was Edward Guest’s of Edinburgh first Derby and he bought another 3 all with the same body design – see Neill Fraser’s B27JY in his Bentley Beauty book.  It has a Hooper swept tail aluminium body. 

The car looked innocent in its cracked, shiny paint but it hid some well disguised, dodgy repairs.  A small re-paint job turned into a 3-year complete personal restoration and mechanical rebuild.  This was a labour of love as the mechanical work on Royce’s cars is as great a pleasure as the motoring, especially if the car is very original and unmolested. The front brake hub even had the rarely found lead warranty seal.  All the component numbers match the Bentley Motors Build sheet.

The sunroof channels needed repair so the whole turret, from the windscreen to the tail, was removed.  This exposed a very well preserved ash frame which requiring only a few pieces to be replaced.  The original mahogany floorboards are in great condition but the plywood sections in the back were renewed and the whole lot fitted with new felt strips.  Wiring was replaced with correct colour coded wire and the ends whipped with cotton thread. Front and rear indicators were fitted without any new lights to keep the appearance as it was in 1934. The whole interior was re-upholstered.

Seat belts have been discreetly fitted to the front and rear and the front seats secured to the floor and to the chassis. I did my engineering thesis on seatbelts in 1964 and am keenly interested in safety.

The first outing was on the Australian Derby 75^th rally which I organised.

The car has now covered about 5000 miles and is going exceptionally well – touch wood!  The slipper drive is quietly working and compressions are matching.  An absolute pleasure to drive and to ogle.