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<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Chassis #3 last sold at the Pebble Beach auctions in October 2011. Here is the story behind the world's oldest production Bentley. The oldest surviving Bentley in the world is Experimental Chassis #2, or EXP2, housed at Bentley's factory in Crewe, England. The second of the three experimental cars that Walter Owen Bentley built before he began production of a customer version, when it was shown at the 1919 Olympia Motor Show it convinced Welshman Ivor Llewelyn to put down a deposit. You probably don't recognize the name Ivor Llewelyn, but you might recognize that of his son, Desmond, who played Q in the James Bond films from 1963's From Russia with Love to 1999's The World is not Enough. That's more Bond connection for The Flying B, since the literary 007 drove a 4.5-Litre Bentley in Fleming's books.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] In August of 1921, two years after putting down his deposit, Llewelyn took delivery of the first customer car, Chassis #3. The third chassis became the first delivery partly due to PR and partly due to production methods in the early days of the automobile. Chassis #1, delivered a month later, had been promised to a Bentley investor who also happened to supply Bentley's spark plugs. (Walter Owen was obliged to provide the 'first' car to one of his financiers.) On top of that, Llewelyn's 3-Litre was bodied with simple, elegant, two-seat roadster coachwork. In the days when these things were fashioned by hand, the more involved coachwork for Chassis #1 and Chassis #2, delivered later in 1921, simply took longer to build. Chassis #3 was offered up for auction by New Englander Thurston Twigg-Smith, Jr, who also owns a 1928 4.5-Litre Bentley and bought the 3-Litre in 1994, complete but in pieces, after having followed its ownership for years. "I was aware of this car through the club magazine. My dentist was also an enthusiastic 'closet' dealer of vintage Bentleys, and I knew when he got this car (Chassis #3) back in the late 1980s. I often spent time at his shop... and become enamored of its many early features. When I heard the dentist was getting a divorce, I figured the wife would take the cars. When she did, I offered to buy the car – which was partially apart and not running – and she accepted my offer. That was in 1994."</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] The car was noteworthy even in pieces. "I think the most special aspect of Chassis #3," Twigg-Smith said, "is its survival in essentially original condition and its place as the first production Bentley to have been delivered." Original condition isn't easy to come by when dealing in coachbuilt cars: those able to afford an original car were usually able to afford to have that car rebodied, and often did. Paul Hagenan, a Gooding specialist who helped Twigg-Smith prepare the 3-Litre for auction, said "With high-performance cars of that era like Bentleys and Bugattis and Alfas, you often saw body swaps and engine swaps. Especially after the war, people were ripping bodies off cars – not a lot of cars from the 20s and 30s survived to see the postwar period. No one seemed to care for keeping something original. It wasn't until the last 30 or 40 years that it became especially noteworthy to have an original body, and not until the last ten years that it became prized. For this car to have remained in original condition for 90 years is special."</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Of the three experimental cars built, only EXP2 remains and it has been rebodied more than once. Of the first five customer cars built, only #3 and #5 exist, and only #3 retains its 1921 specification. The years-long restoration of Chassis #3 was made more challenging by the fact that in 1921, Bentley was just beginning customer production and hadn't yet standardized his parts suppliers. "Essentially this was the fourth car built," said Hagenan. "On a car this early – the first car Bentley ever got paid for – he was working with different suppliers of parts like gauges and carburetors, so early cars have components that are unique to that chassis only, or 3-Litres only. Twigg-Smith spent years scouring catalogs and employing the resources of the Bentley Driver's Club to figure out what was correct on the pieced car he bought, and determining the exact specification of Chassis #3 in 1921.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Then, wherever possible, he didn't replace body parts with brand new components; instead, he repaired the fixtures that the car came with. The brass, for example, is the same brass that was pounded out in 1921. As noted in the Gooding catalog, "All major components except the front axle, which was replaced by the brakeless unit from Chassis 261 [early 3-Litres weren't fitted with front brakes], are original." The aluminum bodywork – scratched alloy with varnish – is original forward of the canoe-stern rear end. The rear was produced by Bentley in aluminum, but was redone in 1921 in steel when Mrs. Llewelyn requested a dickey (rumble) seat. Twigg-Smith maintained the configuration, but replaced the steel with varnished, scratched alloy. This makes Chassis #3 more of a restored Preservation Class vehicle than a 100-point restoration job. The work paid off. "It drives like a dream," said Twigg-Smith, "and is an absolutely perfect example of what WO Bentley wanted the cars to be: fast, comfortable and capable of transporting two people in comfort for long distances at high speeds." "I think what would surprise most people," he continued, "is the ease with which you can shift gears (no clutch is needed to shift up or down, once you understand the gearbox), and how well the two wheel brakes match the car's drivability. Starting the car is the toughest thing to learn, as a precise process must be followed if you want to bring the engine to life, primarily due to its early Smith's carburetor, which is only found on very early Bentleys."</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] We attended Pebble Beach as a guest of Bentley, and asked the firm's head of interior design, Robin Page, if the modern cars had any connection to examples like Chassis #3. "Definitely" he said. "The knurled knobs in our current cars, and the way the gauges come to rest at 1 o'clock, are details taken straight from the early cars." That, to us, is the proper use of one's automotive heritage. The auction of #3 was held for a full house in October 2011, meaning a thousand people in assigned chairs inside the Gooding tent and others filling the standing room. It took just a few minutes and began at $500,000, the few bidders who knew what they were getting took the hammer price to $875,000, for a total of $962,500 after the buyer's premium. That was a little less than Gooding's pre-sale estimate, but still roughly three times the amount a typical 3-Litre might fetch at auction. "I believe the buyer got a great deal at the price realized," said Twigg-Smith, "and although I am not disappointed, I was certainly hoping for a higher sales price! I think the fact that this car was essentially unknown outside of the Bentley circles may have limited its interest to collectors at this sale. I would not be surprised to see it sell for substantially more down the road a few years."</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Even so, he appeared satisfied that the car found a good home. "My understanding is that the family that bought it are enthusiastic Bentlists, so it's just as likely that the car will remain in their collection for decades. In any case, I hope they drive it, as that is what it is all about."</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Ethanol-laced fuel was not sold when our cars were built. Fuel with an ethanol component may or may not benefit current engines and the state of the world's oil supply. However; it rots the metal and gaskets in carburetors, and should not be used in any R-R or Bentley. The RREC Bulletin advises against the use of ethanol-laced fuel. According to one of our club members, "ethanol (alcohol) is a solvent and by itself can do harm to gaskets and sealant products as used in older engines." I'm also told that ethanol-laced fuel is also hard on our engines because it causes them to run hotter, with even lower fuel efficiency than is now the case - and that is saying something. Personally, I use Chevron 94 octane fuel not only because I like to give my Old Girl a treat but also because it is said to contain no ethanol. She seems to run beautifully as a result. (Large infusions of cash to my mechanic may also have something to do with this.) My research* has also revealed the following information. Gasoline - Ethanol Blends, Preventing any Menacing Problems posted at "The 411 on Ethanol" at www.goldeagle.com (makers of Sta-Bil products) provides information about E-10 and its effects on engines. The information has been much-paraphrased due to space. The good news is that E-10 has been used in many parts of the country for over 25 years so there are proven ways to protect one's engines from the potential hazards of using this fuel. The bad news is that E10 fuel can cause fuel "phase separation." This happens when the ethanol is pulled out of the gas and absorbed by the water when too much water has been absorbed into the fuel. To put it mildly, neither is good for the engine or fuel system. The only solution for phase separated fuel is to dispose of the entire fuel load, clean the tank, and start over with a fresh tank of E10. There is no magic ingredient to reverse phase separation. The easiest defense against this is to keep one's gas tank almost full at all times, so as to allow for as little space as possible for the fuel to expand in warmer weather. Moisture comes from the empty space in one's tank. Thus, reducing the amount of air in the tank will reduce the potential amount of water that can enter it from the air. More expensively, ethanol fuel may contribute to the rapid corrosion of fuel tanks and other fuel system components. Therefore, it is very important to use a fuel additive guarding against this every time the tank is filled. Ethanol can also loosen debris that normally collects in the corners of the fuel tank leading to clogged fuel systems. Adding a fuel treatment containing cleaners facilitates these dirt particles to pass through the system. Gasoline also "oxidizes" when exposed to air, meaning it loses its volatility over time and may turn to varnish. Using a fuel additive addresses these issues.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] The following is a short list of things one can do to protect our cars' engines: * Run a non-alcohol fuel stabilizer like STA-BIL in the fuel system at all times. Especially, recommended for engines that sit for a lengthy period. * On your first tank of E10 fuel make sure to use up as much of the fuel as possible as quickly as possible. Then fill up again and add STA-BIL as recommended. Many of the issues experienced are due to the mixing of old and newly formulated gasoline. * The more the vehicle/equipment is used the less likely it is to have problems. * If you don't plan on using it for a while, keep your tank 95% FULL to prevent any condensation but still allow room for expansion. It's important to avoid water intrusion into one's fuel system. * Make sure you know what your fuel retailer is dispensing. * Rubber fuel lines older than the mid-to-late 1980's should be inspected and may need to be replaced since they may not be compatible with ethanol-laced fuel. Hagerty's periodical magazine lists a website maintained by the Historic Vehicle Association that shows a map of stations selling ethanol-free free in North America. For a print-friendly list of stations (by state) selling ethanol-free fuel go to www.pure-gas.org For more information about Ethanol (probably much more information that you will want to read) go to: www.goldeagle.com - click on the "The 411 on Ethanol". The RROC Forum has scads of information with a multitude of members' views being available to read. Sta-Bil Ethanol Treatment** If you are looking for an additive that will help protect your vehicle or equipment from Ethanol-blended fuels, you should be using new STA-BIL® Ethanol Treatment. Used regularly, it helps to protect against corrosion while cleaning the fuel system and removing water at every fill up. It also cleans fuel injectors, carburetors and intake valves to keep the fuel system free of gum and varnish and deposits. It will also stabilize fuel for up to 12 months and is perfect for regular use in one's everyday driving vehicle. Sta-Bil Ethanol Treatment is not available at Canadian Tire or Lordco. It is, however, available in the USA at Walmart (part #1075635), Autozone and NAPA Auto Parts. Disclaimer by John Peirson: *I am not engineer. For this article, I'm more like a parrot, so please make your own decision. **Paraphrased from Sta-Bil FAQ website content.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Bentleys are a unique breed among classic automobiles, because you're just as, if not more, likely to see an 85-year-old Bentley being driven hard on a tour or raced on a track as you are to see one on a manicured concours lawn. And Bentley owners love to learn about their cars' individual histories and to share information with one another. There are Bentley clubs around the world that celebrate the cars, draw together owners and are storehouses for information, but the acknowledged online home of that enthusiasm is VintageBentleys. org.    Continued...</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] There are many movies all about cars, with a small amount of plot, others featuring long dramatic car chases, but there are also many movies and TV shows where the choice of car helps to define the character of the hero or villain, highlight the fashions of the time the film was made or even transform and otherwise ordinary film onto an iconic one... We have brought together a list of Vintage Bentley cars that have been in showbiz. Most chassis nos. have been identified based on the reg plate in the photo — not always the most authentic method... Some chassis nos. could not be identified at all — that's where our readers can contribute with some detective work.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] After contacting another very experienced owner (Geoff Owen) the advice was to check the oil filter for particles of white metal, tell tale signs of main bearing collapse. I had a sudden rush of blood and a dose of whispering "no, no, no, I hope not" to myself. Sadly there was enough white metal in the filter to make a brand new ingot. It was no, no, no but yes this is my time to rebuild the engine of our "WO" The car was delivered to my close friend Graham Gibson's garage, South Terrace Motors at Darfield. The fact that the local bakery is near by was a secondary reason for locating here but I can assure you that the combination of freshly cooked pies and cream buns together with the WO oil and Graham's enthusiastic staff was just the appropriate medication that got me through the mind numbing issues of a much worn engine. A cracked crankshaft, scored bore as well as all the big end and main bearings well past their used by date. Oil, water, grease, pies and cream buns — I was like a pig in mud. After a session on the internet costing out new overseas parts to rebuild the engine I decided that, as others have done to rebuild using local talent. Having gathered the parts and a sad looking car I returned home to a wife, sons and a mother who all thought the end is nigh. I must say the thought that the "Bentley Boys" are watching as to how this bush mechanic was going to handle a WO rebuild was never far from my mind and to that effect I made a resolution that time was not important and the attention to detail would be the success of the project. All other such interests would have to take second place. After seeking further advice from Geoff and Russell Hayes (Motor Reconditioners) and Allan Wyllie (Auto Restorations) the crankshaft was cut and a new flange welded on. Russell also fitted new sleeves, pistons and rings. Allan reset the end float of all the main shafts. Back in the 60's my father had problems with the skew gears that drive the magnetos and water pump. It was thought at the time that the loading on these gears caused them to strip and so they removed and adapted another water pump driven by the front pulley instead of the fan. Having no fan over heating on trips into built up areas and on hill climbs was always an issue. Upon stripping down the gears it became apparent that the magneto drive shaft was out of centre thus causing excessive wear. This may have been the problem that required the alteration back in 1960. After turning upside down the whole farm yard the elusive water pump and fan were recovered. The dog has a new kennel and the scrap metal pile under the trees has a new position — one meter further along from its last resting place. This episode reminded me of days gone by and how all these various metallic items played a significant role in our farming operation. Having overhauled the water pump and thermostat then thoroughly cleaning, polishing and painting the engine it was at last ready to assemble. This is where I probably have just enough mechanical knowledge to get into deep trouble. At this time ex J I Case mechanic and engineer David Penrose was to sell the farm a new bale feeder of which he is the manufacturer. Just the man I needed, although he was probably unaware as to the conditions of sale but it also included the assembly of one Bentley engine and after a tipple or two he caught the vintage bug. His finger tips are probably still sporting a few blisters of holding in the piston rings as the block was lowered onto them and then onto the crankcase. Such an operation requires an 80% mixture of professionalism and guts then a blend of 10% stable bank managing and 5% lubricant and the other 5% to the son turning up at the critical moment. Job done, the engine was ready for ignition having cleaned and checked the manifolds and overhead gear. It has been 12 months since the famous Bentley burble had aroused ones adrenalin, the large brass starter button was to be again forced forward to the engaging noise of starting the WO. All the issues of water leaks, oil leaks and poor idling plagued us for a few days then gradually the completed old racer emerged from the recovery room to the bright sunshine of a spring morning. Out on highway 73, was one tuned and balanced WO, burbling to the delight of two mechanical enthusiasts driving to a vintage car swap meet at McLean's Island. There in all its glory was the old racer back to its original mechanical state as it was in 1929 with two very experienced ears listening to the engine that all the affection was poured into. Both Geoff Owen and wonderful friend Pat Keating gave their seal of approval. That was the catalyst for David and I to open up and exercise the 4½ litres returning to the shed with the odd swap meet part in hand to enjoy some of the very refined products of Scotland adding to what we believe as a small dot to the history of the fastest trucks of old England.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] More than 60 old Bentleys from all over the world toured around South Africa in March 1990. These were brought to South Africa from all around the world to take part in the Total Vintage Bentley Tour.    Continued...</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] (Crewe and Goodwood, 29 June 2012) Just 35 miles away from the fabled Brooklands race circuit where it astonished thousands of spectators eight decades ago by sprinting its way into the record books, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin’s dramatic 4½ Litre Supercharged ‘Blower’ single seat racing machine returned to record-breaking form by reaching a sale price of £4.5 million when auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed today. This new world-best for Birkin’s striking 240bhp supercharged red racer now outstrips the previous record by a Bentley at auction when the Speed Six known as ‘Old No 2’ achieved £2.8 million at the Le Mans Classic in 2004. At its racing zenith and with the famously fearless and dashing ex-fighter pilot and Le Mans winner Birkin behind the wheel, this unique Bentley was one of the undoubted stars of the high-risk Outer Circuit at Brooklands. In March 1932 Birkin set a record 137.96mph (219.93kmh) at Brooklands, a feat even a man renowned for pushing back the limits in motor sport would describe as hair-raising: “there are bumps which jolt the driver up and down in his seat and make the car leave the road and travel through the air,” said Birkin. Commenting on the exploits of Birkin and his 4½ litre at Brooklands, Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of VIP and Royal Relations comments: “Birkin along with his Bentley racing friends like Woolf Barnato, Dudley Benjafield and Glen Kidston were true sporting superstars, renowned not only for their driving ability and courage but living life to the full and in some considerable style. They would create the enduring legend of the Bentley Boy racer at Brooklands and Le Mans and this new record price for a Bentley achieved by Bonhams reflects the enduring respect and admiration for their story and their cars.”</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] A record-breaking British car from the 'tween-war years has broken another record at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale this Friday 29 June. It is now the most expensive Bentley ever sold at public auction. The ex-Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin 1929 4½-liter supercharged 'Blower' Bentley single-seater, which when new raised the Brooklands Outer Circuit record to 137mph, sold for £5,042,000. The Bentley was sold as part of a collection once owned by famed watchmaker George Daniels of seven cars, two motorcycles and assorted automobilia. Daniels was a huge fan of Birkin, and also on sale at the Bonhams Goodwood FOS sale was another Birkin car. The 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 Long Chassis Touring Spider which formed part of Birkin's 1932 Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance Race entry with his friend Earl Howe, sold for more than £2.5 million. Malcolm Barber, Bonhams chief executive officer and auctioneer at the Daniels sale, said: "The prices achieved for George Daniels's cars today are a fitting tribute to one of the truly great artist engineers of the 20th Century. "George was not only a fantastic craftsman who hand-made some of the world's most desirable watches, he was also a car connoisseur held in immense respect throughout the vintage motoring world." Doug Nye, Bonhams historian, said: "It is wonderful to see this iconic car's true appraise recognized by the world market. "The Birkin single-seater Bentley was, in effect, the Concorde of its time, the fastest car around the high Brooklands bankings. It was driven by a great British hero in Sir Henry Birkin and was the most glamorous racing car of the era." The 'Birkin' Bentley represents both an incredible piece of British racing and engineering heritage, and a remarkable achievement, both of which came about through the participation in a racing project of four top British personalities of the day. First there was the fearless and charismatic aristocrat who was behind the wheel for the record lap. Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin was a Baronet who became one of the most famed of the legendary 'Bentley Boys' of the 1920s – 30s. For an entire generation of British motor racing enthusiasts the mustached 'Tiger Tim' in his goggles, wind cap and polka-dot scarf was the epitome of Imperial power, speed and daring – a very British kind of hero. Intensely competitive, he was a born sportsman who raced for racing's sake and was whole-heartedly committed to making the most of his natural talent. The engineering might behind the record effort came initially from Bentley founder and legend of his time, W O Bentley. Bentley's cars were designed with the motto: "To build a good car, a fast car, the best in class", and indeed they won the Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance Race on a number of occasions and set many records at the French track. Although the supercharged 'Blower' version was developed by Birkin with the backing of his financiers, it was based on the original 1927 design by W O, albeit against his wishes. Despite the input of these two British legends in their fields, the success of the Birkin Bentley would not have been possible without the significant financial input of two of Britain's wealthiest people at the time. Dorothy Paget, the daughter of Lord Queenborough, was a British racehorse owner who came from a prominent family of Thoroughbred racers and breeders. Her horses won a total of 1,532 races in both flat and hurdling, including seven Cheltenham Gold Cups and a Grand National in 1934. Living for the most part in Buckinghamshire and reportedly as eccentric as she was rich, she is said to have hated the sight of men – claiming they made her feel physically sick – and to have called all her staff by different colors rather than their names, apart from green, which she also disliked. British financier and racing driver Joel Woolf 'Babe' Barnato was, like Birkin, one of the 'Bentley Boys', and he achieved three consecutive wins out of three entries at Le Mans. A product of Charterhouse School and Trinity College Cambridge, Barnato played cricket for Surrey in the late 1920s and served in the British Army and RAF during the wars. After inheriting his family's fortune, made out of diamond and gold mining in South Africa, he poured cash into the troubled Bentley brand, pushing through in the meantime the famous 'Blower' Bentley so disliked by W O. These four remarkable personalities combined to produce a monster of a car that proved a real match for the aging, patched, bumpy and frost-heaved Brooklands circuit, a circuit Birkin himself described as: "...without exception the most out-of-date, inadequate and dangerous track in the world... Brooklands was built for speeds of no greater than 120mph, and for anyone to go over 130... is to court disaster... The surface is abominable. There are bumps which jolt the driver up and down in his seat and make the car leave the road and travel through the air." Following its race career, the car was converted into a two-seater roadster before being acquired by George Daniels. Daniels was one of the few modern watchmakers who could conceive, design and hand-make a complete watch from blank sheet of paper to finished timepiece. During his lifetime he created fewer than 100 pocket watches and wristwatches, each of which would typically involved 2,500 hours of work. Awarded a CBE in 2010, he is the only watchmaker ever to receive the honor 'Master Watchmaker, for services to Horology'.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Celebrating the Bentley Drivers' Club's 75th birthday in suitable style. This event mustered the finest collection of vintage Bentley’s seen outside the club’s annual rally and concours. Enthusiasts and their cars arrived from all over the world to celebrate the BDC 75th Anniversary and entered the 'Britain by Bentley Tour 2011', which encompasses the best historic sights that the country has to offer, and seen from mostly single carriage roads, with motorway driving kept to an absolute minimum. The tour got underway with a gala dinner at London’s Savoy Hotel on 4th June, followed by another dinner at the RAC Club in Pall Mall the next day, before the driving part started in earnest on Tuesday 7th June 2011, departing from north Essex. The month long tour which consists of four different sections, finishes at Leeds Castle, Kent, on 4 July 2011.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Swiss entrant Kurt Furger who nowadays resides in the USA, keeps his 1928 6½ litre (Chassis No. LM1345), converted to a Speed Six by R.C. Moss in 1960, in the UK. His Bentley started life as a four-seater tourer, but was converted to a hearse and used by an undertaker in Shepherd’s Bush during WW2. Kurt purchased the car about five years ago, drove it to Switzerland and completed four mountain passes in one day! 'The car’s been everywhere from South Africa to Le Mans and Silverstone,' enthused Kurt. 'It’s a great car to drive, and very quick too.' One of the earliest cars taking part was Tom Griffin’s 1923 3.0 litre which he purchased 10 years ago in very much ‘barn find’ condition. 'It had last changed hands in 1939 when purchased by a friend,' says Tom. 'When we got the car home it required much work to make good again, though we’ve left the bodywork in its original highly patinated finish.' One of the event’s star turns was Syd and Nicki Reinhardt’s 1929 Sedanca De Ville (Chassis No. KR2687). This was the 1929 London Motor Show car as displayed by W.O. Bentley and H.J. Mulliner, that has survived intact with its original body, and is nowadays well maintained at the Bentley Museum at Crewe. To complete the whole Bentley theme, there was a flypast by Andrew Wood of P&A Wood in a 1930 De Havilland DH60G Gipsy Moth that was operated by Bentley Motors in the 1930s.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Bentley Blower No. 1 (Chassis No. HB3402) is a racing car developed from the Bentley 4½ Litre by Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin to win the Le Mans twenty four hour race. The car came second in the 1930 French Grand Prix, and held the Brooklands circuit speed record at 137.96 miles per hour (222.03 km/h), from 1931 to 1934. Background In 1921 Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin turned to motor racing, competing a few races at Brooklands. Business and family pressure then forced him to retire from the tracks until 1927 when he entered a three litre Bentley for a six hour race. For 1928 he acquired a 4½ litre car and after some good results decided to return to motor racing, very much against his family's wishes. Soon Birkin was one of the Bentley Boys, described as "the greatest Briton of his time" by W.O. Bentley. In 1928 Birkin entered the Le Mans race again, leading the first twenty laps until a jammed wheel forced him to drop back, finishing fifth. He won the race in 1929, racing the "Speed Six" as co-driver to Woolf Barnato. Base car If W.O. Bentley wanted a more powerful car he developed a bigger model, and the Speed Six was a huge car. Ettore Bugatti once referred to the Bentley as "the world's fastest lorry" ("Le camion plus vite du monde"). In 1928, Birkin had come to the conclusion that the future lay in getting more power from a lighter model by fitting a supercharger to the 4½ litre Bentley, refusing to adhere strictly to "W.O."'s assertion that increasing displacement is always preferable to forced induction. "W.O." believed that: "To supercharge a Bentley engine was to pervert its design and corrupt its performance." When Bentley Motors refused to create the supercharged model, Birkin determined to develop it himself. Development Birkin set-up his own engineering works for the purpose of developing the car at Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. With financial backing from Dorothy Paget, a wealthy horse racing enthusiast financing the project after his own money had run out, and technical help from Clive Gallop, Birkin engaged supercharger specialist Amherst Villiers. Mercedes-Benz had been using compressors for a few years. To be power developed, the 4½ Litre Bentley engine had a distinct advantage. A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees, a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. Secondly the cars tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had filler caps that did not unscrew but were easily removed with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during stops. "W.O." refused to allow the engine to be modified to incorporate the compressor. The huge Roots-type supercharger ("blower") was hence added in front of the radiator, driven straight from the crankshaft. This gave the Blower Bentley a unique and easily recognisable profile, and exacerbating its understeer. A guard protected the two carburetters located at the compressor intake. Similar protection was used (both in the 4½ Litre and the Blower) for the fuel tank at the rear, because a flying stone punctured the 3 Litre of Frank Clement and John Duff during the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, possibly depriving them of victory. The crankshaft, pistons and lubrication system were special to the Blower engine.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Production The original No.1 had a taut canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann aluminium frame, housing a two-seat body. This presented a very light but still resistant to wind structure. It was officially presented in 1929 at the British International Motor Show at Olympia, London. No.1 first appeared at the Essex six hour race at Brooklands on 29 June 1929. However, the car initially proved to be very unreliable. "W.O." had never accepted the blower Bentley, but with effective company owner and financial backer Barnato's support, Birkin persuaded "W.O." to produce the fifty supercharged cars necessary for the model to be accepted for Le Mans. Racing While the naturally aspirated 4½ Litre was noted for its good reliability, the supercharged models were generally not. 1929 - Birkin entered No.1 in a 500 miles (800 km) endurance race at Brooklands in 1929. However, during the race its lightweight fabric two-seater body caught fire due to a cracked exhaust. Earning itself the nickname the 'Brooklands Battleship, as after putting the fire out Birkin kept racing. Paget resultantly paid for No.1 to be re-bodied with a single aluminium shell by Reid Railton, and painted in their racing red colour. 1930 Le Mans - The cars were too late for Le Mans in 1929, hence Birkin's co-driving of the Speed Six, and only two of the cars reached the start line in 1930. After an epic duel between Dudley Benjafield and Birkin's privately entered blower Bentleys, and Rudolf Caracciola's Mercedes SSK, all three retired leaving the victory to the Bentley works team Speed Six of Barnato and Glen Kidston. Birkin's courage and fearless driving, in particular his selflessly harrying Caracciola into submission, are regarded as embodying the true spirit of the Vintage Racing era. 1930 French Grand Prix - For 1930, motor sports enthusiast Eugène Azemar, who was involved with the Tourist Board in Saint-Gaudens in southern France, succeeded in persuading the Automobile Club du Midi to arrange a Grand Prix race in the region. Laying out a triangular, Le Mans-type track, the circuit became known as the Circuit de Morlaas. Hopig to run the race to the International Formula, when the response was poor the event was postponed and changed to a Formula Libre event instead. The new date meant that the Italian teams were unable to attend, leaving it to be mostly an internal French affair with sixteen Bugattis, two Peugeots and a Delage among the twenty five starters. Among the top Bugatti drivers were Louis Chiron, Marcel Lehoux, Count Stanislaw Czaykowski, Jean-Pierre Wimille, Philippe Étancelin and William Grover-Williams. No.1 was stripped down to racing trim, with headlights and mudguards removed. The race distance was twenty five laps of the 15.8 kilometres (9.8 mi) track, making a total of 396 kilometres (246 mi). Guy Bouriat took an early lead, followed by Williams, Zanelli, Czaikowski and Étancelin, with Birkin as first non-Bugatti driver, in sixth place. Williams in a works Bugatti then became the next leader. Czaikowski fell back through the field and Bouriat in the other works Bugatti made a pitstop giving over the car to Chiron. Then Williams also had to make a stop for a new wheel. That all made way for Étancelin to advance and he was followed by Birkin, the track with its long straights suiting the supercharged Bentley perfectly. At one-third distance Chiron led, followed by Étancelin, Williams and Birkin. Birkin's fourth place became a third as Williams got engine troubles but then Zanelli, who had made an early stop, came rushing through the field pushing Birkin back to fourth. At lap ten "Sabipa" crashed and was thrown out of his Bugatti, Birkin only avoiding the injured driver by the slightest of margins. After eleven laps Chiron encountered problems with oil pressure and Étancelin took over the lead. Soon Chiron was also passed by Zanelli and Birkin. The Bentley driver used the horn to warn the Bugatti to move over, surely a unique occurrence in Grand Prix racing! With seven laps to go Zanelli made another pitstop and Birkin was up into second place. While Étancelin, with a 2.5 minute lead, nursed his Bugatti Type 35 home to take victory, Zanelli had not given up and was catching Birkin fast. At the flag the margin was down to fourteen seconds, but it was enough for Birkin and No.1 to make Grand Prix history. 1931 - Bentley Motors withdrew from racing in 1930, and closed down the following year; they were then purchased by Rolls-Royce Limited, who did not authorise racing for a few years. Dorothy Paget withdrew her support for Birkin's racing team in October 1930, but continued to support Birkin's in No. 1. In 1930, the Daily Herald offered a trophy for the fastest driver at an event at Brooklands. The first year, Birkin and Don Kaye competed in opposing Blower tourers, with Kaye winning with a speed of 137.58 miles per hour (221.41 km/h). In 1932, Tim Birkin won driving his red Blower "Monoposto," clocking 137.96 mph (222.03 km/h). The track record stood for two years, before being beaten by John Cobb driving the 24 litre Napier-Railton. Birkins death Birkin kept his motor workshop going for two years after the withdrawal of Paget's financial support in 1930, by entering into a partnership with Mike Couper. The partnership developed a business specialising in tuning high performance cars, but closed down together with the works in 1932. On 7 May 1933 Birkin started the Tripoli Grand Prix in a new 3 L Maserati 8C owned by fellow driver Bernard Rubin, finishing third. During his pit stop Birkin burnt his arm badly against the hot exhaust pipe while picking up a cigarette lighter. There are different opinions of what then happened. The traditional view is that the wound turned septic, whilst others say Birkin suffered from a malaria attack. It was probably a combination of both that proved fatal, and Birkin died at Countess Carnavon Nursing Home, London on 22 June 1933. Post-Birkin's death In light of his penniless estate, the family sold off most of his non-core assets, including No.1. In the 1970s, the car was bought by noted watchmaker and vintage car collector George Daniels. Present George Daniels died in November 2011.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] This distingusihed car is now up for auction by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 29, 2012. 2012 Experts estimate the classic Bentley could fetch up to £5million - making it the most expensive British-built car ever sold publicly. It would smash the £3.5million paid in 2007 for a 1904 Rolls-Royce, with inflation adjustments making it around £4 million today. About George Daniels George Daniels CBE, DSc, FBHI, FSA (1926-2011) was one of the few modern watchmakers who could conceive, design and hand-make a complete watch from blank sheet of paper to finished, ticking, utterly supreme timepiece. As a specialist watchmaker, during his lifetime he created fewer than 100 pocket watches and wristwatches, each of which would typically involve 2,500 hours of work. His love of engineering also led to his abiding interest in fine motor cars and he accumulated an impressive collection over the years. In 2010 he was awarded the CBE, and he is the only watchmaker ever to receive the honor of 'Master Watchmaker, for services to Horology'. The jewel in the crown of the George Daniels Collection is the ex-Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin 1929-32 Bentley 4½-Liter Supercharged Single-Seater which set the Brooklands Outer Circuit Lap Record at more than 137mph in 1931. Daniels once wrote that, "For all its inconvenience it is a most exhilarating car to drive both on the road and track." George Daniels was a huge fan of the legendary 'Bentley Boy' and 'tween-wars boy's hero 'Tim' Birkin, and enthusiastic bidding is also expected for another Birkin car, the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 Long Chassis Touring Spider. It formed part of the 1932 Le Mans Team Car entries with Birkin sharing driving duties with his great friend Earl Howe for the endurance race.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Author: David Venebles, 2011. 16 color and 175 black and white photos and charts, 312 pages, large format, hard bound. Haynes Publishing www.haynes.co.uk £40.00/$59.95.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Before you say, "Another Bentley racing history?", note that this one combines the W.O. Bentley racing era with the Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen built Bentley race cars and their successes. The Vintage Bentley racing does overwhelmingly dominate the book and if you wish to pursue the Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen years, there are some fine books that cover those subjects more extensively that this Venebles' book. The strong points of this book are that it has very good coverage of the events and details with good photographic coverage. More important for many Vintage Bentley enthusiasts, especially those that are new to Vintage Bentleys, this book is relatively inexpensive compared to making the effort and spending a vast amount of money collecting all the out-of-print books covering Vintage Bentley racing. Bentley Motors published their own publicity literature immediately after they achieved a racing success and the English magazines, The Motor, The AutoCar and Motor Sport were on the scene capturing the events. Most of those articles are available in the out-of-print Brooklands Books of the 1960s and 1970s. The first comprehensive racing history of Bentley was Bentleys at Le Mans by Dr. Dudley Benjafield (one of the original "Bentley Boys") in 1948. That was followed by A Racing History Of The Bentley by Darell Berthon in 1956. I am rather partial to this book as I now own his Vintage Bentley, plus it is a very thorough history loaded with photographs, thanks to the Bentley Drivers Club archives. Michael Hay then published two outstanding works, Bentley: The Vintage Years, 1986 and Bentley Factory Cars 1919 - 1931, 1993. Both are highly researched and outstanding works that include Vintage Bentley racing history. Other authors, Ray Roberts for example, have contributed racing history at club races and other events. Collecting all of these out-of-print books is a daunting task left to the most fanatical Vintage Bentley enthusiasts. David Venables, logically begins his racing history with W.O. Bentley racing his DEP in 1913, which sets the stage for W.O.'s racing mindset once he established Bentley Motors in 1919. Readers to his web site most assuredly are familiar with racing history through 1931 and the author documents the events with excellent coverage. More interesting to many of our readers will be the years of club racing of your cars from that point up to the present. Combine that with the activities of Rolls-Royce built Bentley cars like the Embiricos that raced at Le Mans in 1949. Bentleys return to Le Mans in 2001 and then placed first and second in 2003 in Volkswagen built cars giving Bentley a total of six Le Mans wins that began in 1924. Adding this latest Bentley racing history to your collection is well worth while even if you have all the out-of-print books. At least buy it as a gift for someone with less knowledgeable so they can appreciate your Vintage Bentley and aspire to own one themselves.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] (Crewe, England & Brescia, Italy. 16 May, 2012) W.O. Bentley's gift for creating cars that combined the speed of a thoroughbred racing machine with an enviable reputation for strength and comfort, allowing them to effortlessly cover hundreds of miles, is set to be underlined once again at the 2012 Mille Miglia when two 4½ litre Bentley Blowers take on the classic 1,000 mile endurance test. Despite having a combined age of over 160 years, the Bentley Blowers are showing no signs of slowing down. The 4½ litre Supercharged 'Birkin Blower' (Chassis no. SM3917) — raced extensively by the legendary Le Mans winner and Bentley Boy Tim Birkin — has already successfully completed the Mille Miglia in 2005 and 2011. The Birkin's companion car is one of 50 Blowers (Chassis no. HB3403) built for road use and still appears at Bentley events around the world. It started life in 1930 as one of the company's first showroom demonstrators and is still performing its fair share of 'test drives' eight decades later. Rolf Frech, Bentley's Member of the Board for Engineering, who is leading the Bentley team at the Mille Miglia comments: "It is a privilege for the team to drive these remarkable cars at the Mille Miglia as they embody so many of the qualities that set Bentley apart from other marques and W.O. Bentley's brilliance as an engineer. We look forward to driving another thousand miles and setting a decent pace in the true Bentley tradition."</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] A 1954 company-owned R-Type Continental has also made the journey from England to Italy. Widely regarded as one of the most elegant cars to have sported Bentley's distinctive 'Winged B' emblem, the R-Type was also the world's fastest four seat luxury saloon when it was launched in 1952 (delivering a top speed of 115mph) and this year marks the car's 60th Anniversary. The best of Bentley's motoring past will be accompanied across Italy by two modern Crewe-built cars — the 6.0 litre W12 Continental GT coupe and the recently launched 4.0 litre V8 GTC convertible - which are playing a pivotal role in cementing Bentley's position as one of the world's leading luxury carmakers. Combining exhilarating levels of performance with all the advantages of a highly sophisticated all-wheel drive system as well as luxurious, handcrafted cabins, today's Bentley Continentals uphold the marque's reputation for building cars that can cover great distances quickly and with supreme ease.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] An appeal court recently heard a case on whether a vintage car should be deemed authentic after a good number of its original components were replaced. An earlier decision to award a buyer following significant work was done on a 1930 Speed Six Bentley was considered unreliable by the appeal court. The vintage car was a Bentley valued at £425,000 and was purchased in 2007 by Mercedes Brewer, a US businesswoman, from a notable dealer with the belief that it still had its original components. However following her discovery, she was awarded £90,000 for damages from Stanley Mann, which maintained that she already knew of the repairs made on the vintage car before it was purchased. The lawyers who represented Mr. Mann indicated that the sale of the vintage car as a 1930 Bentley Speed Six does not signify that all components were original as the description is not relevant to restoration work on the vintage car. The earlier decision was disapproved by Lord Justice Rix together with Lords Justice Lewison and Sullivan. According to the judges, the Bentley Speed Six will remain as a Bentley Speed Six even though it was falling apart prior to being restored. The decision was accepted by Mr. Mann indicating that the earlier decision on the vintage car will have a significant effect of the antiques market. Mr. Mann said that eighty-year-old vintage cars would require some components to be replaced at some point in time. The recent decision was favorable to the vintage car industry and if the earlier decision was sustain, the antiques market would be very much affected. The legal tussle started when the Bentley was purchased by Mrs. Brewer almost five years before. The Bentley Speed Six was unveiled in the 1920s and is considered as the best vintage car that was produced by Bentley. The vintage car offered 180HP due to its ix-and-one-half liter engine and was the most successful race car of Bentley as it won the Le Mans twice. According to Mrs. Brewer, the only original component of the vehicle was its chassis since the engine was reported rebuilt. The earlier decision was reached by Judge Anthony Thornton since the work on the vintage car was extensive enough not to call it a 1930 Bentley Speed Six Car The decision on the vintage car was disapproved by the appeal judges since the evidence presented was misunderstood and the appeal judges regretted the results although the decision was made since there a loss of objectivity in the judge that made the earlier decision.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] A vintage car can still be considered authentic even following a substantial rebuild where many of its original parts are replaced, an appeal court heard yesterday. In a landmark case based on a 1930 Speed Six Bentley, judges ruled that a decision to award damages to a buyer because the vehicle had undergone major work since new “could not be relied on”.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] American businesswoman Mercedes Brewer bought the £425,000 Bentley from a respected dealer in 2007 believing it to be in its original condition. But when she discovered it was not she successfully sued for £90,000 in damages despite Stanley Mann, who sold her the valuable model, insisting she was fully aware of its significant restoration prior to purchase. This week, lawyers appearing for Mr Mann at the Appeal Court argued that selling the model as “a 1930 Bentley Speed Six” did not imply that the vehicle was entirely original. They claimed that the description of the car had no bearing on the completed restoration work or the vehicle’s provenance. Upholding the appeal, Lord Justice Rix, sitting with Lords Justice Sullivan and Lewison, criticised the outcome of the earlier hearing. The judges ruled: “A Bentley Speed Six would, as it seems to us, be a Bentley Speed Six even if it had spent the whole of its life mouldering in a Maharajah's garage, and disintegrating there into dilapidation, before being rebuilt..”</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Mr Mann welcomed the decision claiming that the previous judgement would have had “immense” consequences for the “entire antiques market”. Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, he said: “The problem with 80-year-old cars like these is that at some stage everything has to be replaced. If you replace the leg on a Sheraton table, it is still a Sheraton table... This is a good day for the historic car business and indeed, had the flawed (earlier) judgment been allowed to stand, the implications for the entire antiques market would have been immense.” The lengthy battle over the Bentley began when Mrs Brewer, of Oakham, Rutland, bought the car from Mr Mann, of Radlett, Hertfordshire, nearly five years ago. Launched in the late 1920s, the legendary Speed Six was built during the company's heyday and is regarded as the finest vintage models Bentley has ever produced. With a six-and-a-half litre engine providing 180 horsepower, the classic British sports car proved to be Bentley's most successful racer winner with two victories at Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. But during a High Court hearing in October last year, Mrs Brewer claimed that she had been shocked to discover only part of her Bentley’s chassis was original, and that the vehicle’s engine was a “reconstructed” standard 6.5 litre unit dating to 1927. Ruling on the case then, Judge Anthony Thornton QC said the car had been so heavily worked on it “was no longer capable of being accurately described as a “1930 Bentley Speed Six Car”.” But the appeal judges criticised his findings saying he had “misunderstood or misinterpreted the evidence of the experts and that he created issues where there were none.” They added: “We express our regret at this unhappy outcome, but in circumstances where the trial as a whole was undermined by the judge's apparent loss of the necessary objectivity, no other solution has been possible.” Mr Mann, who has dealt in vintage Bentleys for more than 40 years, has since bought back the Bentley. After completing further restoration work he sold it on again six months ago for £675,000.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] 1,000 miles in a day... in a 1925 LeMans Bentley... with the top down... and the temperature below freezing... is a feat that should be attempted only by mad dogs, Englishmen and Texans...    Continued...</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] When the first supercharged Bentley debuted at the 1929 British International Motor Show, Charles Noble was only eleven years old, but he was already obsessed with Bentleys, spending countless hours with his nose pressed against the window of Jack Barclay's London dealership admiring the cars within. "His heroes were the great drivers of the day," recalls his son, Roger. "Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin — all the Bentley Boys. He would say, 'I'm going to have one of those cars one day.' When he died, he had seven." In June, Roger and his brother, Bob, brought their dad's 1931 4-litre "Blower" — one of fifty produced and one of four Blowers the senior Noble owned — to the revived Hershey hill-climb, which is now called the Grand Ascent. The twisting, paved road to the Hotel Hershey was slick with on-again, off-again morning showers, but Roger drove the mud-splattered Blower just as fast as he could. No matter that this particular Bentley is among the rarest of the thirty-five or so Blowers still in existence, one of only three factory-built to Le Mans spec and worth millions. My kind of guy — a Bentley Boy for 2011.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] But I'm getting ahead of the story. Supercharging the uncompetitive 4-litre four-cylinder racing car was not W. O. Bentley's idea. Decades later, he wrote, "To supercharge a Bentley engine was to pervert its design and corrupt its performance." W. O. believed in displacement, but team driver Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin convinced his teammate, Woolf Barnato — an independently wealthy man who rescued the company from bankruptcy and became chairman in 1926 — to support supercharging. W. O. had nothing to say about it, other than to refuse permission to modify his engines internally. The Roots-type supercharger, driven directly from the crankshaft, was mounted conspicuously in front of the radiator, between the car's front wheels. Birkin's wealthy patron and admirer, the Honorable Dorothy Paget, funded the workshop north of London where the competition cars were prepared. Meanwhile, W. O. brought out the Bentley Speed Six, which won the 1930 Le Mans race even as the blindingly fast (yet horribly unreliable) Blower set a lap record but failed to finish. Coincidentally, Barnato was on the winning team driving the Six, his third win in the three Le Mans drives of his career, making him the only winner of the twenty-four-hour race with a perfect record. The Blower never did win Le Mans or any other significant race, although Birkin took it to 137.96 mph at Brooklands in 1932, a record that stood for three years. Meanwhile, Noble the elder emigrated to the United States during World War II and became the driver and personal assistant of cosmetics queen Elizabeth Arden for twenty-five years, until her death in 1966. He then performed the same role for two decades for Bill Paley, the notorious founder and longtime chairman of CBS. "It was fun for Bob and me, as his sons," Roger told me at the bottom of the hill, the rumbling of old racing motors all around us. "He raced this car extensively in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, mostly at Bridgehampton. He actually won Bridgehampton in 1960 against Alfred Momo and Briggs Cunningham. My misspent youth was spent handing my dad wrenches. I'm a little emotional about driving it now. It's a connection to him. We've both gone over a hundred miles an hour in this one with Dad." "He scared the living daylights out of me," added Bob, this from a guy who flew helicopters for Air America out of Laos during the Vietnam War. Roger then gave me a ride up the hill that I will remember for a long time. Actually, he scared the living daylights out of me. At the end of this perfect Pennsylvania day, Roger washed his chariot and parked it among the hothouse flowers — exquisite Delahayes, majestic sixteen-cylinder Cadillacs, Cords, DuPonts, Packards, and Bugattis — parked fetchingly on the lawn of the Hotel Hershey for Sunday's automotive garden party. It was shining like the precious family jewel it is.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] The Bentley Boys are on the road again, this time taking part on the 'Britain by Bentley Tour'. Thirty-one days of magnificent driving, travelling some 3,000 miles throughout England, Scotland and Wales. There are a hundred participants from 13 different countries, celebrating 75 years of the Bentley Drivers Club. Started our tour at the newly renovated Savoy Hotel in London. Very nice, all the staff are 40 years or younger (no sedate old butlers left!). The clients are mostly 30-year-old Asians. At every step a staff member approaches you, a bit too much service.The highlight in London was a dinner at the Royal Automobile Club – impressive entry hall with stairs leading up to galleries which are decorated with vintage car racing scenes. Downstairs a large swimming pool with Turkish baths etc. The dining rooms are very elegant, everything wood paneled, unchanged since the 1920s.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] After two days of sightseeing in London, we took the train to Bedford where we were met by our "garagier" who took us to the Bentley and we took off to our first stop in Lavenham. On the way we met up with the group of 40, mostly vintage, Bentleys at a firm where a BDC member hosted a lunch. The entertainment was local dancing and a Tiger moth flying overhead. The car needed a new battery, supplied by AA which has special Bentley line. To our amazement they showed up within an hour; so very good service. The first rest day was spent in Lavenham, a well preserved medieval town. We did join a guided tour and I had the patience to follow for one hour and then disappeared discreetly. In the evening we were joined by Sally and Max our long time friends who live near by. After two days of driving, and visiting many castles including Sandringham and noble houses, we are now in Yorkshire where Heather was born. I am writing this note sipping a Starbucks after visiting the railroad museum and the cathedral. As you can see this is a very social and cultural trip! We usually depart by 8.30 am, stopping every two hours for a visit or a lunch at the pub. The route selection takes us on B roads and even single lane roads. The average speed is about 30 mph with all the roundabouts and stop lights in town. So very relaxed but scenic driving. We arrive around 5pm, just in time to check over the car, get unpacked, get ready for cocktails and dinner at 8pm. As we are about the average age (mid-late 60s!), after dinner at 10 everybody disappears, too tired for a drink at the bar. The weather is typically English – sun, rain and clouds, temperature between 12 and 18 degrees, hot when the sun is out, cold in a windy rain. We are having a good time meeting up with old friends from all over the word and meeting some new faces.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Spent a free day in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, taking an open-top bus tour to get an overview of the city surrounded by water. The UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the city combines the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town which, with its neo-classical architecture, became known as "the Athens of the North". The streets are steeped with history. Visited the castle which sits on its own volcanic rock at the top of the Royal Mile. The best view of Edinburgh is from the castle ramparts as nothing in the city can be higher. We then toured the war museum. Quite a few of the older buildings are still covered in soot from smoke from the many chimneys and look grey. Our tour guide says things are brightening up a bit now, but they cannot wash the old buildings as it would damage the stone?? The morning sun woke us up at 5.30 am. – a good start for our trip from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond. Crossed the Forth bridge, 2.5 km long, the world's first major steel bridge. Begun in 1883 and completed on 4th March 1890 when HRH Edward, Prince of Wales tapped into place a "golden" rivet. Construction involved the employment of 4,000 men at times. During operations rescue boats were stationed under each cantilever, saving at least 8 lives but still 57 lives were lost. The painting of the bridge for years proved legendary. As soon as the painters reach one end they would have to start again at the other. Painting is now being done using a state-of-the-art regime with at least a 20 year life span. It was very impressive.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Some of us stopped at the Gleneagles Hotel for coffee, the world famous haunt for golfers. Crossed the Tossachs National Park which separates the Highlands from the Lowlands of Scotland. We decided to take a 45-minute walk just outside Aberfeldy and then stopped for a pint of shandy and a cigar in the sun before proceeding to Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is the largest fresh water lake in Great Britain, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is a popular leisure destination and of course well known for its "bonnie, bonnie banks". Enjoyed a very entertaining evening starting with a boat ride and champagne, followed by dinner at the boat house. A Scottish piper presided over the haggis (the Scottish version of a blood and liver sausage) ritual. We retired about midnight after good scotch. The next day was a free day. We usually stay two nights at one hotel, which reduces the number of times we have to pack and unpack and allows us to do some quick washing. Our free days seem to start wet, so our planned seaplane flight was delayed for two hours. We eventually took off and could enjoy a bird's eye view of the many lochs, castles and golf courses. We later visited a local distillery, further improving our taste buds for the single malt. Ended the day with an informal dinner with some friends, as usual a bottle too many but we slept well! We experienced Scotland as very pleasant with beautiful scenery, a bit too laid back in some areas, when waiting for service at some hotels and restaurants one has to be a little patient! As to the cars, most seem to be running well. A Mark Six Bentley needed new springs (hard to find on the road) but luckily a garage in Edinburgh took some springs from another car (with the understanding that they would be eventually returned) thus allowing them to continue on the tour. A modern Bentley had some typical electrical problems, the car was towed some 60 miles to Glasgow only to find out that a fuse had blown. Left at 8 am next morning to cover some 240 miles through Argyle Blue from loch to loch and over rolling hills (they call them mountains here). The roadsides were covered in moss and the rhododendrons in full bloom. A magnificent ride for our last day in Scotland before we headed back to England. Took a ferry across one of the lochs allowing us take some more pictures. Stopped in Gretna Green, the world's most popular lovers elopement destination. Tonight we are staying in the Lake District, very pretty with mountains surrounding the lakes, and very, very green as it rains a lot here! We are near Keswick at the Lahore Falls Hotel, an old fashioned but comfortable establishment serving excellent food. We have now completed 1000 miles and surprisingly only had a couple of sprinkles while driving. The temperature is around 18 centigrade which does require a leather jacket and hat while driving, but warm enough to sit in the sun in a tee shirt. The teamwork with Roger, my co-driver, is still working well. We are driving and navigating to perfection!. On a long day we need some 60 liters of petrol, costing us over 100 pounds or 150 dollars, but the car does not use any oil or water! Today another free day in the Lake district, light rain start to with, the locals say more rain is coming in and as I am typing these words the rain is getting much heavier, I guess we are going to be grounded. There is a local bus into town, we will probably venture out with our rain gear on...</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Left the beautiful lake district on a rainy morning, put on all the rain gear to start with, then it brightened up and got warmer as we drove further south. Stopped at the Gibbon Bridge Hotel in Chipping for lunch sponsored by a BDC (Bentley Drivers Club) member. Another popular wedding destination with beautiful gardens in the forest of Bowland. Quiet country roads lead to many scattered, unspoilt villages and hamlets. Drove on to Wales and stayed in Llandudno for two days. Llandudno is Wales's largest seaside resort, boasting two wonderful beaches. The town has kept its Victorian and Edwardian elegance and splendour, despite its modern attractions. The "Summit Complex" - hotel and golf resort built in the 1900's - was requisitioned in 1941 by the RAF and became a radar station during the war. In 1952 Randolph Turpin, a champion middleweight boxer, became the resident licensee until 1961 when he got into trouble with the Inland Revenue. He ended his life with a single bullet in 1966. At dinner the Welsh Choir joined us with some 30 singers, the performance started at 9 pm and lasted until 11 pm, with many of the BDC members falling asleep!</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Next morning Roger and I went to visit the impressive Caenavon Castle some 30 miles away. Caenavon castle is the most famous of Wales's castles and also a World Heritage Site. Construction began in 1283 by King Edward 1 as the definitive chapter in his conquest of Wales. It was designed to echo the walls of Constantinople and was not only a military stronghold but also a seat of government and royal palace. In 1969 the castle was the setting of the Investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. The castle also houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers - Wales's oldest regiment. From there we took the Welsh Highland RR to Bedgellert; the vintage wagons were pulled by steam engines which were brought back from South Africa some 15 years ago. The following day we drove from Wales to Crewe using the motorway between Liverpool and Manchester. This is one of the most densely populated areas in Europe and the only way to make good time was to use the motorway, something we try to avoid in a vintage open car!. Stopped for lunch at another BDC members estate. Fortunately the marquees did not have to be used as the sun was out and we could relax in the wonderful gardens. We spent the night at Crewe Hall, where we were treated like royalty. The stately Jacobean mansion, located on extensive grounds, dates back to 1615. It has one of the most beautiful staircases in England, exquisite marble fireplaces, ornate plaster work and carved wood. It has its own chapel complete with stained glass windows. We were served champagne again before dinner, sponsored by Bentley Motors. Next day we visited the Bentley factory in Crewe, one of the highlights of the trip. Dress code was strictly jacket and tie, so we drove our Bentleys with ties and goggles! They still utilize the old brick stone factory buildings from the 1930's, but the insides have been modernized. They produce some 4000 cars per year here, producing the flagship Mulsanne and the cheaper Continental GT, with 4000 employees. Which means a lot of work is still done by hand and the lines are moving very slowly, giving the workers time to focus on quality and have a chat in between. The factory has the capacity to double and produce up to 10000 cars a year. We saw electronic specialists, paint experts and cabinet makers, copper smiths alongside trim specialists. 90 per cent of the Mulsanne cars are personalized, i.e. you choose your own colour, trim, wood inlays, family crest etc. Beautiful cars for some three hundred thousand dollars. We spent several interesting and happy hours here, fortunately we were able to resist the temptation of placing a special order! We are still trying to keep fit which is getting harder by the day as the food is generally very good and every evening meal is started with drinks, then wine and finished off with an after dinner drink. After Crew we stayed in Buxton for two nights. Buxton lies just outside the Peak District National Park. It was founded by the Romans, who were attracted to the site by the warm springs (constant temp of 28 degrees Centigrade) which emerge near the River Wye. In the 18th - 19th centuries the spa attracted royalty and gentry and over the years many magnificent buildings were constructed and the town prospered. Limestone quarrying became a major industry in the immediate area and, with the advent of the railroad, stone was easily transported across the country. Quarrying continues to be an important industry still today. After the First World War the spa industry went into gradual decline and by 1950 Buxton was a backwater. Recovery began in 1980's with the reopening of the Opera House and festivals and relocation of the university of Derby.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] We then went on to visit Chatsworth House, the magnificent estate of the Cavendish family for 16 generations and where the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire still reside. The original house was the work of Sir Wm Cavendish in the mid 16th Century. He was a crown commissioner responsible for dissolving monasteries and his reward was a gift of land here. The park covers some 400 hectares and is enclosed by a nine mile long dry stone wall and deer fence. The old hunting grounds are beautifully landscaped, ground work being planned by Lancelot "Capability" Brown in the mid 1700's. The house is filled with baroque art, the ceilings painted with voluptuous scenes, the walls decorated with paintings covering a period of 400 years. The current Duke collects contemporary art, so in between the collections of old dutch masters and Chinese porcelain one can enjoy modern sculptures; a true treasure trove of modern and historic artifacts. Over the years many famous people have stayed in Chatsworth, including Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned here. Another was Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire who lived here in a famous "menage a trois" in the late 18th Century. This visit allowed us to burn off some calories as we walked the grounds and gardens extensively. The next day started wet again and we drove to Ironbridge, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution some 300 years ago, where the first commercial foundry was constructed and first cast iron bridge in England was built over the river Severn in 1779. The town is now a World Heritage site with a collection of well preserved brick buildings. The weather improved gradually and we arrived in sunny Stratford-upon-Avon where the forecast is warm and dry for the next few days, i.e. 21 Centigrade, about 72 Fahrenheit with an occasional shower! (I have been advised not to use the word "sprinkle" as it has a different meaning in english!!}. Stratford is a town small in size but large in history. Birthpace of William Shakespeare, it is set on the banks of the river Avon. Flowers abound everywhere and there are many parks and green areas. There are still a large number of Tudor styled thatched cottages - most famous being Anne Hathaway's, a thatched farmhouse with stunning grounds and which still contains many original items of the family. It was here the young Shakespeare courted his future bride, Anne. Being a favourite tourist destination, Stratford has a rich programme of events and activities. In addition to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is celebrating it's 50th birthday season, there is music in the park, river racing and river cruising and always walks along the river banks. Wonderful old pubs such as the Black Swan (aka the Dirty Duck) and English cream teas (scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam) served in the afternoons. Our hotel is located on the river just a few steps from everything so we don't need to use our car.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] The first day in Stratford we spent walking around checking out all the important sites. In the evening we drove to close by Royal Leamington Spa to see family there. We had a quiet dinner with Olaf & Caroline (sister-in-law taking care of some much needed laundry for us) and at 9.30 we had to make a quick exit as it was raining quite heavily. Put on our rain gear (again) and drove back to Stratford on slick roads, getting back to the hotel safely before it got dark. Driving at night in the rain is no fun as glasses, goggles and windscreen all get fogged up! The rain stopped early in the morning, just as we were getting ready for the Annual Concourse d'Elegance to be held at the Bentley Club House in Wroxton. Some 350 Bentleys joined the event, quite a sight to behold! We were able to meet up with some old friends from previous tours and got a few laughs reliving car stories. The morning was as usual cool and in the afternoon the expected heat wave started allowing me to change into shorts - finally! Tonight we have our second black tie event, some 140 people will attend, tables of 12 - will see what the noise level will be trying to shout across the tables. Drove through the lovely Cotswold's from Stratford to Bath. The Cotswolds are without a doubt one of the prettiest areas of England, well known for its gentle hillsides ("wolds"), river valleys, water meadows, beech woods and dry stone walls. Ancient honey-coloured limestone villages and historic market towns are scattered throughout the countryside. Decided to skip the hotel breakfast this Sunday morning. The sun was just starting to penetrate the mist (it was like reading Brigadoon - with the Scottish mist), no traffic and no noise. We drove through quiet Chipping Campden and stopped for breakfast in the market town of Broadway, where we could sit outside! By 11 am the crowds arrived and we sprinted on. I was navigating and we took a wrong turn and ended up in Bourton-on-the-Water (where we were supposed to be later in the day after visiting Prescott). The town was absolutely packed with people sitting on the lawn having picnics on this most beautiful day. We enjoyed our pint of shandy and cigar sitting on a river bank outside a pub. Parked the car in front of the local Motor museum where Roger got nostalgic. They had a 1937 Austin Clifton with a dickey seat (exterior passenger seat located in the rear/boot), the same car he owned some 35 years ago. Then went on to Prescott where the Buggatis have their home, there has been top flight motor racing here for almost 80 years. The famous hill climb had very tight corners, not so good for the Bentley, so we did not use the track but we watched some cars racing up the hill in 42 seconds (world record is 31 seconds). The smell of hot motor-oil, hot tarmac and the sound of a well tuned engine, who could ask for anything more?!. Motored on and eventually arrived in Bath in the sweltering heat, one car had a broken half shaft/rear axle, probably from the Prescott Hill climb, while other car troubles included radiators, brakes, magnetos etc. Most of the cars got fixed on the free day in Bath.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] The next day we spent in Bath and were received by the mayor in the city park, followed by a lunch in the County Club. The mayor, the President of the County Club (a retired Air Marshall), the vicar and the organist joined as well and they all gave speeches, quite an affair! In the afternoon we took a guided tour through this beautiful city. The Romans built a settlement around the thermal springs here some 2000 years ago and a vast complex of baths was constructed, defining its spot in history. They are fuelled by mineral springs, outputting over a million litres of hot water each day. It was also a prosperous city during the medieval period, the site of an Abbey and Cathedral, and during the Georgian period the city was laid out with stately avenues, streets and crescents, massive structures were built which still exist today - extremely impressive. The nobles came here in the 19th century to heal and relax with their wives (or mistresses!). Beautiful parks and botanical gardens were conceived for relaxation, today they are ideal for picnics but local by-laws prevent the drinking of alcohol outdoors, (however topless bathing, I was told, is frowned upon but not illegal - get our priorities right!). Jane Austin also knew Bath as a thriving spa resort and lived here from 1801-1806; she set two of her novels in Bath. During World War 2 the city suffered a significant amount of damage during air raids. The prestigious crescents and terraces were relatively unscathed and later restored but large sections of more minor Georgian and Victorian areas were demolished and replaced by modern buildings, which now look out of place. The town centre is mostly traffic free with lots of coffee houses to sit outside, lots of young people roaming around as Bath is also a University town. So we did find the English summer after all - it lasted two days! Our next stop was Torquay where the Atlantic ocean and the English channel meet. Lost the starter motor. When we arrived in the Hotel parking lot in Torquay I took the starter motor out and saw that one of the bolts holding the spring on the Bendix shaft in place was sheared off. An Australian colleague had a spare set and this was fitted with the help of our Belgium friends. Two hours later the car was starting again with the replacement unit. Collateral damage included minor burns and a blue finger nail trying to refit the five pound starter motor. The Australian colleague wants the spare kit back, so I ordered a unit from my mechanic which hopefully will arrive tomorrow. Then we have to replace it again, by that time I will be an expert in replacing starter motors. Luckily we were able to meet up with great-niece Natasha and boyfriend Richard after worries that we weren't going to make it in time. Torquay lies on the "English Riviera", the waterfront is the focus of life in the town with a lively harbour and palm tree-lined promenade, giving it a Mediterranean feel. From a background of pirates, smugglers and honest fishermen, the town developed into a fashionable haven for tourists. Beacon Quay, now a bustling tourist haunt, was developed on the site of World War 2 slipways. Agatha Christie enjoyed bathing at Beacon Cove which became one of the original "ladies' beaches". And an eccentric hotel proprietor was the inspiration for John Cleese to create Basil Fawlty and Fawlty Towers when he and the Python team stayed at a Torquay hotel. We had very nice rooms overlooking the water. As today is a free day we set out to find a quiet spot to enjoy a lunch of english fish and chips. We landed in nearby Dartmouth, set on the banks of the estuary of the river Dart. It was of strategic importance as a deep water port for sailing vessels. It was used as the sailing point for the Crusades of 1147 and 1190 and was a home of the Royal Navy during the reign of Edward the third and was twice surprised and sacked during the 100 years' war, after which the mouth of the estuary was closed every night with a great chain. The pilgrim fathers put into Dartmouth en-route from Southampton to America. They rested a while before setting off on their journey to America in the Mayflower and the Speedwell on 20 August 1620. About 300 miles west of Land's End they realized the Speedwell was unseaworthy and returned to Plymouth. The Mayflower departed alone to complete the crossing to Cape Cod. In the latter days of World War 2 the town was a base for American forces and one of the departure points for Utah Beach in the D-day landings. We returned to our Torquay hotel for dinner, which was a fun affair with magicians and card sharks entertaining us. A very relaxed atmosphere which we thoroughly enjoyed after a busy day of sight-seeing. Tomorrow we set out for the New Forest and our next adventure...</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Left Torquay for the New Forest. A busy day. Met up with Richard (who came to visit us at the Imperial Hotel with Natasha the night before) and a couple of his work colleagues just outside Exeter. Took Richard for a spin and he piloted the 6.5 litre easily through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear with 4th still a work in progress. Then drove down the Devonshire coast and checked out all the chisel beaches - sand the size of marbles! Every where we stopped there were school children as the teachers were on strike. Parents and non-striking teachers took the kids out for a hands on cultural field trip. In the evening we met up with Roger's friends from Switzerland at Rhinefield House where we were staying, a beautiful Gothic building set on 40 acres of gardens and woods in the heart of the New Forest.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] The following day we went to see Lord Montagu's world famous National Motor museum in Beaulieu. The museum houses a collection of over 250 automobiles and motor cycles telling the story of motoring on the roads of Britain from the dawn of motoring to the present day. Lord Montagu's father owned a Rolls Royce in 1908 and thought it would be nice to have a mascot that "belonged to the Rolls Royce car as much as a carved wooden figurehead belonged to a sailing vessel". In 1910, Claude Johnson, the Managing Director of Rolls Royce, commissioned Lord Montagu's friend, Charles Sykes (a sculptor), to design the Flying Lady - the Spirit of Ecstasy. The model for the flying lady was widely believed to be Lord Montagu's mistress, Eleanor Thornton. The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot has adorned the radiator of every Rolls Royce since 1911. Eleanor never lived to witness the global success of the emblem made in her image. While travelling to India on the P & O liner SS Persia with Lord Montagu in 1915, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Eleanor lost her life but Lord Montagu survived and returned to England. The secret love affair was also immortalised in another mascot Sykes designed for Lord Montagu. It was christened "The Whisper" and depicts a young woman, believed to be Eleanor, in fluttering robes with a secretive finger to her lips. The New Forest is also home to ca. 3000 New Forest ponies and foals that can be found wandering freely in the Forest and surroundings (and in the middle of the roads!). There have been ponies running wild here for hundreds of years. Canute's Forest Law confirms their presence as early as 1016. Although they may appear wild they are in fact owned by the 400 or so "commoners" who have ancient rights to allow animals to graze in the forest. There have been many attempts to improve on the breed. In the middle ages Henry the Third introduced Welsh ponies to help strengthen the stock and Henry the Eighth (not content at just his wives) had smaller ponies killed. Queen Victoria lent the Forest her Arab stallion. Then went on to visit Buckler's Hard on the Beaulieu river where warships for Nelson's Navy were built, three of which took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. Some 2000 oak trees were required to build frigates so in 1800 the British government ordered a reforestation programme to guarantee enough trees for future ship building. However 100 years later steel was the material of choice so the majestic oak trees remain standing to this day. There can be few other places in England where the ancient landscape has remained so unchanged as here. In 1079 when William the Conqueror named the area his "new hunting forest" little did he know that nearly 1000 years later the "Nova Foresta" would still remain much as it was, making this a unique place. Another little tit bit of information, Alice Liddell, Lewis Carroll's inspiration for Alice in Wonderland is buried here. In the evening Abigail and Rob (newly betrothed niece and soon to be nephew-in-law) joined us for a BBQ dinner. We were slightly delayed as the repair of the starter motor was a little more complex than we expected...!</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Push started the car for the run through Sussex into Kent. The re installation of the starter motor was not successful. With all the handling of the unit it now has a loose connection in the housing. We pushed on anyway to visit Winston Churchill's home at Chartwell where we had a picnic lunch on the lawn. Then drove to Maidstone - our last destination. Sat next to Jimmy Medcalf for dinner, he did an apprenticeship including (amongst other things) starter motors and said it should not pose a big problem. He now owns the most original Bentley team car from the 1920's. Next morning we had an appointment with him at 9.30 am. He immediately saw where the problem was - ripped the unit apart and soldered the broken connection. It was my duty to refit the unit onto the chassis, laying on my back for the third time. One hour later we drove off to Dover, under our own steam, to visit the white cliffs of Dover and the Castle where one could easily see the European continent. The next morning, our last day with the group, we went to see a BDC members automobile, clock and vintage musical box collection, going down memory lane listening to old songs. Drove back to our hotel and put on our tuxedos for the final dinner at Leeds castle. The castle dates back to 1119, although a manor house has stood on the same site from the 9th century (at that time home of the Saxon royal family). It is set on 2 islands on the river Len and absolutely spectacular. Surrounded by water in a beautiful setting and perfect weather we sipped champagne and listened to a jazz band conducted by a nephew of Glenn Miller. As it was 4th of July the band dressed up in American uniforms. The final dinner with lamb chops, speeches and gifts recognizing the tour organizers wrapped up a very successful and enriching tour. Next morning it was time to say good bye. Roger took off for Switzerland and I drove the car back to Bedford for a complete service and storage. This was a very well organized tour allowing us to meet lots of new BDC members and seeing the best of Britain. Cheerio and Happy Motoring!</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Crewe, Tuesday 21st June: Bentley Motors today rolled out the red carpet to welcome over a hundred members of the Bentley Drivers Club (BDC) - and their fifty Bentleys - to its headquarters in Crewe. The visit is part of the "Britain by Bentley" tour which celebrates the club's 75th anniversary by emulating the tradition of the grand tour and traversing some 3,000 miles of UK roads in a range of models that span 80 years of Bentley's history. Drivers have travelled from around the world to take part in the event: Syd and Nikki Reinhardt have travelled from Australia with their 1927 6½ litre Mulsanne whilst others like Jenny Ford and her Blower Bentley are already based in the UK.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] The drivers arrived at Crewe Hall on Monday evening for a gala dinner with executive members from Bentley Motors. They then travelled to Bentley's Pyms Lane site under an honorary police escort this morning for a tour of the factory where new models such as the Mulsanne and new Continental GT are now in full production.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Richard Charlesworth, Bentley's Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who hosted the visit said: "No grand tour of Britain by Bentley would be complete without a visit to our headquarters here in Crewe". "We are delighted to welcome so many members of the Bentley Drivers Club and their vehicles today. It is a unique and very special occasion to have so many rare and historic Bentleys gathered here in Crewe." "Bentley and its drivers have always enjoyed a unique friendship which very few other motoring marques have been able to emulate. We hope that our visitors will also enjoy the factory tour and the opportunity to see the next generation of our cars which will create a new and exciting chapter for Bentley. Jenny Ford, Chair of the Bentley Drivers Club said: "The Bentley Drivers Club was set up 75 years ago by Bentley owners who revelled in driving their cars. We are proud to maintain that tradition today and have greatly enjoyed the warm welcome extended to us and the opportunity to see the Bentley factory flourishing.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Often enough during the 1930s I saw an advertising slogan for Austin cars, "You buy a car but you invest in an Austin." A comparable advertising slogan for Bentley cars would be, "You buy a car but you fall in love with a Bentley." In spite of all the changes which Bentley Motors has undergone since its establishment in 1919, its products young and old have always been and still are in keen demand all over the world, especially in New Zealand. In fact for a few years after its arrival on the world scene, the exciting 12-cylinder Bentley Continental R had its highest per capita sales in New Zealand. Although the combined urban and rural population of Timaru District was less than 60,000, from 1928 to 2010, it was home to nineteen Bentleys which arrived and departed at different times, each one owned, pampered and motored enthusiastically. During the nine years between 1976 and 1985 there were seven Bentleys of varied styles and pedigrees in the district for the whole of that time. In order to match this record the Greater Auckland City of 1.5m would need to host nearly 200 Bentleys for nine years. Chassis HF 3198. 1928 4½ Litre Tourer This Bentley was purchased near new by C W F Hamilton of Irishman Creek Station, South Canterbury, when he visited Britain in 1929 and brought it back to NZ later that year. Before bringing it to New Zealand Bill Hamilton raced this Bentley very successfully in England, where he won three races at Brooklands in one day. After being owned by two others it was purchased by Willis Brown of Invercargill, who was well known in Bentley circles for many years in NZ. This Bentley is now in the UK. As a very talented engineer, Bill Hamilton established on the Station an engineering workshop, which during WW2 employed a large staff producing weapon components etc. Later 'Hamilton Engineering' was established in Christchurch in 1948, but for some time Bill remained at the Station where he ultimately developed and perfected the Hamilton Jet Boat. Our member George Calder, Auto Engineer of Hoon Hay, Christchurch, worked for some years at Hamilton Engineering in Christchurch, thus establishing one more link between Irishman Creek Station, Bentleys and VCC. With Bill Hamilton's wife being a sister to Lucy Wills there has always been a strong association between Timaru Bentleys and Irishman Creek Station. Over many years the long established annual Queen's Birthday Weekend Irishman Creek VCC Rally has attracted many enthusiastic participants from far and wide, who initially used to be accommodated on the Station. Although they still visit the Station they now stay at other venues such as Fairlie or Kimbell. The photograph shows Lucy Wills beside NX3464. Chassis NX3464. Reg. OB1929. 1929 4½ Litre Purchased new by Lucy Wills of Tekapo Station in 1929, this car was taken to Snowdon Station, Mid Canterbury, in 1946 when Lucy and J. LeCren left Tekapo Station, due to it being flooded when Lake Tekapo was raised. This Bentley remains at Snowdon Station today with the current owners, Tony Tripp and his wife Nikki Tripp (LeCren). Chassis 1063 3 Litre Tourer Owned by Marjorie LeCren of Tekapo Station and later Snowdon Station, Mid Canterbury, this car came to Tekapo Station in the 1930s and at one stage was trucked. Later it was sold to Beaches who in turn sold it about 1954 to Mike Haggitt of Dunedin, under whose ownership it was converted back to a tourer. When sold later to Allan Bramwell it was exported to the UK. Chassis 348. Engine 353. 3 Litre Tourer This early 3 L was originally owned by Wardell Brothers of Dunedin. In 1957 Don Oddie of Timaru purchased it from the Studholme family of Rangitata, and about 1959 sold it to John Kennedy of Dunedin. Later this car was owned by Trevor Timms, who later sold it to Edgar Ridgen of Greendale, Canterbury, seen here attending to a battery problem? This Bentley is now owned by Edgar Ridgen's daughter Katie Parish. Chassis ST3008. 4½ Litre Tourer After selling (4) the early 3LTourer, Don Oddie purchased this 4.5L from Russell Beach and in 1963 sold it to Jim Sullivan of Otaio, south of Timaru. Initially this car, the seventh 4½ Litre to be manufactured, had been imported into NZ by a Nelson doctor. Later it was sold by Jim Sullivan's estate to Warner Mauger of Christchurch, who after a few years sold it overseas. In this photograph an overseas visitor, Jerry Carver, is at the wheel. Chassis 891 Engine 908 Reg. DS3467. Van den Plas Replica Tourer Body. 1924 Originally imported into NZ in 1933, this car was dismantled following a major accident. In 1960 when looking longingly at (5) ST3008, the 4½ Litre then owned by Don Oddie, a young Timaru lad named Barry Goodman remarked, "One day I will own a Bentley." Those who laughed were mistaken, as over the next few years Barry with his older brother Brian managed to borrow, beg or buy enough parts by 1963 to complete the restoration of this 1924 3 Litre Tourer in 1965. Initially jointly owned, the car was owned by Barry until 1977 and by Brian until 1986, During Brian's ownership it participated in the 1983 'Totally Bentley Tour of South Africa', and is currently owned by M. Owen of Cranmer Square, Christchurch. This photograph shows Brian Goodman with his family on board Ch891 at Stirling Point, Bluff. Chassis SL3065. 4½ Litre / 3Litre Tourer This 3L which had been rebuilt by Dave Bowman of Christchurch, was purchased about 1980 by Terry Wilson of Timaru from Bob Beardsley of Christchurch. Later sold to Brian Wright of Christchurch who installed a 4.5L engine, it is currently owned by R M Moody of Picton. This photograph shows Barry Goodman at the wheel.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] 30th Jul 1966; A Day that will live in memory, especially if you are English. Actually I'm a Kiwi but I was in the UK on that day and it has more memories than a mere sporting event. Starting from the beginning; in 1966 I was part owner of a Fireball Dinghy and the Fireball Class World Championships were due to take place off the south coast of England in August. I was determined to represent New Zealand and 'borrowed' a Christchurch helmsman, Brian Trelevan, who was touring Europe sailing his Finn Dinghy. A few weeks before the Championships I discovered that our boat did not measure according to the class rules. Luckily a guy named Roger Fauchon, who later moved to New Zealand, was able to fix it. While we were waiting for the resin to cure we watched the World Cup Final which is of course why some people still remember that date. I have other reasons. The resin still wasn't cured so, for something to do, I was introduced to Roger's neighbour Bill Mason, the same Bill Mason who had put together all those marvellous Shell history of motor racing films. Sitting outside the front door was a 1930 something Aston Martin belonging to his son, Nick. Who? No not The Who; actually the Nick Mason who would later be the drummer for Pink Floyd and an avid car collector.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Bill then opened the garage doors and there was a 1929 or 1930 (wish I could remember which) Blower Bentley, British Racing Green and enormous. 'Would I like a ride?' There was only one possible answer to that question. The monster was pushed out of the garage and started. I climbed on and sat on the passenger seat. I mean ON. The seat was about 4 or 5 inches thick and was on the floor. I don't think that it was fixed to the floor, it was just there. My legs were straight out in front of me and the side door came up to somewhere about hip level. Way off in the middle distance was a very small aero screen. I wondered what I'd let myself in for. Once the engine was warmed up and the throttle used in anger the noise was something else. The exhaust roar mixed with the scream of the supercharger made me wish that I'd at least got some cotton wool in my pocket. Bill drove her out onto the road, luckily a dead end road with almost zero traffic. We bowled along this road until we arrived at the main road from Chichester to Itchenor and turned right towards Itchenor. He then wound her up. Somewhere in the far distance were a couple of giant wheels which seemed to have minds of their own. Their movements both up and down and from side to side seemed to have very little effect on either smoothing out the bumps or our general direction of travel. How fast we went I've no idea. It felt fantastic, apart that is from the fact that the seat was wandering about and there was nothing to hold on to. No hat, no goggles so with hair blowing every which way and tears streaming back from my eyes, it was hard to concentrate on what was happening and where we were. I knew the road tolerably well but, given that we owned a Hillman Imp at the time, not at that speed or with any of those sensations. Suddenly we were back at the house and it was all over with me desperately trying to remember all that happened and all the feelings. Ettore Bugatti may have described Mr Bentley's creations as the world's fastest lorries but after that ride I had even greater respect for the likes of Tim Birkin and Wolf Barnato for having wrestled those monsters around Le Mans. Referring to Bill's films, if you've ever seen the sequences taken at Le Mans in the late '20s of the Bentleys coming on to the Mulsanne Straight at Tertre Rouge, an unsealed road of course, and blasting off into the distance with the back end snaking from side to side, then those drivers were not only heroes, but bloody strong heroes at that.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] UPDATE: March 7, 2012 The case was originally heard by a High Court Judge who had ruled against Stanley Mann in 2010. The case was then taken to the Court of Appeal, and in a landmark ruling of nearly 200 pages, the Judgment was overturned, vindicating Stanley Mann of wrong-doing. Please watch this space for the "Brewer v Mann Court of Appeal 2012 Judgment" document that will be presented here soon. Editor — VintageBentleys.org, March 9, 2012</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] A classic car enthusiast has won £94,000 in damages after paying £430,000 for a vintage Bentley, unaware that only one small part of the car was genuine. Judge Anthony Thornton QC ruled that the car had been so heavily worked on that it "was no longer capable of being accurately described as a 1930 Bentley Speed Six". Mercedes Brewer from Rutland, Staffordshire, bought the car through restorer Stanley Mann, who had rebuilt it in his own garage. But when she decided to sell the car, it was valued at only £300,000-£350,000 by a Bonhams auction house expert, considerably short of the £550,000 it might have been expected to raise had its parts been genuine and original. Mr Mann has also been told to pay Mrs Brewer's court fees of about £300,000.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Mercedes Brewer was awarded £94,000 in damages after learning that only a small part of the chassis was genuine and the engine was 'reconstructed'. The car had been so heavily worked on it 'was no longer capable of being accurately described as a 1930 Bentley Speed Six car,' ruled judge Anthony Thornton QC. She bought the car - similar to the model that twice won the Le Mans 24-hour race - through top restorer Stanley Mann after it was advertised as a '1930 Bentley Speed Six', a High Court heard. Mrs Brewer, from Rutland, Staffordshire, said she had been led to believe by Mann that the car bought in 2007 was a genuine Speed Six model - valued at £550,000. But when she decided to sell the car, it was valued at only £300,000 to £350,000 by a Bonhams auction expert in 2008. Mr Mann was also told to pay Mrs Brewer's court fees of about £300,000.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] A. Introduction</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] The car. This case is about a vintage Bentley car that was sold as a 1930 Speed Six Bentley ("the car"). The car was delivered from the Bentley Cricklewood works in 1930. In the trade, a vintage Bentley is one that was manufactured in the heyday of Bentley car production, being the initial twelve golden years of the production of Bentleys by Bentley Motors between 1919 and 1931. For two years in that period, Bentley produced the only approximately 177 Speed Six cars that were ever produced. 69 of these Speed Sixes were produced in 1929 and 108 in 1930. Speed Sixes are regarded by many as the finest vintage model that Bentley has ever produced.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Mrs Brewer. Mrs Mercedes Brewer is an American citizen and she is both a practising US attorney and a practising English solicitor. She was admitted to the Bar in New Jersey in 1980 and has subsequently been admitted in New York and Florida. She was admitted as a solicitor in England in December 2005. She married her British husband in November 2002 and they live in Rutland. Following her marriage, she has acquired from her husband an enthusiasm for vintage racing Bentleys in general and Speed Sixes in particular and, as a result, she decided in 2005 that she wished to acquire a Speed Six for herself if and when one came onto the market.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Mr Brewer. Mr Fredric Brewer, Mrs Brewer's husband, was a contemporary car dealer in the 1960s and early 1970s and is now a business consultant. He has been a vintage and historic Bentley car enthusiast for many years and has owned a number of vintage cars including a 1926 3-litre Bentley. He also raced several classic cars in the 1960s. He is particularly knowledgeable about Speed Sixes.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Mr Mann and SMRL. Mr Stanley Mann is a Bentley vintage car dealer and he is both an enthusiast for these cars and very knowledgeable about them. He has, since 1975, maintained, restored, rebuilt and reconstructed many of the vintage Bentleys that he acquired prior to selling them to the public. He has undertaken this work for many years in his own workshop located at his premises in Radlett, Hertfordshire. Mr Mann undertakes his business through his own wholly-owned company, Stanley Mann Racing Limited ("SMRL"). However, he did not reveal the existence of SMRL in his advertising materials about the car nor in the two pre-contract meetings that he had, initially with Mr Brewer and then with both Mr and Mrs Brewer. It is for this reason that one of the claims brought by Mrs Brewer, a claim for breach of warranty, is brought against him in his personal capacity. This claim is also brought against Mr Mann as the agent of SMRL, an undisclosed principal, as well as being brought against SMRL as the principal of the agent who made the warranty on its behalf.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Mrs Brewer's case - contractual inducement. On 8 May 2007, Mr Brewer saw an advertisement that Mr Mann had placed in Classic and Sports Car. This described the car as a "1930 Bentley Speed Six". Mr Brewer discussed this advertisement with his wife and he then contacted Mr Mann and went to inspect the car. That visit and the advertisement, together with Mr Mann's additional advertisement of the car on his website that both Mr and Mrs Brewer saw before Mr Brewer undertook his initial inspection visit, led to Mrs Brewer inspecting the car with her husband and negotiating with Mr Mann to buy the car, to her agreeing to buy the car and to her buying it on hire purchase terms from the second defendant, a finance company, Fortis Lease UK Limited ("Fortis").</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Mrs Brewer contends that she was induced to buy the car by Mr Mann when he warranted in this critical pre-contract meeting that the car had a 1930 Speed Six engine. Since Mr Mann had not disclosed the existence of SMRL before or at that meeting, she also contends that he was acting in a personal capacity or as the agent of an undisclosed principal in giving this warranty. In reliance on that warranty, Mrs Brewer contends that she agreed to buy the car for �425,000 by means of three contracts. These were a sale contract in which SMRL would sell the car to Fortis for �390,000, a further contract in which Mrs Brewer would pay a deposit towards the purchase price directly to SMRL of �40,000 (of which �5,000 was refunded by SMRL) and a hire purchase agreement in which Fortis would immediately bail the car to Mrs Brewer and she would pay Fortis the balance of the purchase price on hire purchase terms. These three connected contracts were entered into at the same time and Mr Mann included a contractual description of the car in each of them, namely that the car was a "1930 Speed Six Bentley Car".</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] SMRL's purchase of the car. It is now known that neither SMRL nor Mr Mann owned the car on 6 June 2007 when SMRL sold it to Fortis and Mrs Brewer paid SMRL the deposit. Mr Mann had agreed to buy the car from its then owner, a Mr James, for �325,000 in December 2006 on a sale or return basis. The car was still owned by Mr James when it was seen by Mrs Brewer. At that time, Mr Mann was in possession of the car as a bailee since Mr James had left it informally with him to enable him to sell it. The sale contract from Mr James was entered into following the sale of the car to Fortis and was concluded when Mr Mann forwarded �325,000 and SMRL's purchase invoice to Mr James on 8 June 2007.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Mrs Brewer's case � breach of warranty. Mrs Brewer discovered in August 2008, over a year after taking delivery of the car, that its engine was actually one that had started life as a 1927 Standard 6�-litre engine in a 1927 6�-litre Bentley and which had been taken out of that car at some unknown date and subsequently reconstructed as an engine which Mr Mann claims he described to Mrs Brewer as being "to Speed Six specification". Mrs Brewer contends that this reconstruction was carried out by Mr Mann whilst he was reconstructing or, to use Mr Mann's word, rebuilding the car between 1976 and 1980 but Mr Mann contends that the reconstruction was undertaken by a South African owner of the engine in South Africa at some stage prior to his acquisition of the engine in 1976. Mr Mann also contends that, when he described the engine to Mrs Brewer during their negotiations as being "to Speed Six specification", he did so in an informal and non-contractual manner.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Mrs Brewer's case � contractual misdescriptions. Mrs Brewer contends that the description of the car as a "1930 Speed Six Bentley Car" was contained in each of the three contracts making up the sale of the car, being SMRL's sale to Fortis and its separate contract with her and Fortis's hire purchase agreement with her and that this was a contractual description of the car. This contractual description was, therefore, coupled with an implied term in each contract that the car should conform to that description. This description had originated from Mr Mann and had consequently become a term of each these three contracts which had been induced by Mrs Brewer's reliance on Mr Mann's earlier contractual warranty. These three contracts were closely inter-related, they all contained Mr Mann's contractual description of the car and they were intended to be entered into simultaneously. Furthermore, the subject-matter of both the contractual warranty and the three resulting contracts was the same car, which had been described by Mr Mann as a Bentley Speed Six which was a model whose unique history and racing characteristics were known to both parties.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] It therefore followed that this contractual description had the same meaning in all three contracts and was one which incorporated, or was to be construed with, the terms of Mr Mann's preceding contractual warranty. The meaning of that description was that the car was a "1930 Speed Six car with a 1930 Speed Six engine and chassis".</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Mrs Brewer also contends that the car did not conform to that description. Her case is that the car, when sold to Fortis and then bailed to her, no longer contained either a 1930 Speed Six engine or a 1930 Speed Six chassis and had no continuous documentary history for the period between 1930 and 1981 that directly linked the car in its current condition to the car that was first delivered in 1930. On the basis of her case, an accurate full description of the car would have been along these lines: 'A reconstructed 1930 Speed Six Bentley with a 1927 Standard 6�-litre engine reconstructed to Speed Six specification and a reconstructed 1930 Speed Six chassis, the car being without a continuous documentary history'. Thus, Mr Mann was in breach of warranty in describing the engine as being "a Speed Six engine" and SMRL and Fortis were in breach of their respective obligations to provide a "1930 Speed Six Bentley Car".</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Mrs Brewer's case � damages. In July 2008, Mrs Brewer decided that she should sell the car since she could no longer afford to maintain all her financial commitments. At that time, she had allowed her payment schedule to fall into arrears. She therefore instructed a friend, Mr Sholto Gilbertson, who worked for the vintage car auctioneers, Bonham's, as one of its vintage car assistants, to value the car with a view to it being offered back to Fortis for auction. It was only when she received Mr Gilbertson's valuation report dated 4 August 2008 that she discovered that the engine was not a Speed Six engine but was, instead, a Standard 6�-litre engine converted or reconstructed to what Mr Mann then alleged was to Speed Six specification. She then notified Fortis that she wished to negotiate with Mr Mann her claim against him since she contended that he had supplied her with a different car from the one that he had warranted to be, and described as, a 1930 Speed Six Bentley with a 1930 Speed Six engine. She invited Fortis to suspend her payment obligations whilst this negotiation took place. However, Fortis immediately notified her by a letter dated 7 August 2008 that it was terminating the hire purchase agreement as a result of her existing outstanding hire purchase payments.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] After the car was retaken by Fortis it was, on 27 July 2009, repurchased by SMRL from Fortis for �425,000 to minimise the loss. This was the price that SMRL had been paid for the car by Fortis and Mrs Brewer two years earlier. Mrs Brewer now claims from Mr Mann, as damages for breach of warranty, and from SMRL and Fortis, as damages for breach of contract, her unrecovered outlay, being the instalments that she had paid Fortis and the deposit that she had paid SMRL. She also claims an indemnity from both Mr Mann and SMRL for any further liability that she might have to Fortis.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Mr Mann's case � liability. Mr Mann denies liability. He contends that he has no personal liability to Mrs Brewer because he acted throughout as SMRL's agent and not in his own capacity. Moreover, he gave no warranty to Mrs Brewer and, in any event, he described the engine correctly as being "to Speed Six specification".</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] SMRL's and Fortis's cases - liability. SMRL adopts Mr Mann's defence and also, with Fortis, contends that the description of the car as a "1930 Speed Six Bentley Car" was accurate.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Defendants' cases � damages. Each defendant puts forward various defences to Mrs Brewer's claim for damages if, contrary to their respective primary cases, they acted in breach of warranty or contract in relation to the car. Further, Fortis counterclaims the outstanding hire purchase payments that were unpaid at the date the car was retaken and contractual damages to compensate it for the profit that it would have earned on future payments but which it never received because the car was retaken.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Dispute � summary. It follows that the dispute is, in essence, three-fold: (1) How did Mr Mann describe the car's engine to Mrs Brewer, was that description accurate, did it have contractual effect and did Mrs Brewer rely on it in a way that induced the three contracts giving rise to the sale of the car? (2) Should the car have been described as a "1930 Speed Six Bentley Car"? (3) What damages can Mrs Brewer recover for any proved breach of warranty or contract?</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Contribution proceedings. Contribution proceedings by Fortis against SMRL were only started during the trial following my granting Mrs Brewer permission to joint SMRL as a third defendant. B. Issues, Parties and Witnesses</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Issues. These claims give rise to a large number of issues. Essentially, these are: (1) The essential factual matrix; (2) The relevant contracts and their relevant terms; (3) Breaches of contract; (4) Mrs Brewer's entitlement to reject the car and rescind the Hire Purchase Agreement ; (5) Mrs Brewer's claims for damages and Fortis's counterclaim for damages; and (6) Outstanding procedural issues.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Parties. There were, originally, three parties to this claim: Mrs Brewer, Mr Mann and Fortis. On the second day of the trial, I granted Mrs Brewer permission to add SMRL as a third defendant. Mrs Brewer now pleads exactly the same claims against that company as she had pleaded against Mr Mann and she alleges that if Mr Mann provided the contractual warranty that she contends that he made, but only as the agent of SMRL and not in his personal capacity, that warranty gave rise to an action against Mr Mann as the agent for SMRL as principal whose existence had not been disclosed to Mrs Brewer prior to the warranty being given. There is, on this basis, simultaneously an action against SMRL as the principal on whose behalf the warranty had been given and against Mr Mann as the agent of an undisclosed principal.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Following that joinder order, Fortis applied for permission to join SMRL as a third party and to claim an indemnity or damages from SMRL. I must decide whether or not to grant permission as part of this judgment. My reasons for granting Mrs Brewer permission to join the third defendant and my decision and reasons in relation to Fortis's procedural applications are set out in section H below[1].</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Witnesses. The trial took place over four days. There were five witnesses: Mr and Mrs Brewer, Mr Mann and two experts, Mr Dennis Sibson who was called on behalf of Mrs Brewer and Mr Brian Fenn who was called on behalf of both Mr Mann and SMRL. Fortis adduced the evidence from two witnesses, one in a statement that had been made by one of their Broker Managers, Mr Mark Sampson and one from a valuation report that had been prepared by Mr Max Girardo, the Managing Director of RM Auctions Ltd. Neither of these witnesses was called for cross-examination or gave oral evidence at the trial.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Expert Evidence � Mr Sibson. Mrs Brewer was given permission by the court to call expert evidence from an automotive engineer specialising in the Bentley Marque and Mr Sibson was in consequence instructed on her behalf by her solicitor in disclosed instructions dated 23 March 2009. These instructions required Mr Sibson to assist the court in determining what the proper description of the car should be. He prepared a first report dated 4 April 2009 which was based on a detailed inspection of the car on 29 March 2009, a second supplemental report dated 2 October 2009 and a further report dated 23 February 2010 which he was ordered by me to prepare as his answers to a list of technical questions that the parties had agreed both experts should answer.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Mr Sibson acknowledged that he understood his duties to the court as an expert witness. He is now aged sixty four and is qualified to act as an expert in the engineering of Bentley cars by a five-year Motor Vehicle Technician apprenticeship, which he started when he was fourteen, and by over forty years' working experience with vintage cars. He also acquired in his youth various relevant City & Guilds qualifications. He was challenged in cross-examination to the effect that he lacked sufficient experience or expertise in vintage Bentleys to be able to give reliable expert evidence about Speed Six and Standard Bentley 6�-litre engines and as to his independence and objectivity given that he frequently worked for the father of a good friend of Mrs Brewer. That friend, Mr Sholto Gilbertson, had provided Mrs Brewer with an inspection and valuation report in his capacity as a Bonham's vintage car assistant and valuer which was the immediate forerunner of her initiating these proceedings. Mr Sibson explained that he had worked for Mr Gilbertson-Hart, Mr Gilbertson's father who traded in vintage cars, for about two days a week for over twenty five years and that his work for Mr Gilbertson-Hart had largely consisted of inspection report writing and the testing, maintenance and repair of the engines of his vintage cars. In the course of this and his other work, he regularly inspected and worked on vintage Bentleys including both Speed Six and Standard Bentley engines.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] I am satisfied that although Mr Sibson had not given expert evidence previously, he had fully acquainted himself with his duties as a court expert and that he faithfully sought to comply with them. He has had a great wealth of practical qualifying experience to act as an expert for Mrs Brewer in this case and he displayed no sign of partiality or potential conflict when giving evidence. I therefore reject counsel's criticisms of Mr Sibson.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] Expert Evidence � Mr Fenn. Mr Mann was given permission by an order sealed on 24 July 2009 to call expert evidence from an historic and classic car engineering expert. Mr Fenn was in consequence instructed. He had already prepared a witness statement dated 11 May 2009 which had already been served so that no formal instructions were sent to Mr Fenn. He also provided a valuation of the car that he had originally provided to Mr Mann which was dated 24 May 2007, a further confirmatory valuation, a short examination report dated 30 September 2008 and answers to eight questions that he had been asked by Mrs Brewer's solicitor about his valuation. Finally, he provided a report dated 17 August 2009 containing short answers to the same agreed questions that Mr Sibson had answered.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Mr Fenn is now aged seventy seven. His expertise relates to Bentley vintage cars and has been acquired as a result of a life-long passion for the Bentley Marque. He passed his driving test in about 1950, aged seventeen, in a 3-litre Bentley and he has owned vintage Bentleys ever since. He has been a director of the Bentley Drivers Club ("BDC") for over thirty years and has been the BDC's Vintage Valuer since 1966 and, in that capacity, provides informal valuation advice to BDC members about vintage Bentleys. He has also been chairman of the BDC's Eligibility Committee since 1979. His knowledge of Bentley vintage cars has been acquired from this enthusiastic involvement with them for sixty years. Save for a five-year apprenticeship as an electrical and mechanical engineer, he has no professional qualification and has not actively involved himself maintaining, repairing, rebuilding or reconstructing Bentleys.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Mr Fenn, therefore, has and demonstrated an expert and possibly unrivalled knowledge of the history of Bentley vintage cars and of how they have been raced, looked after and described by the BDC and as to how they have been repaired, maintained, rebuilt and reconstructed over time.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Expert evidence � findings. The two experts gave complementary evidence on the issue as to how the car's engine should be described, Mr Fenn from a historical and BDC perspective and Mr Sibson from a visual and mechanical perspective. On the issue of the extent to which the car could be seen to comply with the Speed Six specification, both could contribute from their respective inspections of the car's engine and Mr Sibson could add to that visual inspection his detailed knowledge of engine performance based on his expertise as a mechanic working on vintage cars including Speed Sixes over a fifty-year continuous working experience.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Given their respective lengthy working experiences with all vintage Bentley types including Speed Sixes, both experts were highly qualified to give evidence and both assisted the court considerably in relation to their evidence of technical opinion. I accepted Mr Sibson's evidence in its entirety since it was thoughtful, authoritative and based on his detailed inspection of the car's engine. I also accepted Mr Fenn's historical evidence, his evidence as to the value of the car and his summary of the physical changes that had been made to the 1927 engine.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] The experts disagreed on two significant issues, those relating to the extent to which the car's chassis had been altered and as to whether the engine had been proved to satisfy the BDC 1930 Speed Six specification. On both issues I accepted Mr Sibson's evidence and rejected Mr Fenn's contrary evidence.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Mr Sibson had inspected and measured the chassis very carefully and had concluded that the only surviving section from the original 1930 chassis was part of the small front section. He also concluded that the engine could not be described as satisfying the 1930 Speed Six specification since its performance had never been properly tested or verified and its outward appearance, particularly its new pistons, suggested that it had never been capable of generating the power that would have been needed to satisfy the performance requirements of that specification.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Mr Fenn's evidence was that the relatively insignificant changes to the chassis had left the chassis in its original state and as being appropriately described as the original 1930 Speed Six chassis. He also considered that the car's current engine clearly satisfied the 1930 Speed Six specification. I did not accept these opinions because they were based on his impressions and not on detailed inspections, measurements or a full testing of all parts of the engine and chassis nor on authenticated test results proving that the performing engine satisfied the 1930 Speed Six specification.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] Overall, Mr Sibson contended that the car could not be described as a Speed Six and the engine could not be described as either a Speed Six engine or as one which was to Speed Six specification whereas Mr Fenn contended that the car was a Speed Six car whose engine was to Speed Six specification. I accepted Mr Sibson's opinion and rejected Mr Fenn's opinion on these matters albeit that these matters, being the ultimate issues that I had to decide and being mixed questions of law and fact, were not matters on which the two experts had been instructed or could give admissible expert opinion evidence about.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] C. The essential factual matrix</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] (1) Speed Six Bentleys</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Bentleys were first manufactured in 1919 when Walter Owen Bentley, or W.O. as he is usually known as ("W.O."), founded his own motor car company, Bentley Motors. W.O. was then thirty one years old and he had acquired a passion for speed and had developed his remarkable abilities as a motor engineer early in life. He left school at sixteen in 1905 and in the years up to 1912 worked as an apprentice railway engineer and as an engineer in charge of a railway engine cab maintenance workshop. He then joined his elder brother to form a company trading in French cars carrying the DFP engine. In that period, he designed new aluminium alloy pistons and a tuned camshaft for the DFP engine, thereby enabling the DFP to take several records at Brooklands in 1913 and 1914. On the outbreak of the Great War, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service as an engineer and played a major role in improving the design of the Clerget engines for the Sopwith Camel and Sopwith Snipe aircraft, thereby earning himself an MBE and a sizable financial reward from the Commission for Awards to Inventors. Whilst serving during the war, he met two other motor engineers of note, F. T. Burgess and Harry Varley. After the war, he established Bentley Motors in Cricklewood and, in the twelve years that he ran Bentley Motors, he persuaded Burgess and Varley to join him as engineers and motor designers and an old school friend, Richard Witchell, to become the Bentley racing manager. Another great engineer, Harry Weslake joined them later. W.O. also recruited during his tenure two remarkable mechanics, Wally Hassan and Nobby Clarke. W.O's intention was to create a new range of high-performance cars which would be used by the rich and famous whilst simultaneously being raced as world-beating racing cars.</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] W.O. was the chief designer of vintage Bentley racing engines. The team that he assembled produced just over 3,000 Bentley cars in the Cricklewood works in the ten years from 1922 until 1931 and, in the golden period between 1928 and 1931, Bentleys were unbeatable. It is said that W.O.'s motto was "To build a good car, a fast car, the best in the world." Unfortunately, W.O. started with his company being heavily underfunded and it would appear that he had little appetite or inclination for the business side of this company. In the early years, this did not matter because he rapidly attracted the custom of the rich and the attention of a group of hard-living socialites who became known as "the Bentley Boys" due to their love of racing and driving W.O.'s cars at great speed and who congregated around Captain Woolf "Babe" Barnato ("Barnato").</s>

<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST] W.O. and his design team started with a 3-litre engine and then moved to a 4�-litre engine. The design of the car, particularly the engine, was constantly changing and evolving. From the outset, Bentley Motors sold all their models as both racing and touring cars save that those intended for racing were given more meticulous attention in the engine workshop by the designers, engineers and mechanics. These early models started to be successful in competitions in 1923 when, in their first Le Mans, a 3-litre Bentley finished a creditable fourth. In 1924, another 3-litre Bentley won Le Mans and there were other notable touring car racing successes in that period. However, by 1926, W.O. had become despondent from a series of 3-litre failures and the parlous financial state of his business and was on the point of closing the business altogether. Temporary respite was, however, at hand since Barnato had just inherited a huge fortune from his family's diamond business. Barnato was a fearless and formidable racing driver and a lover of both speed and extravagant living. He was the ultimate playboy. He persuaded W.O. to let him buy heavily into the business and he became its chairman. For the next five years he financed the business from his own resources until, in 1931, his finances were almost exhausted and W.O. sold out to Rolls-Royce and remained with them for a further five years in relative obscurity[2].</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Following the arrival of Barnato's finance, Bentley Motors produced world beating racing models and the focal point of the business was its racing team. W.O. and his principal engineers and mechanics and the racing manager concentrated on racing. Between 1928 and 1932, Barnato was their lead racing driver. Bentley won Le Mans in 1927 when a 4�-litre car limped in to win and in 1928 when Barnato won his first Le Mans drive in a 6�-litre car.</s>

<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST] Initially, following Barnato's involvement in Bentley Motors, the company concentrated on developing the 6�-litre car which had been introduced in 1926. Until 1929, when Barnato again won Le Mans with a 6�-litre car, the racing team cars were, essentially, built using a production chassis with racing shop modifications. This led W.O., with Barnato's prompting, to produce the first Speed Six in 1929. This model rapidly became his best car. His intention had been to produce an unbeatable racing engine. The Speed Six started life as a standard six (i.e. 6�-litre) car which was stripped down and rebuilt to a higher specification. After the first few Speed Sixes were produced in this way, the Speed Six engine was specially designed and manufactured, with the designs being developed from the specification and experience gained from the initial Speed Sixes. The Speed Six cars into which these engines were put was a different model from the 6�-litre car. The Speed Six had a unique quality that was derived from its engine which had been designed, engineered and produced by the best engineers and high performance motor mechanics then working. Each engine was given the racing team's personal attention and many of the Speed Sixes were returned to the racing shop after a race for further modifications and attention from the team. Unfortunately, in 1931, Barnato's fortune had nearly gone and W.O. was forced to sell the business to Rolls-Royce and the golden W.O. years were ended. Only 177[3] Speed Sixes were built, 69 in 1929 and 108 in 1930. However, between 1929 and 1931, W.O.'s favourite car achieved five first places in major races, of which three were at Le Mans, and four second places. Bentley won at Le Mans in four successive years between 1928 and 1931, two of these victories being driven by Barnato.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] The most celebrated Speed Six was always known as Old Number One. This was built in 1929 and was only the second Speed Six to be built. It had a six cylinder 6+ litre engine with a non-detachable head and a four-seater Van den Plas body. In its first year, it won the Double Twelve race at Brooklands, then at Le Mans at an average speed of 73.62 mph and then again at Brooklands as well as picking up two further second places. In 1930 it again won at Le Mans at an increased average speed of 78.88 mph.</s>

<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST] There is a detailed account of the working history of Old Number One in the judgment of Otton J in Hubbard v Middlebridge Scimitar Limited[4]. The car was bought in 1990 for �10 million and the buyer then resiled from the deal because he suspected the authenticity of the car. The seller succeeded in an action for specific performance notwithstanding the continuous alterations and rebuilding that had taken place during its short but eventful racing life between 1929 and 1933. The car was Barnato's favourite and he drove it to the victories at Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. Between each race, the car was returned to the Bentley racing workshop for repairs to damaged and worn parts, modifications and further engineering to incorporate new Speed Six parts with an improved specification. It was also rebuilt in 1929 and 1931 and substantially repaired in 1932 following a disastrous crash when driven by Dunfee, one of Barnarto's closest friends. These changes, up to 1931, were all carried out by Bentley engineers and mechanics in the Cricklewood racing workshop. The decision in favour of the seller was because the car had been sold as "Old Number One" and Otton J found that the metamorphoses that the car had undergone still left it as the car that was raced as Old Number One and because all its changes were fully documented so as to give the car a continuous history. Without that continuous history, the buyer would have succeeded in resisting specific performance or in rejecting this car and rescinding the contract since the authenticity and verification of the car as "Old Number One" would not have been possible.</s>

<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST] Many of the Speed Sixes that were produced were immediately bought by wealthy individuals and used for private purposes. Although their design and specification were similar to the Speed Sixes that were raced, most of those in private hands were never raced.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Speed Sixes consisted of a chassis frame which was designed by W.O.'s Cricklewood team and manufactured on the Clyde and which then had incorporated in the Cricklewood workshop a steering column and suspension and other related parts. The Speed Six engine was then added. Finally, the bodywork and livery were then added, usually to the buyer's personally selected features and manufactured and fitted by one of the many coachbuilders that were used by Bentley buyers. The bodywork had a relatively short life span of no more than fifteen years. The individually made engine was manufactured at the Cricklewood works. Each chassis and engine were given unique numbers and each car was registered with the licensing authority so that each Speed Six left the Cricklewood works with a unique paired chassis and engine number and an original licence number linked to the chassis number which most surviving Speed Sixes that remain in the United Kingdom still retain.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] W.O.'s vintage Bentleys are all collectors' items but the pride of place for any enthusiast of these Bentleys from the 1920s Cricklewood era inevitably goes to the Speed Sixes. So far as is known, none of the surviving Speed Sixes remain in the condition that they were in when they left the Cricklewood works given the racing and hard driving that many were subjected to and the relatively short life of the bodywork. Many would also have also been adapted in the early years of their life to incorporate the ever-changing and improved specification of Speed Six parts. After 1931, most of the surviving Speed Sixes were abandoned, mothballed or cannibalised such that, by 1939, a Speed Six had no calculable trade value.</s>

<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST] Since 1945, however, interest in vintage Bentleys has increased enormously and all vintage Bentleys are now both extremely valuable and regarded as good investments. Speed Sixes, particularly those with a continuous history, are the most valuable cars from the Vintage Bentley range. Most of the vintage Bentleys, including the Speed Sixes, that have been located or have come onto the market, have been restored, rebuilt or reconstructed, occasionally using a rebuilt original engine from other Speed Sixes and more frequently using Speed Six parts from other Speed Sixes or the nearest equivalent replacement parts. The terminology used for vintage Bentleys including Speed Sixes varies but conventionally the term "restored" usually refers to the restoration of original parts and "rebuilt" to the taking apart and putting back together again of a car predominantly using original parts from the original car.</s>