Sydney ‘Syd’ Lawrence built a 3-4 ½-Litre ‘Special’ from an ample supply of pre-war Bentley spares, with this car crafted over two years and completed in 1950. Lawrence’s creation was based upon the origins of a 3-Litre Bentley, chassis number 708, which featured a Park Ward four-seater body. The earlier car was delivered on 30 June 1924 to Mr J Binning, according to marque historian Clare Hay. Chassis 708 was last reported to be seen in complete condition in 1946.

Lawrence stamped the ‘Special’ chassis (on the front-left engine crossmember) and the engine with his own number, “102/50 ML”, and road registered the car on 1 May 1950. The following month, the car was run by Lawrence at the Bugatti Owners Club handicap event at Silverstone. Later racing in the 6th Goodwood Members’ Meeting, Lawrence continued to field the 3-4 ½ Bentley until 1956. Remaining in his care until 1968, the Bentley was sold to John B Vickery of London. Later owned by Brian Cook, the ‘Syd Lawrence Special’ was raced throughout the 2000s in various historic events before being offered for sale by the previous owner in 2015.

The car was acquired by the vendor in 2016 via Stanley Mann, with Craig Collings commissioned to restore and rebody the Bentley in the style of a Vanden Plas Tourer. Starting in December 2016, it was stripped back to the bare chassis; the Syd Lawrence bodywork accompanies the car today. The chassis was inspected and found to have the number “708” stamped into the front-left dumb iron. A full inspection of the engine and D-Type gearbox was undertaken, both reported to be in good health, with the rear axle benefitting from a rebuild. A new body was fabricated, with a focus on sourcing period components where possible. By the end of 2017, the restoration had been completed. Assigned the registration “GK 8229”, this wonderful Bentley 3-4½-Litre has been enjoyed over the past eight years.

Today, this Bentley presents nicely. Evidently, it benefits from the restorative work undertaken by Collings and has reportedly covered minimal distance since. It is recommended that a full service is carried out prior to extensive road use. Upon more recent inspection in March 2026, the front-left dumb iron was still found to be stamped “708”, alongside the steering box, lower bonnet sections, gearbox, and differential all featuring stamped numbers. Photographs of these are available to view within the extensive, multi-volume history file, which covers the history of this Bentley in depth from 1950 to the present day. The car is accompanied by the Syd Lawrence Special bodywork, with photographs available to view on file.