Stanley Mann: His final interview

The car collecting world has lost one of its great characters. Stanley Mann, for many the best-known face of pre-War Bentley motoring, has died.

We’ve known Stanley for many years, and caught up with him at his famous Fruit Farm premises near London only recently. The idea was to look at the pre-War Bentley market and to receive pearls of wisdom from the man who has been in the business of selling, restoring and racing Vintage Bentleys for over four decades.

“A ‘W.O.' Bentley’ is a steady investment," said Stanley. "I sold a genuine ‘Blower’ in the early 1970s for £20,000 through Christie’s, which at the time broke the British auction record. That was the equivalent of two new Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows. They are rarely ‘in fashion’ – yet seldom out of it.

“You have to remember, though, that in the 1930s these cars were just second-hand vehicles in the Glass’s Guide [the UK’s used car trade ‘bible’, first printed in 1933 – Ed.]. In the 1950s they were bought by enthusiasts, who had fun driving them. They kept them running and improved them, swapping parts around with never a thought for ‘matching numbers’, and never threw anything away – the majority of cars that survive (at least a half of all built) have been kept going by the ones that didn’t.”

Warming to the task, Stanley continues on the thorny subject of chassis records, vehicle identities and continuous history:

“All parts and spares have been available from day one, and when you think that when new they were the fastest thing on the planet apart from express trains or aeroplanes, it’s hardly surprising they got into some scrapes. With a Vintage Bentley, the chassis frame was considered by Bentley Motors as just another spare part. As noted expert Dr Clare Hay has stated, it was ‘a replaceable item on a par with many other components’.

“And fabric and wood bodies will not last 90-odd years in one piece! When we restore them we obviously try to keep as much original as possible, but if a customer is going to really use a car we always say ‘fit a new body’. It’s also what happened in period when customers fancied a change and returned the car to Cricklewood.

“It’s continuous, known history that is the single most important factor regarding value.”

Stanley’s own 1929 4 ½ Litre wears Le Mans Tourer bodywork but started life as a saloon and has been raced almost continuously since the War. We discussed the merits of saloons, particularly with regard to values of recent ‘barn-finds’ such as Bonhams’ 2015 Beaulieu Autojumble 4 ½ Litre Saloon that sold for £695,900. Stanley is forthright:

“Saloons are squeaky and draughty. There is a hint in the name ‘Coachbuilt’ – ‘coaches’ weren’t meant for 100mph+ speeds. It’s like an Alfa Romeo 8C or Bugatti, you want open bodywork. With that car someone is buying a dream. It needs a lot of work.”

So who are buying Vintage Bentleys today?

“You certainly won’t have any worries about keeping them ‘low mileage’…” he says. “Younger drivers like the idea of using cars that can be driven. And they are eligible for all the big events: the Mille Miglia, Flying Scotsman, Peking to Paris and Le Mans Classic. They are powerful, with good brakes and a gearbox that can be mastered... in time.”

Many major collectors have at least one serious Vintage Bentley in their garage. Stanley is unequivocal on values and rarity. “A Team Blower is the ultimate. Following that, other Team Cars, although none exist now with all their original bodywork. The best cars rarely come onto the open market. Anything can be restored, all parts are available – it’s just a matter of time and money.”

With that, we wrapped up the meeting and promised to see Stanley and the rest of the team on a more regular basis. Sadly, with the news that the great man passed away earlier this month that won’t happen.

The President of the Benjafield’s Racing Club, charity fundraiser, record-breaker, former kosher butcher, bon vivant and archetypal ‘English Eccentric’, Stanley would think nothing of leading a formation of Vintage Bentleys across Europe to Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and beyond, effortlessly cruising at today’s motorway speeds.

On the company’s website there is a simple note: ‘Stanley has gone to meet W.O. and the Bentley boys. He has left strict instructions that it is business as usual.’  The world of pre-War cars, Bentleys in particular, will miss him.

Stanley Mann, 12 April 1945 –  4 February 2016.

Photos by K500/Stanley Mann