Vintage Car from Peking to Paris Rally Fetches £17,400

A vintage vehicle, 85 years old, which previously participated in a global rally, was acquired for £17,400 during an auction. This 1939 Derby Bentley went under the hammer in Scunthorpe, having been kept in storage and out of use for nearly two decades. The automobile successfully finished the 2007 Peking to Paris Centenary Rally, an 8,000-mile (12,900 km) journey over five weeks, which recreated the inaugural transcontinental rally from 1907. Its pre-sale valuation had placed its expected price between £10,000 and £15,000. According to the auction house, the sale drew bids from across the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the successful bidder located in Hounslow, west London. The auctioneers stated that the Bentley was piloted by its owner, Digby Leighton-Squires, alongside his friend Neville Burrell, throughout the rally. This vehicle was among 106 veteran, vintage, and classic cars that finished the event, securing a commendable 65th position. Prior to the sale, Paul Cooper from Eddisons auctioneers remarked: “There could even be a bit of Gobi desert sand in there.” Rolls-Royce manufactured Bentley Derbys subsequent to the luxury car producer acquiring its competitor in 1931. The initial Derby model was produced in the city of Derby in 1933, with manufacturing of this specific model continuing until 1939.