President's Award - Michael Knowles

The successes  of W O Bentley’s cars in the 1920s at the Le Mans 24 hour race are legendary.  Until 1927, the competing cars were very recognisable as road-going Bentleys, and indeed they were driven to, and in most cases back from, the race.

In 1928 race two cars were built rather differently.  No more slab fuel tank on the back of the car, no more spare wheel in the front wings.  A much more stream-lined body was designed with the tank and spare wheel hidden in the faired–in tail.  A third chassis was discovered under a saloon body in 2012 and the opportunity was taken to recreate a original from the Bob Tail chassis exactly as it would have looked in 1928.  Our President was very taken with this car when she saw it recently at Brooklands, and now Michael Knowles, its recreator, receives the President’s Award.