A 1928 Bentley 'Bobtail' that raced at Le Mans comes to auction in March.
The 4½-litre beauty appeared for the Bentley works team in the 1928 and 1929 runnings of the historic race, achieving a superb third overall in the latter.
Raced to third at Le Mans in 1929
The Vanden Plas-bodied machine also achieved second overall at the 1929 Brooklands Double Twelve.
"The ‘Bobtail’ is one of just two factory team cars to claim podium finishes at two major endurance races in period—a result that cements its status as one of the world’s greatest Bentleys," explains auctioneer RM Sotheby's.
That partly explains the vehicle's $7.5m high-end estimate.
A recent restoration adds to the car's anticipated allure on the auction block.
Gord Duff, RM Sotheby’s auction manager, commented: “A superb motor car in every sense, the ‘Bobtail’ is part of the Bentley legend, rarer than a Bentley Blower, and extremely eligible for countless events and international concours."
As befits a marque with a rich heritage, Bentleys have a strong track record of selling well at auction.
A 1931 Blower Bentley, featuring a Le Mans specification supercharged engine, sold for $4.6m in 2013.
Also up for grabs at the Amelia Island sale on March 10-11 will be a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Frua Coupe Series III. One of only two made, it has a $2m valuation.
A matching-numbers 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB with Ferrari Classiche certification is also on offer. It has a $1.8m estimate.
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