Bentleys in a barn: collector notes two 8 litre Bentleys with rare 1931 under treasure trove of vintage machines

From November 2007 issue of motor trend 

 car collector and dealer mark Hyman did not know what to expect when he led was in the old barn on a known Ohio dilapidated farm property. "Hyman knew the man was a fellow enthusiast but until he packed mere inches apart saw 15 vintage within the wooden structure, he had no idea how much.""My mouth dropped when I saw all these great classics next to each other,", says Hyman. "It was one of the most exciting days of my life."

 It turned out, under the vehicles shacked up in the barn together, were two vintage Bentleys 1931 8 litres, 1931 Cadillac dual cowl Phaeton, 1941 Cadillac Coupe, 1938 Lagonda Drophead, 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom I, 1956 Cadillac sedan, 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster and seven other collector cars. Hyman did the only reasonable thing could do a decent enthusiast. "He bought every single one of you."Were not for sale at ten in the morning, but sold all of five o'clock, "Hyman callbacks." Hyman says the negotiation process was not so much about money, but reluctant to convince the seller that he was the right person to buy. "However, was that a deal was struck, baffled Hyman."I left and got back into my car and asked me ", which has really only happen?","Hyman said.By at the end of the day, Hyman was already back home in St. Louis friends and associates gather to help carry his newly found collection." It took four tractors and 18 hours to move the car carefully. According to Hyman still in relatively good condition, your accommodation in the last thirty years were given. Most vehicles have been restored in the 1960s Hyman guesses with little use since.

 Well-being bought two 8 litre Bentleys Hyman, are the most important vehicles in the collection. The first arrived coachbuilders Thrupp & Maberly, bodies of period with sedan first equipped in the United States in 1966. The second car was built near the end of 8 liter production and 12 foot design was built with a short wheelbase and modified bodies of Gerney Nutting.The, 8 litre Bentleys between 1930 and 1932 produced most touring dual windshield implementation sedan and coupe body. Only about 100 cars were built in this configuration and the short wheelbase version is much rarer than the long wheelbase model. Speed depends on the type of the body and chassis of 8 liters is equipped, but should be North of 100 mph for most of the examples - impressive at a time when most powerful Rolls-Royce models were only capable of 80-90 mph. 

 Hyman has already developed plans for the future for the two Bentleys. "After he both Bentley's mechanical update, I plan on one in my personal collection to keep and selling the other to a legion of Bentley fans," says Hyman. "I'm looking forward to this amazing vehicle driving in the city and rallies across the country."Still, Hyman looks back on this day with AWE. "It was just one of those things," he sighs. "I was just in the right place at the right time."