1936 Bentley Drophead Coupe Hidden for 50 Years Is an Incredible Barn Find

And the vehicles themselves are common too because we rarely see anything beyond mundane 1940s-to-1970s Chevrolets and Fords. But the 1930s rig you see here is proof that some garages and barns are still hiding rare and expensive gems from the past.

I'm talking about a 1936 Bentley 4 1/4 Litre Drophead Coupe that was recently unearthed after 50 years in storage. That's right, this British gem spent a half-century and somehow managed to still come out into the light in one piece. Uncovered by the folks over at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Company in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, this Bentley is quite rare, being one of only 150 units bodied by Park Ward with this drop-top body style.

But that's not the only spectacular thing about it. Even though it was pretty much ignored for 50 years, the 4 1/4 Litre came out of storage rust-free. On top of that, it's highly original and rocks numbers-matching everything under the hood. It's also a low-mileage classic, with the odometer showing only 15,000 miles.

But wait, there's more. The car also came with a ton of documentation, including paperwork from when it was built by Park Ward, as well as the original dyno sheet from 1936. That's definitely something you don't see every day. And if you haven't seen an original Bentley took box and fire extinguisher dating back to the 1930s, this car still has them in the trunk. "Amazing!" is an understatement.

So what's the story behind it? Why was it kept in storage for so long? Well, there's not a lot of info to run by, but Doug Pray of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co. says the car was found in Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as the "Oil Capital of the World." The original owner, who most likely was involved in the oil business back in the day, passed away many years ago. And while these types of expensive cars get sold off after such unfortunate events, the family chose to keep the Bentley in storage.

Doug does not disclose how much it paid for it, but Bentleys like this are six-figure classics. Granted, they're nowhere near as expensive as the iconic Blowers, which change hands for millions of dollars, but all-original Drophead Coupes from this era can fetch anywhere from $150,000 to $350,000 depending on condition and how complete they are.

Since Doug's focus is on Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg classics, the Bentley will probably go to a new home in the future. But until that happens, his team cleaned it up, refurbished the wheels, and got the old 4.25-liter inline-six engine up and running again. And even though the paint is weathered and the interior has seen better days, the Bentley runs and drives without issues, which is unexpected for a car that's been parked since the 1970s.

This Bentley is part of a series of luxury cars that the British company built from 1933 to 1939. Originally called the 3 1/2 Liter, the car was renamed when its 3.5-liter engine was enlarged to 4.25 liters in 1936. Introduced after Bentley was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931, the cars of this era are also known as the Derby Bentleys. Because they were built in Rolls-Royce's factory in Derby, England.

Introduced in 1936, the 4 1/4 Litre shared underpinnings with the Rolls-Royce 25/30. However, the latter was capable of a top speed of around 80 mph (129 kph), while the Bentley version reached 100 mph (161 kph) thanks to a more potent, 125-horsepower version of the engine. Production ended in 1939 when the 4 1/4 Litre was replaced by the Bentley Mark V.

There's no footage from when it was rescued, but our host provides a few photos from the 5:48-minute mark. Oh, and you should also check out the million-dollar, 1931 Duesenberg Model J barn find that Doug discovered in February 2023.