The Bentley Drivers Club Limited (the "Club") was formed in April 1936, by a small group of W.O. Bentley owners who were brought together by the efforts and enthusiasm of Keston Pelmore, who attached notes to Bentley motors at a Brooklands race meeting. By the outbreak of war in September 1939, there were some one hundred members with former Bentley Motors chairman and famous racing driver Woolf Barnato as President. The enthusiastic members, who all owned W.O. Bentleys, engaged in sporting and social events and held dinners attended by other Bentley Racers of the nineteen twenties, Benjafield, Davis and Clement.

The Club and its limited funds were care taken during the Second World War, in which Keston Pelmore was killed and in July 1945, advertisements were placed in the motoring press inviting Bentley owners to a cocktail party upon which most of the Club's funds were spent.  As it was evident that there was sufficient interest to revive the Club, Stanley Sedgwick offered to take on Honorary Secretary ship and subsequently became the club patron, second only to the founding Patron, Walter Owen Bentley who died in August 1971.  One of the first actions of the committee was to agree to accept membership from owners of R-R Derby produced Bentleys and in 1946, this privilege was extended to owners of Crewe built cars.

In 1951, accepting that time and distance would not permit all members of the Club worldwide to come together and enjoy Bentley motoring, the concept of regions came about.  Branches of the Club tree, as they have been described, were first formed in the UK and later in countries overseas.  The first one in Australia was established by a small group of enthusiasts in Sydney 1972.

The rules pertaining to the Regions are quite succinctly set out in the Articles of Association and specify that there is only one Club, one Patron and one President. Regions may only have a Chairman, together with a committee and are responsible for their own funding and membership activities.  It is the Club which holds from Bentley Motors Ltd. permission to use the Bentley trademarks.  It is a prerequisite for Region membership, that the applicant first become a member of the Club.  During the late 1970's, NSW Region membership dropped to about ten and a request to the Club for temporary exemption from the compulsory Club membership rule, until such time as membership numbers increased, was approved.  Whilst successive committees, both UK and NSW have never invoked the "must first join the Club" rule, the present NSW committee encourages applicants for Region membership to do so, as there are benefits by way of regular literature which keeps the members in touch with Bentley happenings worldwide, including all organised rallies and for purchase of car badges and regalia and other merchandise.

The Bentley Drivers Club NSW Region meets bi-monthly at the North Ryde RSL Community Club on Old Pittwater Road at 8.00pm on the first Monday of even months.  Should this day be a Public Holiday, the meeting is moved back to the following Monday.  Many members meet for dinner in the Bistro from 6.30pm.  The Region conducts day runs, weekends away and special occasion dinners and members are kept informed of all activity by way of the bi-monthly Magazine.

The NSW Region committee welcomes your interest and has pleasure in attaching membership application forms within this website for both the Club and NSW Region.

Contact Us:

Club Secretary -                Mr. Damien Trenouth

                                            Bentley Drivers Club (NSW Region) Inc.

                                            PO Box 1927

                                            Potts Point NSW 2011

                                            AUSTRALIA

                                            ph: 0414 234 254                             

                                            fax: + 61 2 9557 1366

                                            email:    damient2000@gmail.com

 

Website Administrator -    Bob Elliott

                                            Please send any requests for updates or new links to/from the website to the email below

                                           bob.elliott4@bigpond.com