A rare Bentley desk paperweight, in the form of a backward w...

Hammer

£260

A rare Bentley desk paperweight, in the form of a backward winged Bentley mascot, inscribed H.R. Owen, London, W.1./Hoffmans Halifax, this was given to the MD of Hoffmans of Halifax, a Bentley dealership of the late 1930s, 8 cm high

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From the owner:
A former Royal Flying Corps airman, Captain Harold Rolfe Owen sustained serious injuries in a plane crash during the First World War. After a lengthy period of recovery back in England, he began work in the motor industry with the racing driver Jack Barclay, success in his new career enabled him to establish his own Mayfair car dealership, H.R. Owen, in 1932. The new company and Jack Barclay Limited would continue to enjoy a friendly relationship in the ensuing decades, until in 2000 Jack Barclay became part of the present-day H.R. Owen group. Throughout the 1930s, H.R. Owen acquired a reputation for honest dealing and the quality of its vehicles, helped by close links to Rolls-Royce (who at that time owned Bentley), this most attractive 1936-1939 paperweight based on the legendary 4 1/4 litre Bentley backwards winged B mascot from 1936-1939 was owned by Fred Hoffman who used to own Hoffman of Halifax, Rolls Royce and Bentley dealers. Later taken over by Captain R.R.Owen, it has the clear markings H.R.Owen, London, plus Hoffman of Halifax to the apex of the base, with initials at the front.