1933 Streamline Bentley Two-Door Saloon by Park Ward

The 1933 Bentley treated in this post is an early example of British "Airline" styling.

This term was applied to a comparatively easy means of giving existing designs some appearance of "streamlining" by creating curved aft body shape profiles.  While rear parts of cars seemed to be aerodynamically influenced, frontal parts retained "draggy" bits such as detached headlights and S-curved front fenders that could trap flowing air when the car was in motion.

I wrote about Airline designs here and elsewhere.

English automobile styling until recent decades was noted for being cautiously conservative, slow to adopt features found elsewhere.  For instance, the futuristic Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow appeared in America in 1933.  The truly aerodynamically-influenced Czechoslovak Tatra 77 appeared around the same time.

I don't know when the first British Airline design appeared.  But it probably wasn't much earlier than 1933 when our subject car was designed.  Its chassis number is B 41 AB, and was listed as sold to a G. A. Nicholson in February of 1934.  Its custom body was designed and built by the well-known Park Ward coacbuilding firm.

Unless noted, images below are via Gallery Aaldering.

Gallery

The front is actually cleaner than even some mid-1930s Airline cars, though the nearly-flat grille and distinct headlights are non-aerodynamic.  The rounded fender fronts help prevent airflow into the wheelwell.

The fenders also are skirted.  These on the front fenders are unusual for the time in England, and also the teardrop fender profile.  The windshield is raked, but not strongly so.  The beltline falls off abaft of the B-pillar, a fairly common Airline feature even later in the decade.

Some Airline backlight windows were placed too high for decent driver viewing to the rear.  But this one, while small by later standards, is somewhat useful.

Although the rear profile is curved, the car's sides are strongly vertical -- not important aerodynamically.  The body tapers slightly to the rear in plan-view, which can be aerodynamically useful.  Note the unusual, for the time, lack of running boards.

This, and the following image are via Bilweb Auctions.  The trunk arrangement is interesting, especially the placement of the spare tire and the trunk lid hinging.  The spare's wheel hub might potentially damage luggage as the lid is closed.

The dashboard and instrumentation.  Plenty of British woodwork.