Solved - NEH 1047: Pourtout Bentley Corniche built by Vanvooren - 1939

[Carnut]

What is this car, who designed it, who bodied it and when?  For 1 point..

[Otto Puzzell]

 

[Carnut]

Experts?

[franck.kegelart]

Bentley Corniche, designed by french stylist Georges Paulin and bodied by the french coachbuilder Vanvooren in 1939 ; destroyed by a german bomb in 1940.

[Carnut]

Bentley Corniche, designed by french stylist Georges Paulin and bodied by the french coachbuilder Vanvooren in 1939 ; destroyed by a german bomb in 1940.

Yes!
I had it as being a Pourtout design; is that who M. Paulin worked for?

[fnqvmuch]

- with - Pourtout, primarily, most often associated, yes; yet at this point 'for' Rolls Royce; as a dentist he probably worked for himself ... then also 'with' the Resistance, which got him executed.
steven

[Carnut]

This car seems to have been jinxed then - neither it nor its designer survived very long..
Here's the picture before I adulterated it:

[barrett]

What a shame it had such a short life!
Someone should attempt a replica on an R-Type chassis, it would certainly be more interesting than the hoards of Blower reps that have been made....

[sixtee5cuda]

As of 2009, the volunteers at the Rolls-Royce Heritage site at Derby are making a recreation of the 1939 Bentley Corniche.

Apparently the Corniche was in a rollover crash in France, the chassis was removed and sent back to England.  The bent body was being shipped back when it was destroyed.

More images:

[grobmotorix]

I disovered this design sketch:

[Carnut]

 

[gte4289]

Additional images:

[grobmotorix]

Bentley/Mulliner built a meticulous reacreation of this prototype car last year: