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Case History A Japanese collector agreed to buy the celebrated “Old Number One” Bentley for £10 million, then backed out. Le Mans winner in 1929 and 1930, the car had been restored to its 1931 Brooklands 500-mile race-winning form. The vendor sued the purchaser for breach of its agreement. The purchaser counter-claimed damages for misrepresentation and breach of contract. The vendor invited Anthony Howard to assist. |
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The objectives: to establish the car's bona fides in the High Court, and to ensure these were given widest possible currency. Howard managed media contact during the 12-day hearing and subsequently. “Old Number One” quickly became a cause célèbre, generating abundant headlines in the UK and abroad. To keep the story going, he set up a photo and TV session on the now-crumbling Brooklands banking, where the car had raced. And a top Fleet Street correspondent was given an “exclusive” on the banking at the Millbrook proving ground. |
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| The pièce de résistance, however, came the day Mr Justice Otton gave judgement, affirming the Bentley's authenticity. For police had consented to the car being driven on the streets for the benefit of the waiting media. Millions enjoyed the story in the national press and on TV. |
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