Bentley – original vintage early 1970s new old stock hinged torpedo keyring in tan pigskin leather – collector’s item

NOW SOLD – sorry this keyring has now been sold and can no longer be ordered

An original new old stock Bentley keyring which we would think will have been produced in the early 1970s .

We have just this one example of this keyring to offer – when it has been sold this listing will be cancelled.

What a superb keyring – where do we start ……………..?

This keyring is in new old stock condition with a nickel plated badge with vitreous enamel detail mounted onto a keyfob in genuine tan pigskin leather .

The badge is identical to those produced by CUD ( Castles Unit Development Co. of Leicester ) in the 1960s and fitted to their famous torpedo keyrings .

This leads us to believe that the keyring will have been produced by them but the badge is mounted onto a hinged torpedo keyfob rather than one of their usual torpedo keyfobs .

Additionally they did not usually produce keyrings in pigskin leather – usually goatskin .

CUD were still producing their torpedo keyrings in the very late 1960s but abruptly ceased production as conventional keyrings took over .

The CUD torpedo had the splitring mounted at 90 degrees to the surface of the keyring which meant that the keyring did not hang well against the dashboard .

CUD then produced a few keyrings with a peardrop shaped keyfob ( still with the awkward splitring ) and by the early 1970s had disappeared or been taken over .

We do wonder if this particular keyring could have been one of their ‘ last gasps ‘ – with an attempt to rectify the awkwardness of the 90 degree splitring .

The method of construction of the keyfob with an internal strengthening section and the stitching layout is identical to CUD’s torpedos .

Even the little half inch diameter splitring is the same size as those used with their torpedos

Pigskin leather was ( and is ! ) an expensive luxury material prized for it’s appearance and durability and was occasionally used for keyrings for prestige cars ( usually Aston Martin & Jaguar ) at the time but hardly ever used since .

The keyring in the photos is the actual one which you will receive and is the only one of it’s type which we ever seen & listed .

This keyring would be a superb addition to any Bentley motor car of the period . SMOSO  00/571   09/24