purchased Lagonda largely to gain Bentley's engineering expertise, and immediately placed W. O. 's newest creation, his 2.6-litre Lagonda Straight-6 engine, under the bonnet of Brown's other new acquisition, the Frank Feeley-designed DB2. This durable DOHC engine would continue in Lagondas and Aston Martins until 1959 and, W. O. noted, important design details were carried on through to their V8. Armstrong Siddeley W. O. moved from Aston Martin-Lagonda to Armstrong Siddeley, where he designed another twin-overhead-cam 3-litre engine before retiring. His team included Donald Bastow. According to one report the team's responsibility for the Sapphire project extended to the car's chassis, but by the time their work ended in 1949 they had contributed little more than detailed inspiration for the production version of the car that was announced in October 1952. Although W. O.'s particular engine design was judged too costly for production, it was because of his involvement that the final Sapphire product received the respect of contemporary designers. Personal life W. O. married three times. In 1914 he married Leonie Gore, daughter of Sir St George Ralph Gore, ninth baronet of Magherabegg . She died in 1919, in the Spanish flu epidemic. In 1920 W. O. married Poppy (Audrey Hutchinson) (1895-1981), a fun-loving society woman who disliked factories, whereas Bentley was said to love spending time in the workshop. They divorced soon after the business was sold in 1931. In 1934 he married Margaret Roberts Hutton, née Murray, who survived him. He had no children. At the time of his death on Friday 13 August 1971, shortly before his 83rd birthday, in Woking, Surrey, W. O. was the patron of The Bentley Drivers' Club. Margaret died in 1989. W. O. Bentley was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1995. Obituaries Following his lengthy obituary printed in The Times 16 August 1971 the same newspaper printed two more contributions. " . . . In the eyes of those who own, have owned, or aspire to own, one of the 3,040 Bentley cars designed and built by the 'old' Bentley company under the leadership of "W. O." he was admired and respected—indeed, I think, loved is not too strong a word—for to know his cars was to know him. During his working life "W. O." suffered a series of ups and downs which might have broken a lesser man. It certainly marked him and it was a disillusioned