Archive for April, 2009:
1931 Bentley 4 Litre
April 20th, 2009 / No Comments » / by admin
The 4 litre was an attempt at restoring the Bentley company to a good financial state. Introduced in 1931, it used a Ricardo F-head engine (modified by Walter Owen Bentley) in an attempt to attract more buyers. Instead, the company went into receivership shortly after, with archrival Rolls-Royce successfully purchasing the company.
The conventional straight-6 engine used an 85 mm (3.3 in) bore and 115 mm (4.5 in) stroke for a total of 3.9 L (3915 cc/238 in³) of displacement. It lacked the high power output and technology of the previous Bentley-designed engines.
1930-1931 Bentley 8 Litre
April 20th, 2009 / No Comments » / by admin
The 8 Litre was the largest and most luxurious Bentley luxury car made prior to the purchase of the marque by Rolls-Royce. It used a massive 8 L (7983 cc/487 in³) straight-6 engine and rode on a long 144 in (3658 mm) or longer 156 in (3962 mm) wheelbase, making it the largest car produced in the United Kingdom up to that time.
The car was conceived similarly to the Bugatti Royale — as a halo car to vault the maker into position as the supreme maker of luxury cars in the world. However, like the Bugatti, the 8 Litre Bentley failed to sell in sufficient numbers to make a profit. Priced at £1,850 for the chassis only, it was an exclusive and pricey vehicle.
Only 100 of these cars were produced and they are much sought after by collectors. Two were modified by McKenzie, who modified the engines and lowered the chassis; one was recently sold by a London dealer, and the other is believed to be in India.
1926-1930 Bentley 6½ Litre
April 20th, 2009 / No Comments » / by admin
The regular Bentley 6½ Litre and the high-performance Bentley Speed Six were Bentley automobiles in production from 1926 to 1930. They were created out of the desire for more engine power by Walter Owen Bentley by adding two cylinders to the straight-4 engine used in his Bentley 4½ Litre car. The Speed Six, introduced in 1928, would become the most-successful racing Bentley. Two Bentley Speed Six became known as the Blue Train Bentleys for their owner Woolf Barnato’s involvement in the Blue Train Races of 1930.
1926-1930 Bentley 4½ Litre
April 20th, 2009 / No Comments » / by admin
The Bentley 4½ Litre is a British sports car built by Bentley Motors. Its supercharged variant is also known as the Blower Bentley. Famous for his statement “there’s no replacement for displacement”, Walter Owen Bentley upped the displacement of the Bentley 3 Litre in 1926 to produce the 4½ Litre. Upon taking control of the company, the “Bentley Boys” went in search of even more power and developed the supercharged model in 1929 at Henry Birkin’s racing workshops in Welwyn Garden City.
1921-1924 Bentley 3 Litre
April 20th, 2009 / No Comments » / by admin
The 3 Litre was the sports car that put Bentley on the automotive map. It was a large car compared to the tiny, lightweight Bugattis then dominating racing, but its innovative technology and strength made up for its weight. The 4000 lb (1800 kg) car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, with drivers John Duff and Frank Clement, and again in 1927, this time in Super Sports form, with drivers S. C. H. “Sammy” Davis and Dudley Benjafield. Its weight, size, and speed prompted Ettore Bugatti to call it “the fastest lorry in the world.”
