WO Bentley had launched his first model, the four-cylinder 3 Litre, in
1921, as a sporting car for the discerning driver, intending that it
should provide 80mph performance, with exceptional reliability founded
on the quality of its engineering and construction. All cars even came
with a five-year guarantee. It quickly became the favourite of wealthy
young sportsmen and, to prove a point, 3-litres won at Le Mans in 1924
and 1927. In 1925 the company launched WO’s latest creation, the
six-cylinder 6 1/2-litre, intended as a fast luxury car to rival the
Rolls-Royce Phantom and to steal a part of its market. This was a car of
quite different character from the 3-litre, and well suited to elegant
enclosed coachwork, It was joined in 1928 by the Speed Six version,
which derived its extra performance from having twin carburettors and a
higher compression ratio. In the steady hands of Woolf Barnato,
Bentley’s principal financial backer, Speed Sixes won at Le Mans in 1929
and 1930. Next, in 1931, came WO’s true supercar, the 8-litre. Enormous,
strikingly handsome, fabulously expensive and capable of 100mph in any
form, it is one of motoring’s immortals, but by now the company was in
trouble, and the 4-litre which was hastily introduced to revive its bank
balance sadly failed to do so. As a background to these events, the
author opens with an account of the company’s performance, and its
problems, during the later years of the 1920s. Then comes a detailed
examination and analysis of the 6 1/2-litre – its engine, transmission,
chassis and running gear – with extracts from contemporary reports and
road tests, and information on production changes and modifications.
This is followed by equivalent coverage of the Speed Six, 8-litre and
4-litre models. The author describes the Speed Six’s illustrious
competition history, and reviews the range of bodies offered by
coachbuilders, from open tourers to stately limousines, for the
six-cylinder cars. Outstanding examples of all models have been
photographed specially for this book and are featured in detail in some
150 colour shots. There are also more than 150 black-and-white
photographs drawn from archive sources. Offering an in-depth examination
of these splendid, charismatic Bentleys, this book provides an
unrivalled store of knowledge for the many who care passionately about
them, and serves as a tribute to the men who made them.
After graduating from Oxford and pursuing further academic studies at
Reading, James Taylor spent twelve years working in central government.
However, the lure of writing about cars proved too great and he decided
to turn it into a career. James has now written well over one hundred
books in all, and among them have been several definitive one-make or
one-model titles, including a number for Crowood. He has also written
for enthusiast magazines in several countries, has translated books for
foreign languages, and delivers effective writing training in both the
public and private sectors.
