Bentley

Looks like a Speed 6 engine....hard to tell. If it is, it would be a rocket ship. The Speed 6 is a fantastic engine...........one of the most misunderstood sleepers in the hobby. Very complicated like a 540K, but with much better power.

I wonder if it isn't Dr Goodman's' car. (He must be long gone now.) If it is, it's an 8 Liter and began life as a big closed car. Virtually all of those have been given sporting bodies by now and most have been shortened. I remember being told the shop that shortened his car made an error and removed more chassis than he intended...he went from a long chassis to the shortest 8 liter in existence. In any case, vintage Bentley people have never adhered to the "as it came from the factory" idea. Most, if not all, embrace all sorts of modifications not the least of which is creating a 3 — 4-1/2, a 3 liter with a 4-1/2 liter engine in it. Of course, you aren't going to find either the chassis or an extra engine now but some of these conversions go back to the 30's. The 3 and the 4-1/2 were four cylinder cars while the Speed 6 and the 8 were 6 cylinder cars. There was also a "bastard" car with a push rod engine in there that was produced for a short time before the end of Bentley motors, much to WO's disgust. Even when the chassis and engine are from the same model it's common to find the engines have been swapped. I once took the oldest known 3-liter engine out of a somewhat later car.

Unlike most old cars there have always been Bentley enthusiasts. While they went through a period when they weren't terribly valuable (like all old cars) there were never very many of them and there were always people who wanted them. Ed's right about being complicated...overhead cam without a detachable head...taking the engine apart is a challenge you have to be up for. All that said, I've only worked on three 3's and a single 4-1/2 (it was an ex-George Waterman car) and I didn't undertake anything terribly serious. My most memorable repair was patching up the fuel system on the side of Rt. 95 in Providence in the midst of Sunday "coming back from the beach" traffic.

Carburetors were a problem on the early cars...they used a pair of "sloper SU's" that apparently were very difficult to tune correctly although that may be more a function of the mechanics that worked on them than the design. Most have been fitted with later SU carbs although the first 3 that I worked on had a completely new intake manifold made to take an American updraft carb (I forget which one) that was nowhere near sufficient. The car idled beautifully but it was a struggle to get it much over 50 mph. Only 1 of the cars I worked on had the original carbs on it.

There are good reasons why the club is called "The Bentley Drivers Club."

I'm all in favor of a Bentley thread, AJ, good idea.  

I recently bought this book, Coachwork on Derby Bentleys 1933-1940, and it's fascinating.  I've never really focused on cars that came with custom coachwork, and learning about the many kinds of Derby Bentleys is for me a new way to do that.  Really interesting world.  I have no idea what it's like to drive one of these cars, but I'm intrigued.

Thanks Orin!

This photo has never been published so I'm gonna launch it on to the Internet here.   Taken at Bridgehampton in 1951.

https://www.facebook.com/155912847775012/videos/1128421977616382

Take a look at this..........Speed Six or 8 liter  cam drive.........by connecting rods.......been there, done that.

1935PackardDec 9, 2020

I'm all in favor of a Bentley thread, AJ, good idea.  

I recently bought this book, Coachwork on Derby Bentleys 1933-1940, and it's fascinating.  I've never really focused on cars that came with custom coachwork, and learning about the many kinds of Derby Bentleys is for me a new way to do that.  Really interesting world.  I have no idea what it's like to drive one of these cars, but I'm intrigued.

This new release on Bentley might also be a good read: Bentley - Last of the Silent Sports Cars 1938-9 (hortonsbooks.co.uk)

Craig

Orin, great video.  BTW are you thinking a Bentley would fit in the garage?  "Look at the Packards kids, but climb on the Bentley!"

Here is a local one in the required BRG.

I remember 20 years ago Richie Clyne and Don Williams had a unrestored 8 Litre saloon for sale.   The engine was mammoth!   I just watched Jay Leno's video on the 8 Litre and now I want one.

8 Litre Bentley's are fine cars. Better than 99 percent of what's out there. I prefer the Speed Six myself. The WO Bentley's are similar to Duesenbergs'.........either you get them, or you don't. It was said that the pre 1932 Bentleys were the worlds fastest trucks. I disagree calling them trucks.......but they are a handful. 

edinmassJan 28, 2021

8 Litre Bentley's are fine cars. Better than 99 percent of what's out there. I prefer the Speed Six myself. The WO Bentley's are similar to Duesenbergs'.........either you get them, or you don't. It was said that the pre 1932 Bentleys were the worlds fastest trucks. I disagree calling them trucks.......but they are a handful. 

Bentley and Duesenberg are both referred to as "hot rod trucks" by more than a few guys I know.

I've never driven a Speed 6 but the 4-1/2 I did drive was truck-like only in that you could sense the mass of the machine...much like driving a Ghost or PI but, in the case of the Bentley, handling like a high end sports car.

alsancleJan 28, 2021

I remember 20 years ago Richie Clyne and Don Williams had a unrestored 8 Litre saloon for sale.   The engine was mammoth!   I just watched Jay Leno's video on the 8 Litre and now I want one.

Maybe 20 years ago Dad and I looked at one and dad offered $450,000 to be told no. 

Great video thank you for posting! Anybody else notice that he did the whole car over soup to nuts but left the outer ring on that huge steering wheel in pretty shabby original shape? I guess that's kind of a cool thing to do if you're going to drive it and actually use it.

md murrayFeb 1, 2021

Great video thank you for posting! Anybody else notice that he did the whole car over soup to nuts but left the outer ring on that huge steering wheel in pretty shabby original shape? I guess that's kind of a cool thing to do if you're going to drive it and actually use it.

I'm not repainting the underside of the trunklid on my car, while everything else is getting repainted. I'm leaving it original, with its few minor scratches from maybe a box or two that was too tall, etc.

Craig

A.  A.  B.

Absolutely Amazing Bentley from the 2021 Holiday Motor Excursion in southern California. Don't know the year/model/engine. To me it looks like a newly re-done Weymann Body.

This is from the 29Chandler's excellent 2021 Holiday Motor Excursion thread in General Discussion.

I didn't know if Bentleys sported Weymann Bodies -- but found this old picture entitled "1930 Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Supercharged | Weymann Fabric Body":

The name Bentley just conjures up images of speed, adventure, and romanticism. From the Bentley Boys to the Continental. I find that this re creation of the mythic Blue Train, makes me want to get behind the wheel of whatever car I've got and drive, drive, drive!

RivguyDec 29, 2021

The name Bentley just conjures up images of speed, adventure, and romanticism. From the Bentley Boys to the Continental. I find that this re creation of the mythic Blue Train, makes me want to get behind the wheel of whatever car I've got and drive, drive, drive!

I need to find the story somewhere,  but the actual "blue train" Bentley looks like a regular sedan.  

RM had this 4.5 for sale at Monterey last summer.  I went back to look at it 6 different times.   Really cool.

From what I've read the Blue Train challenge was run with a regular sedan, and the route taken by Woolf was the most direct route and did not parallel the tracks. The idea that the train and car ran alongside each other neck to neck, is just a romantic fabrication.  But it is an image that we want to believe! It's a scene that has been recreated featuring various high speed cars and speedsters. 

RivguyDec 31, 2021

From what I've read the Blue Train challenge was run with a regular sedan, and the route taken by Woolf was the most direct route and did not parallel the tracks. The idea that the train and car ran alongside each other neck to neck, is just a romantic fabrication.  But it is an image that we want to believe! It's a scene that has been recreated featuring various high speed cars and speedsters. 

Yes.  Great story and marketing.

The real Blue Train Bentley below driving 10 miles away from the track is not as compelling.

alsancleDec 3, 2020

So I know a little bit about Bentley and had some pictures I wanted to post.   Maybe we can make this a catch all thread for Classic era Bentley cars.

Here are some pictures I took when I was about 15 years old.  This car stuck in my mind for 40 years and I could have described it without having just found the pictures in my mom's attic yesterday.     The setting is the Breakers Mansion in Newport RI in 1980.   The meet is being put on by the RROC.     I was totally mesmerized by this Bentley and I got my dad caught on it too,  almost to the point where I convinced him we needed a Bentley.

I'm wondering what it is?   I'm guessing some kind of Hot Rod.    Is that an Eight Liter engine?    Anybody know anything?

I posted this before and we were wondering exactly what it was.   So here you go.  It is a Speed Six that was rebodied.  I have no idea why that is upside down.

Looks better right-side up...

If I recall correctly, the Pre- Derby Bentleys had solenoids that the off-side headlamps to be tilted, providing the equivalent of a low beam. So the lamp orientation in the picture is not the result of installation by a mechanic with alcohol-induced slightly flawed spatial perception. The later, Derby Bentleys had the solenoid mounted inside the headlamp structure, allowing the reflector to be tilted. At least for these cars, double filament bulbs had not made it into the inventory.

I think that would be a function of the coachbuilder. At least none of the three or four I've worked on had that feature.

Has anyone else noted that there appear to be quite a few pre-Derby Bentley's for sale at the moment on the Prewarcar site? All for astronomical prices but if money wasn't an issue you could put together a significant collection in a matter of weeks.

Here's another Bentley, at the 2014 Circuit des Ardennes. I don't know the year or model. The pictured owner said, in this youtube video I took a screen-grab from, but I couldn't follow his rapid-fire French.

The 2022 commemoration will be July 8-10 this year, 120 years after the original Circuit.

It is a 3.5 or 4.25 L Derby Bentley.

edinmassJan 28, 2021

8 Litre Bentley's are fine cars. Better than 99 percent of what's out there. I prefer the Speed Six myself. The WO Bentley's are similar to Duesenbergs'.........either you get them, or you don't. It was said that the pre 1932 Bentleys were the worlds fastest trucks. I disagree calling them trucks.......but they are a handful. 

As I said in the other thread,  you have been preaching this for a while.    The Speed Six is a road locomotive.

What are the differences between a Speed Six and a straight Six.5 Liter?   3 carbs vs 2, exhaust?  Compression?   Typically a lighter body.

Seems I found a used car lot with a bunch of fairly early stuff………unfortunately I forgot my checkbook. 
 

During WWI W.O. drove a V8 Cadillac. He enjoyed taking it to the RR factory where he'd point out that it was quieter than the RR cars...they did not have much sense of humor about that.

I saw this on offer (no affiliation). A 1930 enclosed Bentley by Charles Schutte with 152 1/2 inch wb. This looks useful for a discrete but fast get-away.

https://www.prewarcar.com/638906-1930-bentley-speed-six#group-1

JV PuleoJul 4, 2023

During WWI W.O. drove a V8 Cadillac. He enjoyed taking it to the RR factory where he'd point out that it was quieter than the RR cars...they did not have much sense of humor about that.

He also had a 1934 V-16 Cadillac purchase new by Rolls…….do he could disassemble it and use it as a basis for the PIII. After they were done it was reassembled and sold retail. The car was at Pebble last year……here it is. The horn button says Rolls Royce of England instead of a retail buyers name.

prewarnutJan 20, 2025

I saw this on offer (no affiliation). A 1930 enclosed Bentley by Charles Schutte with 152 1/2 inch wb. This looks useful for a discrete but fast get-away.

https://www.prewarcar.com/638906-1930-bentley-speed-six#group-1

Fantastic!   I did not know about this car.   Schuette bodies are very rare in general and to have one mounted on a speed six chassis is really cool.  Colors are too bad.  I liked the original form better.

Speed Six.  See if you can hear the cool engine sounds over Ed yacking.

Here is another video of a Speed Six.  More nice sounds.

alsancleDec 3, 2020

So I know a little bit about Bentley and had some pictures I wanted to post.   Maybe we can make this a catch all thread for Classic era Bentley cars.

Here are some pictures I took when I was about 15 years old.  This car stuck in my mind for 40 years and I could have described it without having just found the pictures in my mom's attic yesterday.     The setting is the Breakers Mansion in Newport RI in 1980.   The meet is being put on by the RROC.     I was totally mesmerized by this Bentley and I got my dad caught on it too,  almost to the point where I convinced him we needed a Bentley.

I'm wondering what it is?   I'm guessing some kind of Hot Rod.    Is that an Eight Liter engine?    Anybody know anything?

45 years later I found the answer to my question. Basically a hot rod built around a Speed Six chassis.