Historia Bentley 8 l

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1931 Bentley 8-Liter news, pictures, andinformation

Sportsman Coupe

Coachwork: Lancefield

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-litre (7983 cc/ 487

cubic-inch) straight-6 engine and rode on a long 144 inch (3658 mm) or longer

156-inch (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 manufacturer of luxury cars in the world.

However, like the Bugatti, the 8 Litre Bentley failed to sell in sufficient numbers tomake a profit.

Just as the Great Depression was starting to affect Europe, Bentley unveiled the 8-

Litre, its finest and most expensive model, at the 1930 London Auto Show. Set on

either a 12- or 13-foot wheelbase, the 8 Litre was practically a yacht. It had a

massive frame supported by tubular cross-members, and it weighed two tons. The

six-cylinder engine displaced eight liters. The 8-Litre was as advanced as any

existing Rolls-Royce, and was faster than any Rolls-Royce built before World War II.

Many of the 100 produced still survive, although usually in modified form. Poor

sales helped put the company into receivership in 1931, and some say that Rolls-

Royce bought Bentley just to eliminate the competition from the 8-Litre. Rolls-Royce did, in fact, dispose of all 8-Litre spare parts after taking over the company.

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The six-cylinder engine used a one-piece iron block and cylinder head with an

electron crankcase. Four valves per cylinder were specified, as was twin-spark

ignition - both were state of the art at the time. Bore was 110 mm (4.3 inches) and

stroke was 140 mm (5.5-inches). A four-speed manual transmission with a single-

plate dry clutch sent power to the rear wheels. Springs were used all around, and4-wheel servo-assisted brakes were also fitted.

This example was purchased in 2004 from Mr. David Roberts, who had owned it in

England since 1953. There were two owners prior to Mr. Roberts. The car had

undergone a complete restoration, which lasted from July of 2004 through February

of 2007.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2008

Sportsman Coupe

Coachwork: Gurney NuttingChassis Num: YR 5088Engine Num: YR 5088

Sold for $1,485,000 at 2006 RM Auctions.

This 1931 Bentley 8-Liter Sportsman Coupe has coachwork by J. Gurney-Nutting. It

has won the 1932 RAC Best Coachwork Award, and the 1999 Best in Show of the

Louis Vuitton Classic at the Hurlingham Club. In addition, it has won a number of

BDC Awards and a Second in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2001. It is

powered by a 7983 cc, overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine with four

valves per cylinder, dual carburetors, and capable of producing 220 horsepower at

3500 rpm. A four-speed manual gearbox sends power to the rear wheels while the

four-wheel servo assisted drum brakes provide the stopping power. It sits atop a

156 inch wheelbase and suspended in place by semi-elliptic leaf springs in both the

front and the rear.

The Bentley 8-Liter was first shown to the public at the 1930 London Motor Show.

It was impressive in design, stature, and performance. It was capable of 100 mph,

10 mph faster than the comparable lightweight Rolls-Royce.

There were two platforms for the 8-Liter Bentley, a 144-inch and 156-inch

wheelbase. The chassis on the 156-inch version weight 3700 pounds with the full-

bodied versions tipping the scale at over two tones! The engineering of the 8-Liter

was impressive, with its double-dropped frame and seven tubular cross members

supporting the mammoth bodies. Aluminum was used throughout the bodies in an

effort to reduce the weight.

Though the combination of beauty, power and prestige was enough to make the

Bentley 8-Liter an instant success, the Great Depression was responsible for its low

production figures, with only 100 examples being produced. Feeling the pressure of

the Great Depression and slow sales, Bentley's chief financier, Woolf Barnato,

severed his ties with Bentley and sending them spiraling into financial difficulty.

Rolls-Royce intervened, saving the troubled company from receivership. They

revamped the Bentley model line, brining their designs and mechanics inline with

the Rolls-Royce family. The Bentley's now served as the entry-level cars into the


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ultra luxury department.

The 8-liters were adorned in stylish coachwork provided by reputable coachbuilders

such as J. Gurney Nutting and Vanden Plas. Most of the bodies were graceful

saloons and fixed head coupes.

This example has a blue leather interior. There is a sliding sunroof and ample space

for luggage in the rear custom built compartment.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2009

Murphy Convertible VictoriaCoachwork: MurphyChassis Num: YR5085

The 8 Litre Bentley was the largest and most luxurious Bentley made. It was

conceived as somewhat similar to the Bugatti Royale and was to catapult Bentleyinto a position of a supreme manufacturer of luxury automobiles.

This is the only 8-Litre Bentley to be clothed with an American-made body. It was a

special order for a gentlemen from Santa Barbara, California. When made, it was

also the only Bentley to have all-metal bodywork. In 1931 the chassis was shipped

by W.O. Bentley's company to another Walter - the W.M. Murphy Company of

Pasadena, where this Franklin Hershey-designed Victoria convertible body was

fitted. Victoria convertibles are basically two door, two window, roadsters seating at

least four people. Only one hundred 8-Litre Bentleys were built, and they were

amongst the most powerful cars of their day.

Of the 100 8-Liter Bentleys built, 35 were on a 145-inch wheelbase and 65 were on

a 153-inch wheelbase. Very few of the original 8 Liters were open cars; fewer still

were two-door open Victorias. One of the short wheelbase chassis was ordered by

C.H. Mattheson of Santa Barbara, CA, for delivery to the Walter P. Murphy

Coachworks. The body was designed by the famous Franklin Q. Hershey, and the

coachwork was crafted out of alloy without using a wood substructure as was the

practice of contemporary English coachbuilders.

Only 100 8 Litres were built - 65 long wheelbase and 35 short wheelbase. This car

is a one-off all-alloy short wheelbase. It is one of only six open two-door 8 Litres.

Touring Car Coachwork: Vanden Plas

Only one hundred 8-Liter Bentleys were ever produced. It was created as a halo car

for Bentley to vault the brand into a position of a supreme maker of luxury-cars.

Fewer than 25% were fitted with open bodies. This Vanden Plas-bodied 8-Liter is

completely original and the only 8-Liter Bentley ever produced for racing. Although

specifically built for racing, it was never raced. As the only 8 Litre race car it has

many unique features, including a huge fuel tank for long distance racing and a

large outside exhaust seen occasionally on owner-modified racing bodies but first








appearing on the original works racing 3-Litre Bentley team cars at the 1922 Isle of

Man TT. Captain Hewitt's wife died at the time of the cars delivery and he never

raced the car.

The car was capable of 100 miles per hours powered by the 487 cubic-inch (8.0

Liter), overhead-cam, inline 6-cylinder engine with a power rating of 200-320horsepower. It was coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. The chassis alone

sold for $9,250.

The 8-Liter came at the end of Bentley's glory years as an independent automaker.

Rolls-Royce, Bentley's competition, bought the company in 1931 and immediately

disposed of all 8-Liter spare parts.

Open Tourer by HarrisonCoachwork: Harrison

Chassis Num: YR5076

Sold for $2,200,000 at 2008 RM Auctions.Sold for $756,000 at 2010 RM Auctions.

There were only 100 examples of the 8-Liter Bentley's constructed. A mere

seventy-eight have survived the challenges of time and are still in existence. 16 are

open bodywork, six are drophead coupes and ten are open tourers. There are only

twelve open cars that have survived with their original coachwork and this example,

with chassis number YR5076, is one of those rare cars.

Walter Owen Bentley, more commonly known as W.O. Bentley, was educated atClifton College in Bristol and worked several jobs before building his first motorized

transport - a Quadrant motorcycle. As time progressed so did his motorbikes. As

they got better, he entered them in touring events and races; during one such

campaign, he was awarded a gold medal for completing the London to Edinburgh

trial. In 1909 he competed in the Tourist Trophy but crashed on the first lap.

In 1910 he purchased a Riley 9hp car and in 1911 purchased a French Sizaire-

naudin. Not satisfied with these vehicles and feeling he could create a better car;

he formed a partnership with his bother, Horace Milner Bentley, in March of 1912.

He focused heavily on racing in the years to come, competing in hill climbs,

endurance races, time trials, and many other events.

During the First World War, W.O. Bentley used his skill in modifying aero engines

used by the Royal Naval Air Service. Later, he built aero engines of his own design.

After the war he began work on a new engine which was completed by September

of 1919. The four-cylinder unit had a displacement size of 2996cc and developed

maximum power at just 3500 rpm. After sufficient testing was performed, a mock-

up chassis was created for the Olympia Motor Show in London. It was an

impressive machine that received much attention and praise.

The 3.0-liter Bentley was later succeeded by 4.5- and 6.5-liter versions. And finally,between 1930 and 1931, the 8-liter was produced.











The 8-Liter Bentley's were very impressive machines that were, in respects, an

enlarged version of the successful Speed Six models. They had a lowered chassis

frame and an 'F' series gearbox. Larger bearings were used to increase strength

and reduce engine noise. The top-gear speed range was 3.5:1 and the six-cylinder

engine had a bore of 110 mm and a stroke of 140mm.

The first 8-Liter Bentley was shown at the Olympia Motor Show in October of 1930.

Their appearance and stature was awe-inspiring - but equally as impressive was the

vehicles performance. When fitted with a limousine body and carrying eight people,

the 8-Liter Bentley's could still race to 100 mph. This was during an era when the

100 mph was nearly untouchable for road-going vehicles.

Bentley had a car that could outpace the competition and could rival the most

exotic and luxurious car on the market. However, what they were unable to do was

avoid the poor economic conditions of the time, nor their poor financial position. By

1931, the Bentley automaker notified London Life they were unable to make their

mortgage payment - in other words, they company was broke. The company'sassets were purchased by Rolls-Royce which provided sufficient funding for the

Bentley marque to continue.

The first Rolls-Royce built Bentley was the 3.5-liter which would later become

known as the 'The Silent Sports Car.'

Chassis number YR5076 was sent to W.B. Henderson of Somerset, England on

January 3rd of 1931. Its first owner was G.R. Wilson and Lt. Col. A.J.A. Beck. In

1953 it was sent to the United States to Leo Pavelle from New York. Ownership

later passed to Bill Klein. It passed through several other US owners, and even

made an appearance at the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. In 1995 itreturned back to the United Kingdom when it was sold to Richard Procter. By this

point in history, it had been driven 43,000 miles since new. While in Mr. Procter's

care, the car was treated to a restoration. After completion, ownership passed to

Mr. William Connor II in Hong Kong.

In 2008 the car was brought to the Automobiles of Amelia presented by RM

Auctions where it was certainly one of the highlights of the event. Its $2.2 million

selling price, including buyer's premium, was the second highest of the auction. It

is a very rare car and one of the greatest examples of the Bentley pre-Rolls-Royce

acquisition.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008

Corsica Tourer Coachwork: Corsica

The Bentley 8-Liter was the largest British motor car produced at that time. it was

substantially more expensive than the competing Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

Unbeatable in regards to smoothness and silence, the engine was capable of

pushing the car to 100 mph even with the heaviest of formal coachwork.

The model achieved lasting fame for W.O. Bentley but didn't, regrettably, earn the





profit needed to keep the Bentley Company financially afloat. Sales figures were

limited, not at least due to the world economic crisis.

The engine was a six-cylinder inline configuration, iron cylinder block and cylinder

head cast in one piece, bore and stroke of 110 x 140 mm, displacement 7983cc;

electron crankcase; four valves per cylinder, dual ignition by coil and separatemagneto; single dry plate type clutch; four-speed gearbox, hypoid bevel final drive;

suspension by semi-elliptic springs front and rear; 4-wheel brakes servo-assisted;

wheelbase 3658.6mm or 3963.4 mm (114 inches or 156 inches); tire size of 21

inches.

Only 100 Bentley 8 Liters were manufactured.

Tourer

As its car building progressed, Bentley would go on to produce models of 4.5 liters

and 6.5-liters and finally, between 1930 and 1931, the mighty 8-Litre. The 8-Litre

was basically an enlarged version of the Speed Six. It had a new lower chassis

frame, with outset rear springs and an 'F' series gearbox differing from all previous

Bentley designs with its casing split down the center, as opposed to the square box

with a lid on top which was used in all earlier cars. This layout allowed for larger

bearings which provided extra strength and reduced nose.

The first 8-Litres appeared at the Olympia Motor Show in October 1930 and created

a sensation. This magnificent machine would top 100 mph with limousinecoachwork and eight people inside.

The 8-Litre was clearly aimed to go head-to-head with the Rolls-Royce Phantom II,

challenging to be the best car in the world, although many were impressed by the

fact that the Bentley outperformed the supercharged Mercedes of that time - on

both acceleration and maximum speed - but it performed with a silence that was

uncanny.

Bentley Motors effectively ended in 1931 when the company notified London Life

that it would be unable to make its June 30th mortgage payment.

Open Tourer by HarrisonCoachwork: HarrisonChassis Num: YR5076

Sold for $2,200,000 at 2008 RM Auctions.Sold for $756,000 at 2010 RM Auctions.

1300 cc's per Cylinder!

The Bentley 8-Litre was an enlarged version of the Speed Six. It had a six-cylinder

engine with a bore and stroke of 110 mm by 140 mm respectively, and a top gear

speed range of a minimum of 6 mph and a maximum of 104 mph. It had











acceleration capability of 10 to 100 mph in 50 seconds with a fully equipped saloon

body.

Only one hundred 8-Litre Bentleys were built. The car presented here has its

original open tourer coachwork. This handsome car has velvet green paintwork with

a green leather interior.

The 8-Litre was the last car designed by W.O. Bentley and of the 100 examples

built, 78 are still in existence today. Only sixteen 8-Litres were built with open

bodywork - six drophead coupes and ten tourers - and only twelve of these open

cars survive today with their original coachwork. This is indeed a rare car.

This car was delivered to the original owner in Somerset, England on January 3,

1931. It was shipped to the United States in 1953. In 1995, the car's odometer

read only 43,000. The Bentley was restored at that time and was repainted and re-

trimmed.

Weymann Paneled SaloonCoachwork: Mulliner

Of the 100 8 Litre cars built, 37 were on the short 144-inch chassis. This is one of

very few with its original Weymann paneled saloon coachwork by H.J. Mulliner.

Owned for over 56 years by the Collinson-Cooper family in England, it has won

numerous awards. It was first restored by Jack Barclay Limited in the 1960s and

won Best of Show at the Bentley Drivers Club meeting at Goodwood in 1967.

Bought by Bentley collector Stephen Brauer in 1994, it appeared at the louisVuitton Concours in New York in 1999.

Tourer Coachwork: WallisChassis Num: YR5086

High bid of $850,000 at 2008 RM Auctions. (did not sell)Sold for $605,000 at 2010 Gooding & Company.Sold for $369,600 at 2010 RM Auctions.

The first owner of this Bentley was Mr. A.V. Bustard of Antrim, North Ireland, who

took possession on April 1st of 1931. The car was powered by engine number YR

5086 and fitted with an F-Type gearbox, number 8083. The chassis left the

Cricklewood works factory on January 7th of 1931 and sent to Thrupp & Mayberly

for enclosed limousine body coachwork.

In the 1950s, the car was in the possession of Mr. Dale, who at some point had the

engine rebuilt. A few UK owners followed and in the mid-1960s it was given a

Vanden Plas style dual cowl tourer body by Wallis.

This Bentley has been in the United States since 1966. In 2008, the car was treated

to a mechanical rebuild.

















In 2010, this Bentley 8 Litre with coachwork by Wallis was offered for sale at the

Gooding & Company Auction held in Amelia Island, Florida. The car was expected to

sell for $700,000 - $900,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for

the sum of $605,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2010

The 8-Liter Bentley was introduced at the 1930 London Motor Show. It featured an

8-liter engine which was a development of Bentley's race-winning 6.5-liter unit. The

main purpose of this model was to add competition in the luxury car segment and

challenge the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The power-plant was an engineering marvel, fitted with an Elektron crankcase and

sump. The engine was a single iron block and cylinder head with four-valves per

cylinder. It had an twin-spark ignition, a bore of 110 mm and a stroke of 140 mm.

The straight-six engine carried chassis with wheelbases of 144 inches or 156

inches. The 156-inch wheelbase was the largest car produced in the UK up to that

point in history. It could carry the large and luxurious bodies to speeds of 100 mph.

To keep the weight of the vehicle to a minimum, many of the bodies and

mechanical components were formed from aluminum. An overall weight of about

3700 pounds was typical for the chassis alone. A completed vehicle often tipped the

scale at over 2.5 tons.

Four-wheel servo-assisted brakes helped keep the vehicle in the drivers control.

There was a four-speed manual gearbox with a single-plate dry clutch and semi-

elliptical springs on all four corners.

The launch of the Bentley 8-Liter coincided with the onset of the Great Depression.

As a result, the small pool of wealthy individuals who could afford one of these

machines, dwindled. Competition between marques became even more fierce, as

prices dropped and more amenities and accessories were offered in an attempt to

lure buyers. This model was financially devastating to Bentley. Bentley's principal

backer at the time, Woolf Barnato, was enduring financial difficulty during this sad

time in history. As a result, he severed his financial support with Bentley.

Production of the 8-Liter Bentley reached 100 units before production ceased. Rolls-

Royce took the opportunity to rescue the struggling company and brought it under

its financial protection. This move by Rolls-Royce, also ensured that the marque

would never again offer competition to its luxury brand. The Bentley line was

modified and acted as the entry-level cars in the luxury department.

Most of the Bentley 8-Liter cars were given limousine or four-door saloon

coachwork. A few were outfitted with sporty coachwork. Most were in closed

configuration with fewer than 25% outfitted with open bodies. The list of

coachbuilders included Vanden Plas, Kellner, Thrupp and Maberly, Arthur Mulliner,

Gurney Nutting, Park Ward, Freestone & Webb, Letourner et Marchand, Binder and

Walter J. Murphy.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2007

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