Bentley 8 Litre
Encyclopedia
The 8 Litre was the largest and most luxurious Bentley
car designed and the last new model introduced by W O Bentley
at Bentley Motors Limited in Cricklewood London prior to the purchase of W O 's business by Rolls-Royce
to wipe out its dangerous competition for their Phantom II. 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 — like the Bugatti Royale
— as a halo car to vault the maker into position as the supreme maker of luxury cars in the world. Launched at the London Olympia Motor Show in October 1930, twelve months after the onset of the great depression
hit the world, like the Bugatti Royale, of which just three were sold, the 8 Litre Bentley failed to sell in sufficient numbers to make a profit though a hundred were made and sold. The chassis was priced at £1,850, making it an exclusive and pricey vehicle.
The six-cylinder engine used a one-piece iron block and cylinder head with a crankcase
made from an exotic magnesium alloy
called Elektron
. The cylinder head featured four valves per cylinder
, as well as twin-spark ignition; both were state-of-the-art at the time. The bore was 110 mm (4.3 in) and the stroke was 140 mm (5.5 in). The manufacturer claimed a maximum speed of approximately 125 mph (200 km/h).
A four-speed manual transmission
with a single-plate dry clutch sent power to the rear wheels. Semi-elliptical springs
were used all around, and 4-wheel servo-assisted drum brakes were also specified.
Only 100 of these cars were produced: 35 were on a 145 inches (3,683 mm) wheelbase and 65 were on a 153 inches (3,886.2 mm) wheelbase; fewer than 25% were fitted with open bodies. It is suggested that the cost of the development of the car was a prime reason for Bentley Motors going bankrupt. When Rolls-Royce bought the company in 1931, it immediately disposed of all 8-Liter spare parts.
As a result of their rarity, they are much sought after by collectors: it is believed presently that only 78 chassis survive. Only one had an all-metal body from the outset, completed by the W.M. Murphy Company of Pasadena
for a customer in San Diego, which made it the only American bodied car. 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.
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
car designed and the last new model introduced by W O Bentley
W. O. Bentley
Walter Owen Bentley, MBE engineer; designer of aero engines, designer and racer of motor cars, founder of Bentley Motors Limited in Cricklewood near London.He was known as "W.O." without any need to add the word Bentley....
at Bentley Motors Limited in Cricklewood London prior to the purchase of W O 's business by Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
to wipe out its dangerous competition for their Phantom II. It used a massive 8 L (7983 cc/487 in³) straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine and rode on a long 144 in (3658 mm) or longer 156 in (3962 mm) wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
, making it the largest car produced in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
up to that time.
The car was conceived — like the Bugatti Royale
Bugatti Royale
The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, was a large luxury car with a 4.3 m wheelbase and 6.4 m overall length. It weighed approximately 3175 kg and used a 12.7 L straight-8 engine...
— as a halo car to vault the maker into position as the supreme maker of luxury cars in the world. Launched at the London Olympia Motor Show in October 1930, twelve months after the onset of the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit the world, like the Bugatti Royale, of which just three were sold, the 8 Litre Bentley failed to sell in sufficient numbers to make a profit though a hundred were made and sold. The chassis was priced at £1,850, making it an exclusive and pricey vehicle.
The six-cylinder engine used a one-piece iron block and cylinder head with a crankcase
Crankcase
In an internal combustion engine of the reciprocating type, the crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft. The enclosure forms the largest cavity in the engine and is located below the cylinder, which in a multicylinder engine are usually integrated into one or several cylinder blocks...
made from an exotic magnesium alloy
Magnesium alloy
Magnesium alloys are mixtures of magnesium with other metals , often aluminium, zinc, manganese, silicon, copper, rare earths and zirconium. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Magnesium alloys have a hexagonal lattice structure, which affects the fundamental properties of these alloys...
called Elektron
Elektron (alloy)
Elektron was a magnesium alloy developed in Germany during the First World War between 1914-18 as a substitute for aluminium alloy. Elektron is unusually light and has a specific gravity of about 1.8 compared with the 2.8 of aluminium alloy. Elektron was used to make incendiary bombs: the B-1E...
. The cylinder head featured four valves per cylinder
Multi-valve
In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
, as well as twin-spark ignition; both were state-of-the-art at the time. The bore was 110 mm (4.3 in) and the stroke was 140 mm (5.5 in). The manufacturer claimed a maximum speed of approximately 125 mph (200 km/h).
A four-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
with a single-plate dry clutch sent power to the rear wheels. Semi-elliptical springs
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
were used all around, and 4-wheel servo-assisted drum brakes were also specified.
Only 100 of these cars were produced: 35 were on a 145 inches (3,683 mm) wheelbase and 65 were on a 153 inches (3,886.2 mm) wheelbase; fewer than 25% were fitted with open bodies. It is suggested that the cost of the development of the car was a prime reason for Bentley Motors going bankrupt. When Rolls-Royce bought the company in 1931, it immediately disposed of all 8-Liter spare parts.
As a result of their rarity, they are much sought after by collectors: it is believed presently that only 78 chassis survive. Only one had an all-metal body from the outset, completed by the W.M. Murphy Company of Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
for a customer in San Diego, which made it the only American bodied car. 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.