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1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter

Competition between carmakers grew increasingly desperate during the dawn of the 1930s and in the shadow of the Great Depression. W.O. Bentley sought to refine his 8 Liter into the ultimate luxury carriage, however, his plans were sidelined by Bentley's collapse in 1931. Rolls-Royce was able to outflank rivals D. Napier & Son, and acquired Bentley (including W.O's services) for £125,257.

1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter photo
Saloon by Mann-Edgerton
View info and history
Work began on a new Bentley, built on a double-dropped chassis with a semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension and assisted by drum brakes. It used a tuned version of the Rolls-Royce 20/25's 3669cc overhead valve straight six breathing through twin SU carburetors, and fitted with a wider camshaft, strengthened connecting rods, and a higher compression ratio. This tuned engine offered around 120 horsepower, a fifty percent improvement, and backed by a four-speed manual gearbox. Additionally, it received a high-geared worm and nut steering and hydraulic dampers. Soon, the Bentley 3.5-liter became known as the 'Silent Sportscar.'

The first of what would become known as the 'Derby Bentleys' was launched in 1933, and continued the marque's sporting associations, but in a manner even more refined than before. Based on the contemporary Rolls-Royce 20/25, the 3½-Litre Bentley had a slightly shorter wheelbase at 10-feet, six-inches and fitted with a tuned version of the six-cylinder engine.

Bentley soon offered its customers the option of a larger 4.25 liter engine during the 1936 season. Priced at £50, a comparatively small sum compared to the cost of a basic chassis, the new unit proved so popular that the standard 3.5 litre powerplant was soon dropped. The Derby Bentley chassis was more than capable of handling the extra power and torque.

1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter photo
Saloon by Mann-Edgerton
View info and history
Of the 2,442 Derby Bentleys manufactured, almost 50 percent were bodied by Park Ward in a limited number of styles. A total of 1,234 chassis of the 4.25-liter specification were produced, with later-series chassis being fitted with overdrive transmissions. Production of the 2.25-liters lasted from 1936 to 1939.


by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019

Related Reading : Bentley 4¼ Litre History

Bentley Motors was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931. One of the first of the Bentley vehicles produced after this merge was the 1933 3-12 Liter, a vehicle similar to the Rolls Royce 2025. Bentley automobiles personified racing and the 3 12 Liter vehicle followed this tradition. It had a more powerful engine than its 2025 counterpart. This had been achieved by adding a second carburetor and modification....
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1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter Vehicle Profiles

1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Sports Tourer

Coachwork: Vanden Plas
Chassis #: B1KU
Engine #: U4BR
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
All-Weather Tourer

Coachwork: Thrupp and Maberly
Chassis #: B-39-KU
Engine #: M 9 BZ
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
All-Weather Cabriolet

Coachwork: Vanden Plas
Chassis #: B114KT
Engine #: T7BP
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Open Two-Seater

Coachwork: Carlton Carriage Company
Chassis #: B55KU
Engine #: B7BK
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Roadster

Coachwork: Vanden Plas
Chassis #: B-42-KT
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Sedanca Coupe

Coachwork: Gurney Nutting
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Saloon

Coachwork: Mann-Edgerton
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Fixed Head Coupe

Coachwork: Gurney Nutting
Chassis #: B 4 5HM
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Sedanca Coupe

Coachwork: Gurney Nutting
Chassis #: B70KT
Engine #: M2BY
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Drop Head Coupe

Coachwork: Mulliner
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Drophead Coupe

Coachwork: Windovers
1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Fixed Head Coupe

Coachwork: Vesters & Neirinck
Chassis #: B156KT
Engine #: E9BH
Build #: B3044

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

4¼ Litre

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
126.00 in.
6 cyl., 259.35 CID., 125.00hp
126.00 in.
6 cyl., 259.35 CID., 125.00hp
117.48 in., 117.50 in., 126.00 in.
6 cyl., 274.61 CID., 125.00hp
$7,200 - $7,200
117.50 in.
6 cyl., 274.61 CID., 125.00hp
126.00 in.
6 cyl., 259.78 CID., 125.00hp

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