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1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter

Walter O. Bentley's company was purchased by Rolls-Royce, Ltd. in 1931 and moved from Cricklewood, London to Rolls' Derby works. The Bentley cars produced from 1933 through 1939 are known as the 'Derby Bentleys.' The first of these was based on the current-series Rolls-Royce 202/25-horsepower chassis but was reconfigured to use the 20/25's 2.75-liter engine. The 126-inch bare chassis left the factory to be bodied by outside coachbuilders.

1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter photo
Saloon by Park Ward & Co.
Chassis #: B131MX
Engine #: U5BE
View info and history
Auction entries : 3
By 1936 the bodies had grown in size and weight and a new power plant was required. To provide more horsepower, a 4257-cc engine was offered, complete with a higher compression ratio of 6.8:1 compared to 6:1, and the Rolls-Royce Stromberg downdraft single carburetor was replaced by dual SUs. A few of the 3.5-liter cars were converted at the factory to the larger power plant. With permission from Hispano-Suiza, servo-assisted mechanical brakes were placed on all four corners of the car.

The new 4.25-Litre (4,257cc) model, introduced in 1936, had an increase in power over the previous model while retaining the well-proven chassis with servo-assisted braking and faultless gear-change. This new engine was shared with the equivalent Rolls-Royce, the 25/30hp, and as had been the case with the preceding 3½-Litre model, was a superior specification in Bentley form, fitted with twin SU carburetors, raised compression ratio, and a more 'sporting' camshaft. Equipped with twin SU carburetors, the 4,257cc overhead valve inline 6-cylinder engine delivered 126 horsepower at 4,500 RPM. The introduction of the Hall's Metal bearings would eventually lead to an adoption of an overdrive gearbox and improved lubrication system, improvements which coincided with the introduction of the 'M' series cars in 1939. Approximately 200 examples were produced during 1939 (a total of 1,234 examples during its production lifespan), and they were renowned for their reliability, refinement, and long-distance cruising capabilities.

The 126-inch wheelbase platform was suspended at the front via a solid axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. At the rear was a live axle setup with semi-elliptical leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. Servo-assisted mechanical drum brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power. Most examples wore coachwork by Park Ward and most were formed from steel rather than the previous, aluminum over ash frame construction.

1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter photo
Tourer by Vanden Plas
Chassis #: B91 MX
View info and history
The new 4¼-Litre model delivered more power than before while retaining the finely tuned chassis with faultless gear-change, and servo-assisted braking. 'The Silent Sports Car', as it was quickly dubbed, had few peers as a tireless long-distance tourer


by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 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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1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter Vehicle Profiles

1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Sport Coupe

Coachwork: Park Ward & Co.
Chassis #: B30MR
Engine #: C8BM
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Drophead Coupe

Coachwork: Vanvooren
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Drophead Tourer

Coachwork: Vanden Plas
Chassis #: B154MR
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Drpohead Coupe

Coachwork: Park Ward & Co.
Chassis #: B157MX
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Pillarless Saloon

Coachwork: Vanvooren
Chassis #: B3MX
Engine #: B7BN
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Embiricos Coupe

Chassis #: B119MX
Engine #: W9BC
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Sunroof Coupe

Coachwork: Vanvooren
Chassis #: B132LS
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Saloon

Coachwork: Park Ward & Co.
Chassis #: B131MX
Engine #: U5BE
1939 Bentley 4¼ Liter vehicle information
Tourer

Coachwork: Vanden Plas
Chassis #: B91 MX

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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