1924 Bentley 3 Litre Sports Car

The Bentley 3-Litre used a long-stroke four-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder, operated by a shaft-drive overhead camshaft. It had a fixed cylinder head which would be used on subsequent cars until the 1930s. Announced in May of 1919, the 3-Litre Bentley remained in production through 1929, by which time 1,622 had been built. The 'standard model' rested on either short or long wheelbase chassis and came with a blue background radiator emblem; the emblems would distinguish the cars over the years. The 'standard model' became known as the 'Blue Label.' A very short wheelbase version was offered from 1924 through 1926 and came with high compression engine and were called 'Green Label.' A high-compression short-wheelbase (117.5-inch) model produced from 1924 through 1929 was known as the 'Red Label.'

This particular example is a 3-Litre 'Red Label' boattail two-seater. It was acquired by Arthur Lieberman of Skokie, Illinois, in the 1970 and sold to the Burdick Collection in 1984. From then until 1992, it was a regular competitor in the Great American Race, a long-distance time-distance rally for vintage cars. It was first run in 1983 when the route traced from Buena Park, California, to Indianapolis. It has since become an annual event.

The Bentley's first race was in 1985 when it finished 7th overall. The following year, it finished 2nd, just two seconds behind the 1st place finisher. Over the following six years, it placed 3rd, two Best Overall Cumulative Scores, and three Grand Championship 1st-place wins. Dick Burdick driving and Wayne Bell navigating are the only three-time winners in the history of the Great Race. Mr. Burdick, Mr. Bell, and the Bentley retired from the race after 1992.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2019