1932 Bentley 8-Litre

Bentley produced one hundred examples of its 8 Litre model from 1930 to 1932 in its Cricklewood, London facility, with most examples receiving either a 144 or 156-inch wheelbase platform. Announced on September 15th of 1930 and introduced at the London Olympia Motor Show a year later, its low production figures are often attributed to its high price tag during the worldwide Great Depression. Compounded by extensive development costs, the 8 Litre helped quicken the company's demise.

The Great Depression robbed wealthy individuals of their ability to buy the magnificent 8 Litre Bentley. The ever-shrinking population of capable buyers who were able to afford the 8 Litre received a fast, impressive, and formidable automobile. Although it was bred from the successful Speed Six racing model, it was not intended for competition on the track. With this large and powerful model, W.O. Bentley hoped to dethrone Rolls-Royce from its perch atop the luxury motor car pedestal. Capable of exceeding 100 mph with heavy limousine coachwork and eight passengers inside (Bentley claimed a top speed of 125 mph depending on coachwork), The Sphere of 1931 described the new 8-Litre model as 'one of the finest examples of British Automobile Engineering that has ever been produced.' It was even capable of outperforming the supercharged Mercedes of that time on both acceleration and top speed.

Built only as a bare chassis and priced from £1,850, the Eight Litre was more costly than its direct competitor, the Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

Bentley went bust in 1931 and soon entered the proposed new ownership of Napiers, of Acton, London. During the receiver's sale of Bentley's assets in the Royal Courts of Justice in London's Strand, a barrister representing the British Central Equitable Trust made a counteroffer. Napier and the B.C.E.T. then submitted sealed bids, with the latter having the winning figure. W.O. later commented that, 'I don't know by how much precisely Napier were out-bidded, but the margin was very small, a matter of a few hundred pounds. All I knew that evening was that the deal would not be going through after all.'

After the court case, it was learned that the B.C.E.T. was representing Rolls-Royce, who had successfully acquired all of Bentley's assets, including the design of the 8-Litre. The first model from Bentley following the Rolls-Royce acquisition was the 3.5 Litre Bentley based on the contemporary Rolls-Royce 20/20hp. The 8 Litre model was never produced again.

At its heart was the 8-litre engine, a development of the immensely successful 6.5-litre powerplant that earned Bentley an exceptional reputation on the racetrack. The 8-litre unit had an Elektron crankcase and sump, a one-piece iron block, aluminum alloy pistons, and a non-detachable cylinder head. The overhead camshaft was driven by Bentley's patented 'three-throw drive' system consisting of three connecting rods. The cylinder bore measured 4.3 inches (110 mm) and its stroke of 5.5 inches (140 mm), resulting in the 7,983cc (487.2 cubic inches / 8 liters) displacement size.

The four-speed gearbox had constant mesh on its third gear, a single-plate dry clutch, and distributed its power to the rear wheels via a hypoid bevel final drive.

The ladder frame was reinforced by tubular steel cross-members and suspended by semi-elliptic leaf springs controlled by double-acting dampers (Bentley & Draper friction dampers up front with hydraulic dampers to the rear). The front had a solid axle, and the rear had a live axle. Stopping power was provided by Dewandre vacuum-servo-assisted 15.7-inch (400 mm) drum brakes on all four wheels. The steering was by worm and sector with an adjustable castor action. The chassis utilized a sophisticated 'one shot' Tecalemit lubrication system.

The Eight Litre was given a wide array of body styles by the era's finest custom coachbuilders, including Gurney Nutting, H.J. Mulliner, Lancefield, Harrison, Barker, and Vanden Plas.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024