1922 Bentley 3 Liter

The 3-Litre Bentley chassis was the first product to emerge from the Mews garage off Baker Street, London in 1919 and would rapidly build a reputation both on and off the race track. It was in business for a brief period prior to dominating at Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. This Herculean accomplishment would not have been possible without Woolf Barnato, Jack Dunfee, Tim Birkin and Sammy Davis, consistently piloting the British Racing Green sports cars to victory.

The 3-Litre was first shown on Stand 126 at the 1919 Olympia Motor Exhibition. Just a few weeks earlier, the prototype engine had fired up for the first time. A few years later, in 1922 at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the Bentleys would finish second, fourth and fifth, earning them the Team Prize and leading to the introduction of the TT Replica (later to become known as the Speed Model). Resting on the 117.5-inch wheelbase chassis, they were identified by the Red Label on the radiator. Performance was enhanced with the help of twin SU carburetors, a higher compression ratio, a different camshaft, and the close-ratio A-type gearbox (the C-type gearbox became standard in 1927). The standard 70 horsepower rose to 80 hp in Speed Model specification, giving them a top speed of 90 mph. Other typical performance upgrades included the Andre Hartford shock absorbers and an 11-gallon fuel tank.

Before Bentley won the Team Prize at the Isle of Man TT in 1922, one of the first factory efforts had been at the Indianapolis 500. English sportsman W.D. Hawkes contested the Indy 500 with little more than a road-going sports car with only the mudguards and headlights removed. He completed the 500 miles more than one and a half hours after the winner, in a time of six hours and 40 minutes, averaging 74.95 mph. Making only one brief pit stop, he finished the race in 13th place.

Drivers John Duff and Frank Clement won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924 in a 3 Litre Bentley, and Super Sports version won in 1927, with drivers S. C. H. 'Sammy' Davis and Dudley Benjafield.

Bentley 3 Litre Specification

The 3.0-liter straight-4-cylinder engine was the work of ex-Royal Flying Corps engineer Clive Gallop. It was one of the first engines to employ four valves per cylinder, dry-sump lubrication, and an overhead camshaft. Its four-valve SOHC Hemi design had a bevel-geared shaft drive for the camshaft, two spark plugs per cylinder, and a bore of 80 mm and a stroke of 149 mm.

The 2,996cc single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine was paired with a four-speed manual transmission with right-hand change, and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power. Rear-wheel brakes only were employed up to 1924, when four-wheel Perrot-type brakes were introduced. The conventional pressed-steel ladder frame chassis was suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs with live axles.

The standard Bentley 3 Litre, known as the Blue Label, rested on a 117.5-inch wheelbase (from 1921 to 1929) or the long wheelbase platform (1923 to 1929) measuring 130 inches. The Red Label utilized the 117.5-inch wheelbase and a 5.3:1 high-compression engine. It was available from 1924 to 1929. The Green Label, built from 1924 to 1929, used a short chassis (108 inches), had a high compression (6.3:1) engine, and was guaranteed to achieve 100 mph.

The 117.5-inch wheelbase was the original chassis size, then adopted dimensions of 130 inches in 1923, while the shorter frame was reserved for the TT Replica and subsequent SPeed models.

Bentley 3 Litre Coachwork

Among the list of coachbuilders who created bodies for the Bentley 3 Litre were Vanden Plas, Park Ward & Co., H.J. Mulliner, Gurney Nutting, Carlton Carriage Company, Freestone & Webb, Chalmer and Hoyer Ltd., Jarvis, J. Gairn & Company of Edinburgh, Scotland, R. Harrison & Son of London, Bridges Garage of Cirencester in Gloucestershire, L.T. Taylor of Wolverhampton, and Surbiton Coach and Motor Works (known as Surbico) or Surrey, South of London.

Bentley 3 Litre Production Figures

W.O. Bentley was often quoted as saying, 'Competition is the cheapest way of selling cars,' a theory proven by the company's many accolades.

Deliveries began in June 1921, as did competition preparation. Bentley produced 1,088 examples of the 3 Litre Bentley, along with 513 Speed Models and 18 Super Sports. Including three experimental designs, a total of 1,622 examples of the 3 Litre were built from 1921 to 1929.

by Dan Vaughan

Tourer by Park Ward & Co.
Chassis number: 141
Engine number: 62

Built in 1922, this 3 Litre was completed by Park Ward with an aluminum 4-seater Tourer body. The car was sold to London-based John Duff, one of the first official Bentley dealers, who requested Bentley Motors to prepare the car for the first 24 Hours Race at LeMans, France, in May 1923.

This is the first Bentley to race at Le Mans. The thought of this 24-hour endurance race did not appeal to W.O. Bentley initially; he thought it was a bit crazy. Nonetheless, London Bentley agent John Duff, who had raced successfully with this 3 Litre at Brooklands, had it prepared for LeMans. Frank Clement, a works driver, was seconded to this private team to co-drive with Duff, and in the end W.O. joined the team to run the pits. The car finished in fourth place overall, beginning the legend at Bentley at Le Mans and bringing fame if not fortune to Bentley Motors. The Bentley was the only non-French team to compete that first year. The following year, W.O. prepared his own 3 Litre, which famously won the 24 Hours Race, recording the first of Bentley's five early Le Mans victories.

Duff's 3 Litre went on to serve as an everyday road car until it was discovered by British collector Tom Wheatcroft in Scotland with a modified body. Mr. Wheatcroft later sold the car to its current owner, who returned it to its original LeMans specification.

Tourist Trophy Sports Car

W.O. Bentley's products had been available only to the general public for little more than three years when English sportsman W.D. Hawkes decided to enter this one in the 1922 Indianapolis 500. Up against a field comprised almost entirely of 100-percent-racing cars, Hawkes' Bentley was little more than a road-going sports car with only the mudguards and headlights removed in order for it to be made race-worthy. Hawkes made only one brief pit stop on his way to a 13th place finish, finally completing the full 500 miles more than one and a half hours after the winner, in a time of six hours and 40 minutes, averaging 74.95 mph. As soon as the race ended, Hawkes and his mechanic, 'Bertie' Browning, had to immediately sail for home to prepare for the upcoming Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, an event much more suited for this combination.

Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: 103
Engine number: 109

This Bentley 3 Liter Sports Tourer is an early example that was delivered new to Major Robinson. It had an open Vanden Plas Body in black with a scratched aluminum bonnet over a grey interior. At the time, it only had rear brakes. Currently it has four-wheel drum brakes with Perrot Shaft actuation. Various refinements and modifications were added to this Bentley over the years by the factory. The original transmission was replaced with number 156 in 1923, possibly due to the more robust shift forks found in the new version of the 4-speed transmission. The brake conversion occurred in 1924 and the following year the engine received BHB high compression pistons.

Around the 1930s or 1940s the original body, numbered 3194, was removed and replaced with the one it wears today, Vanden Plas number 1261.

After ownership of several British caretakers, this Bentley made its way to the United States in the mid-1960s, and into the ownership of H.R. Crown in Van Nuys, California. It remained in California until it was purchased by the current owner.

It would rest for two decades before it received professional care that included the rebuilding of all major systems. The work was completed in 2018. It is currently finished in black with accents of red and scratched aluminum with a triplex windscreen.

The 2996cc single overhead cam inline four-cylinder engine has four-valves per cylinder, twin SU G5 'Sloper' carburetors, an ML CG4 Magneto, and Stage 2 Perrot shafts and brackets on the front end.

by Dan Vaughan

Tourer by Park Ward & Co.
Chassis number: 166
Engine number: 164

This car's first owner, Alan B. Ritchie of Australia living in London, took delivery of this Bentley in November 1922. It is a short chassis (117.5-inch) model that was delivered without a body, but was soon clothed with Touring coachwork by Park Ward. The engine, number 164, is the standard low-compression type with a single Smiths carburetor. Later in life, the car was converted to higher compression, twin SU carburetors, and appropriate gear ratios.

In October 1923, prior to shipment to Australia, the car returned to the factory for a 'light overhaul' and fitment of upgraded shock absorbers. By 1924, it was in Australia (Penshurst in Western Victoria). The Bentley remained with the Ritchie family until 1927.

After World War II, the 3 Liter Bentley was in the care of Laurie Lynch in Melbourne, who sold the car to John Cocks of Chewton in Victoria in 1954. After about a year, Cocks sold the car to Stan Burns of Melbourne. Late in 1955, it was sold to Harvey Hodgson in Sydney, who kept the car until late 1971, when Bill Stevens acquired it and brought it to Adelaide. A full restoration soon commenced, along with the addition of a front wheel braked axle.

The current owner purchased this Bentley in 1979 and has maintained it for over four decades. It has its original engine, gearbox, and rear axle. It wears a 1971 reskinned Park Ward tourer coachwork with replacement wings.

by Dan Vaughan

Walter Owen Bentley, commonly known as 'WO', worked as an apprentice at the Great Northern Railway where he designed airplane engines. The first Bentley automobile was created in London just after the end of World War I, and given a three-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 65 horsepower. It was designed by the company's founder, Walter Owen, and benefited from his technical abilities and skill. This car was the first to carry the flying 'B' insignia and the hallmark radiator casing. An example was shown at the 1919 London Motor Show, though it was void of an engine that was not ready in time.

The 3-liter Bentley would remain in production until 1929 with a total of 1622 examples being produced in various configurations. A total of 513 examples of the Speed Model were created during this time. The 3-Litre Bentley was the car that would give the Bentley Company its fame. The car would emerge victorious at the 1924 24 Hours of LeMans race, which is a true testament to the car's abilities, stamina, technology, ingenuity, and speed. The Bentley's would win LeMans again in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930. They competed at various other important races, such as the Tourist Trophy and Brookland's Double 12, where the cars proved they were the fastest.

Under the bonnet was the powerplant, which was a technical marvel and advanced for its time, featuring aluminum pistons, twin spark ignition, and an overhead camshaft that operated four-valves per cylinder. The cylinder block and head were cast as a single piece which prevents leakage from the gaskets. The dry-sump lubrication allowed for increased oil capacity, lower center of gravity for the engine, and reduced energy/power loss.

Various coachbuilders were tasked with creating the bodies; Vanden Plas was one of the popular favorites, as was the LeMans type Bodystyle which closely mimicked the body style of the LeMans racer. During that era, the cars that raced at LeMans were often given bodies of road-going Tourers, at the request of the organizers of the event. The Bentley's that raced at LeMans were given lightweight bodies, 25-gallon fuel tanks, and a re-worked suspension that included double hydraulic shock absorbers in the front with improved front axle beams. To help while driving at night, some cars were given a central Marchal headlight.

A six-cylinder engine soon followed, appearing in 1925, and provided additional power to carry the large and elegant coachwork bodies. It displaced nearly 6.6-liters and was given all the technology and mechanical ingenuity of the 3-liter units. In 1928 a high-performance version was introduced, dubbed the 6.5-Liter Speed Model, also known as the Speed Six. In the capable hands of the 'Bentley Boys', the works drivers spearheaded by Woolf Barnato captured many important victories for the company. Their first major success came in 1928 at LeMans where Barnato and Rubin drove a 4.5-Liter Bentley to victory. The Speed Six would dominate LeMans again in 1929 and 1930 with Barnato as their driver. The success of the Speed Six was due to its reliability and 200 horsepower engine.

Bentley was unable to compete in 1931 at LeMans due to financial difficulties. The company would soon be acquired by Rolls Royce which spelled an end for the racing program.

by Dan Vaughan