1926 Bentley 3 Litre

Bentley began from humble beginnings in a mews garage off Baker Street, London in 1919. It quickly achieved fame for its fast touring cars, well able to compete with the best of American and European sports car during the 1920s. The Bentley cars dominated at LeMans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 with the help of the legendary drivers of Woolf Barnato, Jack Dunfee, Tim Birkin and Sammy Davis.

At the 1919 Olympia Motor Exhibition, W.O. Bentley unveiled the new 3-litre car bearing his name. The prototype engine had only been fired up for the first time just a few weeks earlier. The four-cylinder 'fixed head' engine had a single overhead camshaft, four-valves per cylinder, a bore of 80mm, and a stroke of 149mm. The ignition was provided by Twin ML magnetos and power was sent via a four-speed gearbox with right-hand change. The engine was mounted in a pressed-steel chassis with a wheelbase of 117.5-inches, then adopted dimensions of 130 inches (Standard Long) in 1923. The shorter frame was then reserved for the TT Replica (Tourist Trophy) and subsequent Speed Model. Prior to 1924, braking was handled by rear wheel brakes. Four-wheel Perrot-type brakes were introduced in 1924.

In 1922, Bentleys finished second, fourth, and fifth in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, earning them the Team Prize. This lead to the TT Replica models on the existing 117.5 inch platform. They were identified with the Red Label on its radiator. The Speed Models were given twin SU 'sloper' carburetors, different camshaft, a higher compression ratio, and the close-ratio A-type gearbox. The A-Type gearbox was standard equipment prior to 1927 when the C-Type box was adopted. Other Speed Model enhancements included a larger 11-gallon fuel tank and often Andre Hartford shock absorbers.

Approximately 1,600 examples of the 3-Litre models were built with the majority being clothed by Vanden Plas with either saloon or open tourer coachwork.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019