Bentley 8-Litre Sports Saloon by HJ Mulliner
Sharing its basic concept with the prior 6 1/2 Litre, the Bentley Eight Litre of 1930–1931 continued the trend of providing ever-more powerful engines and massive chassis capable of carrying the new crop of luxurious custom bodywork without sacrificing performance. Featuring single overhead camshaft architecture with four valves per cylinder and a lightweight Elektron magnesium alloy crankcase, the eight-litre powerplant reflected the latest in design and engineering. The new, heavily reinforced chassis was equally sophisticated, utilizing “one shot” Tecalemit lubrication, Dewandre servo-assisted brakes, and Bentley & Draper friction dampers up front with hydraulic dampers to the rear. To say the Eight Litre succeeded in its mission would be a severe understatement, with the last motorcar engineered and developed under company founder W.O. Bentley delivering some 220 hp in uncanny silence while capable of accelerating without complaint from walking speed to 100 mph in top gear.
Built only as a bare chassis and priced from £1,850, the Eight Litre was superlative in all respects and substantially more costly than its direct competitor, the Rolls-Royce Phantom II. Just 100 examples of the mighty Eight Litre were built. Offered in 144" and 156" wheelbase lengths, the Eight Litre exuded a commanding presence with a wide array of body styles supplied to exacting customer specifications by the era’s finest custom coachbuilders. As with its other Vintage Bentley stablemates, the Eight Litre continues to enjoy high regard from collectors and marque enthusiasts from new, with histories carefully tracked and abundantly documented.
This 1932 Bentley Eight Litre, chassis YX5110, is certainly no exception, carrying excellent provenance and benefiting handsomely from collector care throughout its lifetime. Delivered new in June 1932 by Jack Barclay to H.W. Reginald Room of Bromley, Kent, and registered as GY 3903, this Eight Litre was built with the long 156" wheelbase chassis and fitted with elegant, close-coupled Sports Saloon coachwork by H.J. Mulliner.
Bentley 8-Litre Sports Saloon by HJ Mulliner
Sharing its basic concept with the prior 6 1/2 Litre, the Bentley Eight Litre of 1930–1931 continued the trend of providing ever-more powerful engines and massive chassis capable of carrying the new crop of luxurious custom bodywork without sacrificing performance. Featuring single overhead camshaft architecture with four valves per cylinder and a lightweight Elektron magnesium alloy crankcase, the eight-litre powerplant reflected the latest in design and engineering. The new, heavily reinforced chassis was equally sophisticated, utilizing “one shot” Tecalemit lubrication, Dewandre servo-assisted brakes, and Bentley & Draper friction dampers up front with hydraulic dampers to the rear. To say the Eight Litre succeeded in its mission would be a severe understatement, with the last motorcar engineered and developed under company founder W.O. Bentley delivering some 220 hp in uncanny silence while capable of accelerating without complaint from walking speed to 100 mph in top gear.
Built only as a bare chassis and priced from £1,850, the Eight Litre was superlative in all respects and substantially more costly than its direct competitor, the Rolls-Royce Phantom II. Just 100 examples of the mighty Eight Litre were built. Offered in 144" and 156" wheelbase lengths, the Eight Litre exuded a commanding presence with a wide array of body styles supplied to exacting customer specifications by the era’s finest custom coachbuilders. As with its other Vintage Bentley stablemates, the Eight Litre continues to enjoy high regard from collectors and marque enthusiasts from new, with histories carefully tracked and abundantly documented.
This 1932 Bentley Eight Litre, chassis YX5110, is certainly no exception, carrying excellent provenance and benefiting handsomely from collector care throughout its lifetime. Delivered new in June 1932 by Jack Barclay to H.W. Reginald Room of Bromley, Kent, and registered as GY 3903, this Eight Litre was built with the long 156" wheelbase chassis and fitted with elegant, close-coupled Sports Saloon coachwork by H.J. Mulliner.