Bentley 8 Litre chassis
Bentley 8-litre 1930 previously Mulliner saloon YF 5019
Overview
Manufacturer	Bentley Motors Limited, Cricklewood, London
Production	1930–1932 100 produced
Designer	W. O. Bentley
Body and chassis
Class	Luxury car
Body style	purchaser to arrange with own coachbuilder
Layout	FR layout[1]
Related	Bentley 4-Litre (economy version)
Powertrain
Engine	SOHC 8 L I6[2]
Transmission	Manual gearbox, 4-speeds and reverse Single-dry-plate clutch Hypoid bevel final drive[3]
Dimensions
Wheelbase	138 in (3,505 mm)[4] (3 only) 144 in (3,658 mm)[1] 156 in (3,962 mm)[1]
Length	(12') 201.25 in (5,112 mm) (13') 213.25 in (5,417 mm)[1]
Width	68.5 in (1,740 mm)[1]
Height	depending on coachwork
Kerb weight	2.5+ tonnes depending on coachwork

The Bentley 8 Litre was the largest and most luxurious chassis manufactured by Bentley Motors Limited at Cricklewood, London. Announced 15 September 1930^[3] it was also the last completely new model by Bentley before the company's financial collapse and forced sale to Rolls-Royce Limited;^[6][7] Intended to provide the basis for a super-luxury car for very wealthy buyers, the 8 Litre chassis had the misfortune to be introduced at the beginning of the Great Depression.^[3] A 4-Litre engine in the same chassis was announced on 15 May 1931.^[8] Sales were too slow to turn the company's finances around and, less than nine months after the 8-litre's introduction, Bentley Motors was in the hands of the receiver.

Design and specifications

Chassis

The chassis was a ladder frame with very large tubular cross-members fabricated from pressed steel downswept from the front and rear axles towards the centre to ensure a low centre of gravity. The centralized chassis lubrication system included the gaitered springs but not the front axle or the clutch withdrawal system.^[2]

The 8-Litre chassis was available with either a 144 in (3,700 mm) wheelbase or a longer 156 in (4,000 mm) wheelbase.^[2] Three were built with a 138 in (3,500 mm) wheelbase.^{[citation needed]}

Isolation of engine and transmission

The engine and the gearbox were mounted on rubber at three points each to insulate the chassis and body from vibration.^[9] As a result, neither engine nor gearbox contributed to the bracing of the chassis.^[2]

Drivetrain

The straight-six engine used a one-piece iron block and non-detachable cylinder head with a crankcase made from Elektron, a magnesium alloy. It featured an overhead camshaft driven by a Bentley patented system of triple connecting rods^[3] with, like all prior Cricklewood Bentleys, four valves per cylinder and twin-spark ignition (coil and magneto), all of which were near state-of-the-art at the time.^[4][6] The engine had a bore of 110 mm (4.3 in) and a stroke of 140 mm (5.5 in),^[2][7] giving a capacity of 7,983 cc (487.2 cu in).^[2][6][7] Pistons were of an aluminium alloy.^[9]

An entirely new design of four-speed gearbox provided four speeds (constant mesh third) and reverse^[2][6] with a single-plate dry clutch sent power to the rear 21" Rudge-Whitworth wire centre-lock wheels through a hypoid bevel final drive to the rear axle.^[9]

Suspension, brakes, and steering

Suspension by long semi-elliptic leaf springs was controlled by double acting dampers, friction on the front and hydraulic on the rear axle, and all four wheels were fitted with Dewandre vacuum-servo-assisted 400 mm (15.7 in) drum brakes, the forward brakes being of Bentley-Perrott design.^[9]

Steering was by worm and sector and caster action could be adjusted to suit individual taste. There was centralized chassis lubrication including the gaitered springs but not for the front axle and the clutch withdrawal system.^[2]

Top speed

The manufacturer claimed a maximum speed of approximately 125 mph (200 km/h).^[4] A speed in excess of 105 mph was guaranteed by the manufacturer.^[2]

Reception

Launched at the London Olympia Motor Show in October 1930, a year after the onset of the Great Depression, the 8 Litre Bentley failed to sell in sufficient numbers to mend Bentley's dire financial situation. The chassis was priced at £1,850,^[2] comparable to the price of a large architect-designed suburban house with its site.^{[citation needed]}

Only 100 of these cars were made,^[4] of which 35 were on the shorter wheelbase and 65 were on the longer wheelbase.^{[citation needed]} Fewer than 25 were fitted with open bodies.^{[citation needed]} It is suggested^{[by whom?]} that the cost of the development of the car was a prime reason for Bentley Motors going bankrupt.^{[citation needed]}

When Rolls-Royce bought Bentley Motors from the receiver in November 1931 it discontinued production of the 8-Litre^[6] and disposed of all spare parts for it.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Their rarity means the complete cars are much sought after by collectors to the extent that many chassis have had heavy limousine or saloon bodies replaced by new replica tourer bodies. It is believed^{[by whom?]} that the remarkable number of 78 chassis survive. Only one is known to have had an all-metal body from the outset. Completed by the W.M. Murphy Company of Pasadena for a customer in San Diego, it was the only American-bodied car. Two were modified by McKenzie,^[who?] who modified the engines and lowered the chassis; of these, one was recently sold by a London dealer, and the other is believed to be in India.

References

External links