1931 Bentley 8-Litre Le Mans-Style Tourer (more photos 👇)
With only 100 examples built before Bentley’s bankruptcy, the 8-Litre is among the rarest of the Cricklewood-era cars. Introduced at the 1930 London Motor Show, it was the largest-engined production car in Britain at the time.
Bentley advertised it with the claim of “100 mph without noise,” which the press confirmed even with heavy formal coachwork fitted.
The engine displaced 7,983cc (8.0L), achieved by enlarging the bore of the 6½-Litre unit. A new F-type gearbox handled the added torque, and a redesigned “double drop” chassis lowered the center of gravity, available in two wheelbase lengths (12 ft or 13 ft).
Priced at £1,850 for the chassis alone, it went head-to-head with the Rolls-Royce Phantom II while offering stronger performance. The 8-Litre held the title of fastest production Bentley until the R-Type Continental arrived in 1952.
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