The Bentley 8 Litre: A Masterpiece of Engineering and Luxury
The Bentley 8 Litre, equipped with a 487-cubic-inch straight-six engine, epitomizes the luxury and engineering excellence that characterized Bentley Motors before its acquisition by Rolls-Royce. The company’s goal was to create a car capable of reaching 100 miles per hour, culminating in an exquisitely engineered vehicle that would cost approximately half a million dollars today, largely due to its custom coachbuilt body. While this price tag might seem reasonable compared to the starting cost of a 2021 Rolls-Royce Phantom at $463,350, the 8 Litre was introduced during The Great Depression. In stark contrast, nine decades later, Bentley, under Volkswagen, was forced to discontinue its flagship Mulsanne due to disappointing sales.
Out of the limited run of 100 Bentley 8 Litre cars, only 65 were built on the longer 156-inch wheelbase, making these models the largest cars of their time, rivaling the Bugatti Type 41 Royales. Performance-wise, Bentley outpaced Rolls-Royce, more directly competing with Duesenberg’s J models. The lighter, open-bodied Bentley produced 220 horsepower and could reach speeds of 125 mph reliably. This power led many four-door versions to be modified into replica tourers. Among the 78 surviving 8 Litre Bentleys, Jay Leno’s garage is home to three unique examples: a highly original Mulliner sedan that once served as a chicken coop in Chile, an open car, and an innovative street-legal twin-turbo hot rod built on a smaller 3 Litre chassis.
As a manufacturer of six Le Mans champion cars, W. O. Bentley strongly believed in the principle that "there’s no replacement for displacement." After beginning his career with a five-year apprenticeship at Great Northern Railways, he became a pioneer in the use of aluminum pistons for aircraft engines before starting his own automotive company in the aftermath of World War I.
While contemporary Bentley models, such as the new Blowers, are crafted to 1929 specifications, W. O. Bentley was not a proponent of forced induction; he achieved remarkable racing victories with naturally aspirated engines. The 1930 8 Litre was his final and largest design, featuring a single overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder, twin-spark ignition, a one-piece cast-iron block with no head, and a crankcase made from a lightweight magnesium alloy known as Elektron. The design also included conrods that drove the cams instead of the typical chain or belt. Additional features included a more robust, non-synchro four-speed gearbox, a 25-gallon fuel tank, servo-vacuum-assisted mechanical brakes, and luxurious enhancements expected for such an investment.
Following its bankruptcy, Rolls-Royce relegated Bentley to a secondary brand, while W. O. Bentley moved on to Lagonda, where he was involved in the development of a new V12 engine. Today, one of Jay Leno’s prized possessions is a fully restored and unmodified 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Mulliner. This pre-war vehicle is certainly capable of exceeding 100 miles per hour and can comfortably handle cross-country journeys at 80 mph, making it a worthy contender alongside a Duesenberg for keeping pace with modern traffic.
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