Bentley 4 Litre | |
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![]() Brooklands Motor Museum, Weybridge, Surrey | |
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Bentley Motors Limited |
Production | 1931[1] 50 produced[1][2][3] |
Assembly | Cricklewood, London |
Designer | Walter Owen Bentley, Harry Ricardo |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Luxury car |
Body style | as arranged with coachbuilder by customer[4] |
Layout | FR layout |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 3.9 L Ricardo IOE I6 |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 134 in (3,400 mm) 140 in (3,600 mm)[1][5] |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | 6½ Litre & Speed Six |
Successor | 3½ Litre |
The Bentley 4 Litre was a motor car built on rolling chassis made by Bentley Motors Limited.[4] The 4 litre chassis was conceived and built in a failed attempt to restore Bentley to a good financial state. Announced 15 May 1931,[6] it used a modified four litre Ricardo IOE engine in a shortened 8 litre chassis at two-thirds of the price of the 8 Litre in an attempt to compete with the Rolls-Royce 20/25.[1][7] Instead, Bentley went into receivership shortly afterward, from which it was purchased by Rolls-Royce Limited.
The conventional straight-6 engine used an 85 mm (3.3 in) bore and a 115 mm (4.5 in) stroke for a total displacement of 3.9 L (3,915 cc (238.9 cu in))[5][8] and a power output of 120 bhp (89 kW) at 4,000 rpm.[1][5][8] The engine power was not suitable for the heavy chassis.[1][2][8]