(1933 – 1937)
Bentley 3 1/2 Litre, 1935, #B121EJ, Gurney Nutting Saloon. The opening windscreen does provide sufficient fresh air when touring on summerdays.
Only due to Rolls-Royce Ltd. having acquired in 1931 the remains of the financially troubled previous competitor the Bentley name as a major part of the British motor industry was saved from oblivion. In 1933 the Bentley 3 1/2 Litre emerged as a clever combination of a chassis derived from an experimental supercharged 2 3/4 litre Rolls-Royce which never saw production and redesigned and tuned 20/25 hp engine. The engine developed around 110 bhp at 4,500 rpm and gave brisk acceleration and a top speed in excess of 90 mph if light coachwork had been specified. The term «The Silent Sports Car» was coined and this model gained even W.O. Bentley’s approval, since he was employed by Rolls-Royce from 1931 to 1935 and involved in road testing, but not design, of the early cars.
Technical Data:
6 cylinder in-line engine, cast iron cylinder block, bore x stroke 82.55 x 114.3 mm (3 1/4 x 4 1/2 in), capacity 3,669 cc; cast iron detachable cylinder head; overhead valves; aluminium alloy crankcase; single coil ignition, stand-by coil; 2 SU-carburettors; single dry plate type clutch; 4 speed gearbox with synchromesh on 3rd and 4th gear, hypoid bevel final drive; suspension by semi-elliptic springs front and rear; 4-wheel brakes servo-assisted; wheelbase 3,200.4 mm (126 in); tyre size 5.50 x 18
Bentley 3 1/2 Litre, 1934, #B43BN, Hooper Coupé Cabriolet. Understandably Hooper had preferred the Continental term Cabriolet to the English term Drophead Coupé for their creation with a fully disappearing hood: it was built for a Belgian customer and Hooper’s exhibit at the 1934 Brussel Motor Show.
No. made:
1177 Bentley 3½ Litre