Bentley 4 Litre
The Bentley 4 Litre was a motor car built on rolling chassis made by Bentley Motors Limited. The 4 litre chassis was conceived and built in a failed attempt to restore Bentley to a good financial state. Announced 15 May 1931, 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. Instead, Bentley went into receivership shortly afterward, from which it was purchased by Rolls-Royce Limited.
| Bentley 4 Litre | |
|---|---|
Brooklands Motor Museum, Weybridge, Surrey | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Bentley Motors Limited |
| Production | 1931 50 produced |
| Assembly | Cricklewood, London |
| Designer | Walter Owen Bentley, Harry Ricardo |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Luxury car |
| Body style | as arranged with coachbuilder by customer |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.9 L Ricardo IOE I6 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 134 in (3,400 mm) 140 in (3,600 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | 6½ Litre & Speed Six |
| Successor | 3½ Litre |
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)) and a power output of 120 bhp (89 kW) at 4,000 rpm. The engine power was not suitable for the heavy chassis.