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The
famous Bentley make, erected by Mr. W.O. Bentley, existed as a
independent firm for only twelve years (1919-1931) before the proud firm
was taken over by the Rolls Royce motor company.
Those twelve exhilarating Bentley years were filled with racing
successes and many victories. The Bentley name as manufacturer of large,
heavy, powerful and rugged sportscars was imprinted in the human mind
since the "roaring" twenties of the twentieth century.
Bentley motorcars won the famous 24 hours of Le Mans race in the years
1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. The years they did not win the race
they finished second or third.
Not only successes at Le Mans were counted but also many victories in
the Brooklands 500 mile race.
The car presented here is a "Petersen Special" inspired on the
Bentley 4.5 Litre which won at the Brooklands circuit in the year 1929.
To obtain more engine power Bentley added a blower (supercharger)
to the 4.5 Litre in-line four cylinder engine. This increased power
output from approx. 110 bhp. up to 240 bhp. maximum.
To get the Bentley 4.5 Litre blower accepted in racing at Le Mans
Bentley had to built fifty production cars first. Twenty six of these
cars were built with Van den Plas open tourer bodywork.
The addition of the supercharger did not make the rugged and
reliable 4.5 Litre engine any more trustworthy during races. W.O.
Bentley himself preferred a new engine with increased cylinder capacity.
The supercharged 4.5 Litre engines were real "gas-guzzlers",
the naturally aspirated 4.5 Litre engine used one Litre of petrol every
5.6 kilometers, the supercharged engine used one Litre for just 3.5 kilometers,
a very large petrol tank was fitted additionally.
Another problem was that spark plugs in the supercharged engine wore out
very quickly resulting in loss of power. Bentley engineer Nobby Clarke
stated one day: "The blower eats spark plugs like a donkey eats
hay"...
The Bentley 4.5 Litre Le Mans racer, with blower or without, is one of
the top classic cars you can possibly dream to own. Collectors pay very
high prizes for these, very scarce, Bentley racing cars.
Because the cars are very scarce and many people want to own one, many
other Bentley models were modified to Le Mans specification and many
replica's became available.
Sales prices of modified Bentley's and replica's are a fraction of the
price asked for the real thing.
Talking about Bentley Le Mans replica's the specials built with Petersen
bodywork and special manufactured parts are the finest around in quality
and integrity. Much of the final quality however is in the hands,
patience and precision of the private person or specialist who builds
the automobile.
The featured Bentley 4.5 Litre Le Mans tourer Special is certainly one
of the finest. This Bentley Special was built with love and care to
absolute perfection.
Technical
data
Six cylinder
Bentley engine (modified)
Cylinder capacity: 4.9 Litre
Carburettors: 2 x S.U. HD 6 1¾ inch.
Petrol tank: 150 Litre
Capacity: 175 bhp. (road specification)
Gearbox: 5-speed, manual
Brakes: Hydraulic/mechanic drum brakes all round
Electrical system: 12 Volts, negative earth
Bodywork: two door Van den Plas replica, aluminium
sheet metal over an ash frame
weight: approximately 1900 kg.
Information
Bentley 4.5
Litre 'Le Mans' special, year 1953. Colour green. Moss green interior
with Connolly leather bucket seats and Wilton carpet. Black canvas
(double ducked) soft top,
tonneau cover and hood cover. This beautiful and impressive Bentley Special
was built by late Mr. Paul Weise a few years ago. In the year 2006 the
automobile was delivered to the current owner. This Bentley special was built with meticulous
precision and it was based upon a 1953 Bentley chassis. Every detail was
given a lot of attention and it took many hours to reach this level of
perfection. Many parts were derived from specialist Bob Petersen as was
the bodywork. All brightwork was nickel plated (instead of chrome) as
was common for prewar automobiles. The automobile was fitted with a
brand new six cylinder 4.9 Litre Bentley
(B61) engine and a manual 5-speed gearbox. The automobile drives
absolutely perfect. Steering, braking, shifting and also the clutch are
very easy to operate. A world of difference with the prewar originals.
The driving experience is fantastic and the view over the long bonnet is
very special. This Bentley special features a heater, 3-point safety
harnesses, side screens, earth switch, electric Kenlow cooling fan, 123
electronic ignition, 2 additional driving lamps, oil filter modification
and an AC generator. |
