Description
Bentley 3 Litre chassis with 8 Litre engine
Still wearing original 1927 registration
Built in 1990s by marque specialist Neil Davis Racing
Optional manifold-mounted sausage cooker available
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
Almost from day one, enthusiasts have been putting Bentley’s larger engines into the British marque’s nimble 3 Litre chassis. This exhilarating car follows in their wheeltracks and has been built in the very finest tradition – and to an extremely high standard.
During the mid-1990s, historic racer Peter Gooch commissioned renowned marque specialist Neil Davies Racing to create something that would be ideal for driving down to the Mille Miglia in Italy, or that he could drive to a race meeting at venues such as the Nürburgring. Gooch already owned a Bentley 4½ Litre, and raced a Cooper-Bristol and Maserati 250F, so he had exacting standards.
The basis for the project was a 3 Litre rolling chassis that was missing its engine and body. Records show that chassis number HT1634 was originally registered in September 1927 as a ‘Red Label’ Speed model with saloon coachwork by Freestone & Webb, and it was given the same registration that it still carries today – YT 155.
NDR retained the chassis’ standard wheelbase, but the crossmembers were modified and moved back, and the engine was mounted three inches lower in the chassis in order to bring down the centre of gravity. For the same reason, the front springs were ‘flattened’ and outrigger rear spring mountings used.
The dry-sump engine was built up around an original 8 Litre block. The crankshaft was counterbalanced and converted to shell bearings, while lighter, stronger con-rods and pistons were specified. A new inlet manifold was also manufactured in order to carry the triple 2in SU carburettors, and a modern diaphragm clutch was fitted.
The front and rear axles are standard 3 Litre, while a 3:1 diff ratio gives relaxed, effortless high-speed cruising. The brakes were converted to hydraulic operation, and thick Mintex brake linings were specified in order to reduce fade.
Tim Hastings, from H&H Coachworks in Henley, built the rakish two-seater sports body to Gooch’s requirements. Quick-release filler caps are used all round, while the windscreen – with nickel-plated surround – is a copy of an original Speed Six Vanden Plas screen. Inside, the mahogany instrument panel carries a mixture of original Bentley instruments and other period gauges, plus switches that are said to come from a Lancaster bomber.
Not long after it was completed, it was featured in Classic Cars magazine. ‘On the open road, the Bentley is a barnstormer,’ wrote Malcolm McKay. ‘Touch the accelerator and, with a fantastic, guttural roar, [it] leaps forward.’
Now being offered for sale, this remarkable Bentley 3/ 8 has had only two owners since Peter Gooch, and in 2018 it returned to NDR for further work that included an engine rebuild. The combination of an 8 Litre engine and agile 3 Litre chassis makes it a fast, well-sorted road car, and exactly the sort of sensational ‘hybrid’ that a thrill-seeking enthusiast might have built in period.
