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<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Now these cars were light, probably
weighing under on ton; they had no front wheel brakes
and the bodies were somewhat exiguous. Thus one very
important way to increase performance is to add lightness.
(W.O. must have been sadly disappointed when vast saloon
coachwork was fitted to some of his chassis). All that
the company did in the early days to prepare the cars
for racing, was to remove those parts allowed by the
regulations, carefully assemble the engine, so that
it operated as designed and was free running, and to
ensure that what brakes there were, operated efficiently,
and that the chassis was free rolling. Although the
car designers seemed to pay scant attention to the principles
of Ackerman steering geometry, they would have ensured
that each steering arm had the same offset and that
when the car was pointing in a straight line, the drag
link steering ball pin was on the centre line of the
front axle. They did at this time, of course, experiment
with lightened hourglass pistons and 4 bolt rods. In
fact there is a rod at Club office which is more air
than rod — a very delicate object!
Before one goes racing remember, that however one thrashes
the car on the road, it is at naught as to what happens
on the racing circuit and the adrenalin consigns the
wallet to the back pocket! Thus, if a car is raced for
10 laps of, say, Silverstone, that is equivalent to
at least 500 miles of normal road use. So be prepared
for some more than usual expenditure. I well remember
a friend modifying a Bentley for racing, (Speed six
rear axle, 'D' gearbox, uprated 4½ litre engine
etc.), and he said that when he saw the shards of rubber
being torn off the front racing covers at the first
corner, he slowed down and had a mental consultation
with his bank manager!</s> | 12,559 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
We landed safely in Durban and spent
two days relaxing at the Zimbali Lodge, a luxury resort
with golf, swimming and nature walks, could be in Florida
or Hawaii. Roger (my co-driver) and the rest of the
Bentley crew dribbled in and yesterday we picked up
the cars at Durban port (seventh largest port in the
world), the containers were lined up and we drove the
cars out of the boxes ourselves, no damages. Everything
seems to be very well organised.
This morning we started the first leg to Zululand going
towards Mozambique and Swaziland. The 27 cars (none
newer than 1931) were dispatched in 20 second intervals,
our cars carries number 19 and is labeled Switzerland.
Always a big commotion when we tank up or drive through
a village, people are waving and smiling, a very friendly
lot the South Africans. Roads are excellent so far and
we passed through farmland, eucalyptus and sugar plantations,
all very sophisticated like in Europe! Got stopped by
the police, was not speeding very much (Have probably
mixed up the 80 km speed sign with miles), could hardly
stop the car when they jumped out from behind the trees,
I had to show my Colorado driving license, which did
not match the English car, when they wanted to see the
international license I waved my Swiss hat, we had a
friendly chat about the tour and they waved us on, no
fine.</s> | 12,560 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Father had moved from a 4½-litre
Bentley to the 6½ and now, fancying an 8, acquired
GY7850. Well, in those days, the road tax was 25/- per
horse-power (RAC rating) and the 8-litre was rated at
45.01hp, which made the annual tax £56/5/- or
£15/9/5d per quarter. Continued...</s> | 12,561 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
But I'm getting ahead of the story.
Supercharging the uncompetitive 4-litre four-cylinder
racing car was not W. O. Bentley's idea. Decades later,
he wrote, "To supercharge a Bentley engine was
to pervert its design and corrupt its performance."
W. O. believed in displacement, but team driver Sir
Henry "Tim" Birkin convinced his teammate,
Woolf Barnato — an independently wealthy man who rescued
the company from bankruptcy and became chairman in 1926
— to support supercharging. W. O. had nothing to say
about it, other than to refuse permission to modify
his engines internally. The Roots-type supercharger,
driven directly from the crankshaft, was mounted conspicuously
in front of the radiator, between the car's front wheels.
Birkin's wealthy patron and admirer, the Honorable Dorothy
Paget, funded the workshop north of London where the
competition cars were prepared. Meanwhile, W. O. brought
out the Bentley Speed Six, which won the 1930 Le Mans
race even as the blindingly fast (yet horribly unreliable)
Blower set a lap record but failed to finish. Coincidentally,
Barnato was on the winning team driving the Six, his
third win in the three Le Mans drives of his career,
making him the only winner of the twenty-four-hour race
with a perfect record.
The Blower never did win Le Mans or any other significant
race, although Birkin took it to 137.96 mph at Brooklands
in 1932, a record that stood for three years.
Meanwhile, Noble the elder emigrated to the United States
during World War II and became the driver and personal
assistant of cosmetics queen Elizabeth Arden for twenty-five
years, until her death in 1966. He then performed the
same role for two decades for Bill Paley, the notorious
founder and longtime chairman of CBS. "It was fun
for Bob and me, as his sons," Roger told me at
the bottom of the hill, the rumbling of old racing motors
all around us. "He raced this car extensively in
the '50s, '60s, and '70s, mostly at Bridgehampton. He
actually won Bridgehampton in 1960 against Alfred Momo
and Briggs Cunningham. My misspent youth was spent handing
my dad wrenches. I'm a little emotional about driving
it now. It's a connection to him. We've both gone over
a hundred miles an hour in this one with Dad."
"He scared the living daylights out of me,"
added Bob, this from a guy who flew helicopters for
Air America out of Laos during the Vietnam War. Roger
then gave me a ride up the hill that I will remember
for a long time. Actually, he scared the living daylights
out of me.
At the end of this perfect Pennsylvania day, Roger washed
his chariot and parked it among the hothouse flowers
— exquisite Delahayes, majestic sixteen-cylinder Cadillacs,
Cords, DuPonts, Packards, and Bugattis — parked fetchingly
on the lawn of the Hotel Hershey for Sunday's automotive
garden party. It was shining like the precious family
jewel it is.</s> | 12,562 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
ANOTHER year has come to an end, another
succession of epic battles has been fought out on road
and track, and once more we may look back on the year
that has passed and see how we stand for the future.
There is no doubt that the 1929 season was eminently
successful; we must see to it that the future is equally
well filled with scope for the racing enthusiast. Continued...</s> | 12,563 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The reasons why
the car could no longer be described in this way
may be summarised as follows:
(1) The 1930 Speed Six engine had been substituted
with a reconstructed 1927 standard 6�-litre engine.
(2) The changes that had been made to the 1927 engine
were not documented, the contents of the Speed Six
specification the engine was said to satisfy had
not been identified and no formal check or certification
of the engine's compliance with the performance
specification relied on had ever been undertaken.
Moreover, the evidence showed that the performance
parts of the BDC 1930 Speed Six specification were
not capable of being satisfied by the engine that
was currently in the car.
(3) The chassis was, to a very significant extent,
different from and constructed to a different specification
from, the original 1930 chassis.
(4) There was no continuous history available for
the car or its chassis, its 1927 Standard engine,
the reconstruction of its 1927 engine and 1930 chassis
or the racing characteristics and Speed Six performance
capabilities that it was said to have been provided
with.</s> | 12,564 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
The article is about the results of
nearly a year of spare-time work on a 1927 3-litre Bentley...
It's three or four months since an old-type Bentley
was featured in this series, and that was a 4 1/2, and
no doubt something more about a 3-litre will be looked
for, at any rate welcomed. As it happens, I feel a personal
interest beyond the ordinary in the sample of 3-litre
now described, for, as the present owner mentions, it
was through a reference to the car in "The Sport"
nearly a year ago that it changed hands. The previous
owner was Donald McCullough... Continued...</s> | 12,565 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Robert, if you could find some records of the pre war time, this could be very nice. — Detlef"</s> | 12,566 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
It was most enjoyable to be out in
a real motor-car again and to be able to say I had been
driving a Bentley at Brooklands! This brief backwards
glimpse provided a firm reminder of the unassailable
position occupied by the 3-litre Bentley some fifty
years ago. Our 1942 account was published just after
John Duffs victory at Le Mans, and apart from a later
Editor of MOTOR SPORT deciding that in 1926 there was
no comparable sporting car, another well-known motoring
writer, whose mother bought a new 3-litre, has pointed
out that people are apt to forget, now that the 3-litre
is a vintage car, what a stupendous reputation it had
in its heyday. Continued...</s> | 12,567 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
There is something hugely imposing
about a vintage Bentley automobile aside from its massive
scale; perhaps it’s a combination of the famous
ghosts each car carries, the spirits of wealthy playboy
racers, forward-thinking engineers and the man who was
determined to build England’s finest sporting cars.
Despite the legends that surround the original Bentley
cars—those sometimes called “W.O.s” after
the company founder—a great portion of those near
90-year-old cars are in fine running order today. Enthusiast
motoring is these cars’ raison d’être,
and the faithful who maintain them take pride in upholding
the founder’s ideal. If you’ve ever harbored
dreams of thundering down the Mulsanne Straight at Le
Mans behind the winged “B,” you may be the
right sort for vintage Bentley ownership.</s> | 12,568 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
I’ve never seen ONE of my columns
generate as much controversy as the one I did in the
March 2 issue (“Can’t We Just Get Rid of Ethanol?”).
I have an ethanol-fuel vehicle—my E85 Corvette—and
it runs fine on ethanol. We built it that way. It’s
fast!</s> | 12,569 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Mr Mann appeared
to have little recollection of the conversation
as recounted by Mrs Brewer. He stated that he remembered
stating that the engine was not original to the
car, that one of the Brewers had asked whether the
engine change meant that the car was no longer a
Speed Six and that he had answered that it was a
Speed Six car but that, like all cars of that age,
it had gone through changes during its life and
that the engine had been prepared to Speed Six specification.</s> | 12,570 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Once on the Alaska Highway we
will travel via Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, Whitehorse
(Yukon Territory), Dawson City, and then onto
Alaska.</s> | 12,571 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Contrast in size of car can certainly
be claimed for this week's subject, an 8-litre Bentley,
when it is recalled that last week an Austin Seven "special"
held the T.O.S.C. stage. The Bentley has a roof, it
will be observed, but I feel that there will be few
if any dissentients on this score as regards its sports
car status. Continued...</s> | 12,572 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The defendants did not call any expert
evidence at all. No attempt was made to adduce as evidence
(under the Civil Evidence Act) the views of any other
experts, either dead or living. There was a hint when
the case was well into its stride that the defendants
might seek to call Mr. Keith Shellenburg. In the event,
no expert's report was disclosed from him nor anybody
else, nor was any application made. Even so, I must
take account of other sources of information to which
both sides referred.</s> | 12,573 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Birkin himself described his drive
at Pau as "'the last of all the big races in which
I had any success with the old green Bentleys and the
most enjoyable." Furthermore, he said that it was
the most interesting and thrilling race in which he
had ever taken part. Continued...</s> | 12,574 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Secondly, however, there is a passage
which reads:</s> | 12,575 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
- Famous heritage models hit international classic
show circuit
- 95 years of history to tour from Goodwood to
Pebble Beach
- 85th anniversary of ‘Blue Train’ race
and 1930 Le Mans win
(Crewe, 21 May 2015) Legendary cars from Bentley’s
past are embarking on a tour of the world’s
premier heritage and historical automotive events
this summer.
The ‘Blue Train’ car that famously raced
the Calais-Mediterranée Express and the
Team Blower that entered Le Mans in 1930 –
the race ultimately won by Bentley Boys Woolf
Barnato and Glen Kidston in Speed 6 'Old No 1'
– are among the highlights of Bentley’s
curated or treasured collection. Both are celebrating
anniversaries and will be on the road at numerous
international events between May and October.
‘Blue Train’ Bentley
This year is the 85th anniversary of that
most famous Bentley Boy adventure – the Blue
Train race. The car that (probably) accomplished
the feat will be touring Europe with a series
of high-profile appearances.
In 1930 Captain Woolf Barnato, Chairman of Bentley
Motors, was staying in Cannes when he accepted
a wager that not only could he beat the Calais-Mediterranée
Express (or ‘Blue Train’) back to Calais,
but that he could be at his club in London before
the train even reached the English Channel.
He was, and the remarkable victory has resonated
with Bentley enthusiasts ever since. The car that
was believed to have accomplished the feat was
the iconic Gurney Nutting two-door fastback coupe.
In recent years evidence has emerged to suggest
Barnato drove his Mulliner saloon-bodied Speed
6, however, it is the coupe that will forever
be known as The Blue Train car.
It is this car that will be touring Europe appearing
at seven events between May and October, including
the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 25-28 June,
and Schloss Bensberg Classics, Bensberg, Germany
(17-19 July).
Team Blower
One of just five built for racing, the Team
Blower was used by the original Bentley racing
team of the late 1920s, and is still performing
over eight decades later.
This year marks the 85th anniversary of the Woolf
Barnato and Glen Kidston Le Mans victory in 1930.
While the Blower wasn’t the winning car that
day, with Tim Birkin at the wheel its heroic performance
embodies the true spirit of the vintage racing
era.
Featuring the legendary supercharger installation
developed by Amherst Villiers, the Blower will
be making a pilgrimage to Le Mans in France from
12-14 June before heading across the Atlantic
to the Pebble Beach Concours in California in
August.
EXP2
A legacy of the Cricklewood era, EXP2 is the
oldest Bentley in existence. Built in 1920, the
3-litre 4-cylinder car has a top speed of 80mph,
so it’s unsurprising that it was a successful
racer in its day – claiming the brand’s
first ever victory.
Driven by W.O. Bentley’s mechanic and Bentley
Boy Frank Clement, Bentley’s racing pedigree
was established in May 1921 at the Whitsun Junior
Handicap. The EXP2 can be seen at Cholmondeley
Pageant of Power in Cheshire, England from 12-14
June.
8 Litre
Built in 1930, the 8 Litre was W.O. Bentley’s
personal car, and was reacquired by Bentley in
2006 before being restored to its original condition.
Extremely luxurious, yet with a top speed of 100mph,
the 8 Litre combines craftsmanship with performance,
drawing parallels with Bentley’s current
flagship, the Mulsanne. The 8 Litre can be seen
at the Bentley Drivers’ Club Weekend, Banbury,
from 27-28 June.
Continental R-Type
It was the R-Type which first brought the
Continental name into Bentley lexicon in 1952.
With a top speed of 120mph this was the fastest
four-seater in the world at the time. Many of
the 208 examples produced were coach built by
Mulliner – a name that is still closely associated
with Continental to this day.
The Continental R-Type will also be at the Bentley
Drivers’ Club Weekend, Banbury (27-28 June).</s> | 12,576 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Ever since the wheel was invented,
people have tried to discover ways making them get to
speed, or go round faster! Since 1920 owners of Bentleys
have not been an exception.
In 1920 W.O. Bentley invited Frank Clement to join Bentley
Motors as competition and test driver. He was the only
professional racing driver to be employed by the company.
In 1921, at the Whitsun Brooklands Meeting, Clement
won the Junior Handicap race, being the first victory
for the new 3 litre car. In 1923 he partnered J.F. Duff
in a privately entered 3 litre in the first Le Mans
24 hours race; they came in 4th.</s> | 12,577 |
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Even so, by 12th October 1929 it was
ready for the 500 miles race at Brooklands. A new 600
cylinder pattern differential and spicer shaft had been
fitted. The car was rebodied -- the four seater Van
de Plas was removed and replaced by a two seater form
with fintail or fishtail, new petrol tank and a fly-off
handbrake had been fitted direct to a compensator. The
gear lever was cranked outside the body with no reverse
catch. The car in this form took second place.</s> | 12,578 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
We drove from the coastal Arniston
Resort to Franschhoek in the mountains where the 207
French Huguenots arrived in 1688; they had fled France
because of religious persecutions. They brought with
them their extensive knowledge and skill of wine making
and the fertile Frankschhoek Valley became one of the
earliest wine producing regions of the Cape. We had
an excellent lunch at the Hotel Chamonix under huge
oak trees, a fillet minute with a very nice tasting
Chardonnay.
In the late afternoon we arrived in Kapstadt/Capetown
after some 4500 km and 1500 litres of petrol totally
exhausted from the heat and work outs, we only had 30
min to change and jump into the bus which took us to
the cable car which went up to the table mountain (1000
meters above sea level). During the trip the car rotates
through 360 degrees, providing passengers with a superb
view of the city, the sweep of table bay, robben island,
the table mountain chain as well as the constructions
site for the 2010 football world championship (Sepp
Blatter repaying his dues for getting the African votes
for Fiva president).
Capetown developed around the refreshment station at
the foot of table mountain by the Dutch East India Company
in 1652. The company gardens were used to supply passing
ships with fresh produce, and between 1692 and 1783
it was developed into a world famous botanical garden.
The city is divided up into various districts including
the Malay and the district museum Chronicles the forced
removal of 60000 people from 1966 to 1982 from other
areas. One can see old slave quarters turned into the
Supreme Court and collections of Dutch and Flemish masters.
A very cosmopolitan city, with the young people hopping
around the waterfront some showing off their BMWs, Mercedes
and Aston Martins. The standard of living is very high
and the quality of service in the hotels and restaurants
exceptional.
Final words in a couple of days.</s> | 12,579 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
A 20-year pictorial summary.</s> | 12,580 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Six-cylinder Bentley cars, in the form
of the 147hp 61/2 Litre and 180hp Speed Six, were introduced
in 1926, and these cars would win Le Mans again in 1929
and 1930. The four-cylinder 3 Litre was revised into
the 4 1/2 Litre, the car that would spawn what is arguably
the most famous of all W.O. cars, despite it being one
that he himself didn’t approve of: the 50 supercharged,
175hp “Blower Bentleys” built in 1929 at the
request of one of his prominent patrons for racing homologation
purposes.
Being a development of the 3 Litre models, the black
label badged 1927-1931 4 1/2 Litre Bentley was also
available in long standard (10 feet, 10 inches) and
short standard (9 feet, 9 1/2 inches) chassis lengths,
although just 10 short chassis were built. Its twin
SU-fed 4,398cc fourcylinder engine used a 100 x 140mm
bore and stroke and a 5.1 to 5.3:1 compression ratio
to make 100hp at 3,500 RPM. This change raised the car’s
average maximum speed from 80 to more than 90 MPH; light,
open cars like the famous cyclefendered, Vanden Plas-bodied
Le Mans replicas could now better 100 MPH off of the
showroom floor, a boon in the competition in which these
cars were often engaged. Some late 4 1/2 Litre cars
were fitted with the heavy-duty crankshaft of the supercharged
model, improving their legendary durability yet further.
Sadly, Bentley Motors Ltd. was nearing the end of its
days as an independent company; Rolls-Royce purchased
the firm in 1931.
The issue of placing a standardized value on a vintage
four-cylinder Bentley can be a thorny one, explains
Robert McLellan, Bentley historian and the host of the
www.vintagebentleys.org website. “The most fundamental
aspect is learning about the cars before buying one,”
he explains. “The biggest problem is that most
buyers think they are getting an original car when they
are not; they then realize they paid too much. Our website
tells the history, so buyers and sellers will actually
know what they are looking at. Most ‘experts’
cannot tell the cars apart—two cars can look identical,
and one is only worth half of what the other is worth.”
David Brownell, former editor of Hemmings Motor News
and Special Interest Autos magazine, Automobilia Auctions
founder and the 25-year owner of a 1924 Bentley 3 Litre
touring car, adds, “In terms of values, the car
that’s never been mucked with is worth more than
a comparable car that is running its second body, but
the fact that a body’s been changed doesn’t
eliminate it from Bentley Club activities. Some people
will try to bring a chassis or car back to its exact
correct original configuration, but the penalty of doing
that with a closed car—a sedan or limousine—
is that the market demand and value aren’t there
for all of that work, and it usually costs more money
to build a closed car body than it does to build a roadster
or phaeton.
“Gooding just sold a 1927 long-wheelbase 3 Litre
tourer at Pebble Beach; this was a matching numbers
car with a one-off body by Harrington, and it was very
well restored and presented. That car, with the buyer’s
premium, brought $308,000. The sellers of a 1924 3 Litre
Speed that was featured at the Bonhams Brookline [Massachusetts]
auction turned down a bid of $230,000, and that car
needed a lot of loving; I think if that car had cracked
$250,000, they probably would have let it go. That’s
a strong price to pay for a car that essentially was
all right, but cosmetically was in need.”
David continues, “They’re great fun, a good
value. Dare I say, [vintage Bentleys] are a good investment,
because there’s an international demand for them.
People want them here, they want them in England and
in Europe. These cars work on a number of levels in
terms of use: They’re Full Classics, they’re
a vintage sports car that you can race, they’re
eligible for AACA activities, they can go to concours,
they have a lot going for them in terms of acceptability.
They have quite a heritage, and that’s part of
what you’re buying when you buy a Bentley. It’s
that great racing heritage, the great engineering, the
toughness. Everything’s very overbuilt—there’s
nothing delicate about a vintage Bentley,” he says.
“I couldn’t afford to buy mine today—they’re
not cheap. They’re going to cost you a lot of money.”
Body/Frame
A huge variety of coachwork was fitted to the three
chassis lengths that 3 and 4 1/2 Litre cars were built
on, and the frames themselves were overbuilt with truss
braces and five crossmembers; an even sturdier frame
was employed under the 4 1/2 Litres built after the
spring of 1929. Original frames are available from specialist
sources today for those who want to body a vintage Bentley
in their chosen style and trim.
As we’ve noted, many 3 and 4 1/2 Litres look different
today than they did new, but this is not necessarily
detrimental, as sporting open bodies are more highly
sought than formal closed ones. Because they were coachbuilt
cars with bodies and fenders crafted in aluminum or
aluminum, wood and fabric, skilled restorers can bring
even the worst basket cases back to life, given suitable
time and money.
Engines
The 2,996 and 4,398cc 16-valve four-cylinder engines
have been lauded for decades for their durability, but
cars that have been driven with vigor may experience
broken cross-shaft gears. “These are the gears
that go across the tower that goes up to the camshaft,
and their teeth engage the gears that run the magnetos.
The reason they break is not because they’re weak
or badly designed, but because on start-up, they’re
the last part of the engine to get lubrication,”
David explains. “The man who previously owned my
car was a professional restorer, and this happened to
him on a tour in California. He stopped into a place
that did machine work for the aircraft industry, and
had new gears made out of Delrin, a space-age plastic.
This Delrin doesn’t need lubrication, so my cross-shaft
gear worries are over.” Another engine mod that
helps longterm durability is the addition of a modern
oil filtration system to improve upon the primitive
original.
“If you have a really worn engine, the center main
bearing is liable to let go, as that’s the one
that takes a lot of crankshaft whip from the unbalanced
crankshaft. This happened to my car when it had already
done about 200,000 miles, and at that time, we measured
the taper in the cylinders: It was zero. We didn’t
have to replace the pistons or rings, and that’s
a hell of a tribute to the metallurgy in that car. They’re
very, very hard to hurt.” Because the head and
block are cast as one, the engine must be removed to
do this work.
There are a number of vintage Bentley specialists in
the United Kingdom and the U.S., so any engine part
that may be required can either be sourced new or refurbished.
Transmission/Diff erential
W.O. Bentley specified a number of different transmissions
in his four-cylinder cars for the different bodies and
uses that they would encounter, and they differed in
gearing. All were four-speed manuals, and among the
variants were the closeratio A and D type units, the
wide ratio B type and the wide/close ratio C type unit.
An inverted cone clutch with Ferodo lining was used
until a plate clutch replaced it in 1929, and like the
gearbox, this often requires a bit of effort to engage.
Because many vintage Bentleys remain in serious use
today, the swapping of interchangeable gearboxes to
achieve better performance is considered quite acceptable,
as is the adoption of a modified Laycock overdrive unit,
a similar type as used in Austin-Healey sports cars.
The semi-floating rear axle with spiral bevel gears
is another notably sturdy component, and substituting
different gearing can improve the performance of a car
with little hassle.
Suspension/Brakes
Three Litre models built through the fall of 1923 had
mechanical drum brakes on the rear wheels only, but
after that, front drums were added, and the handbrake
acts on separate shoes on the rear wheels. “For
their time, they have excellent brakes,” David
says. “That doesn’t mean that they’ll
stop like Brembo discs today, but in the context of
their time, they have really good brakes.”
All 3 and 4 1/2 Litre cars use semi-elliptic leaf springs,
those in the rear underslung, as well as adjustable
duplex Hartford shock absorbers at all four wheels,
offering a firm ride with little body lean. Rudge Whitworth
wire wheels in 21- inch diameters were standard on early
cars, and later ones used 19-inch wheels. As would be
expected, steering effort is high, although it is laudably
accurate.
The addition of a power steering kit—seemingly
inconceivable in such an old car—is also an accepted
modification, as David explains; “This kit fits
in so neatly that you literally don’t know it’s
there.”
Interior/Trim
If your 1921-1931 Bentley is missing its dashboard clock
or fender lamps, you won’t be able to ring up your
local auto parts store to find replacements. It is therefore
lucky that vintage Bentley specialists and enthusiasts
within the Bentley Owners Club are a tight-knit bunch
who are willing to help each other with spares, and
if necessary, patterns to remanufacture needed part.
Specialists
Dennison-Jayne Motors
610-436-8668
www.dennisonjaynemotors.com
Tim Houlding International Vintage
Bentley Cars
011 44 1905 352 419
www.vintagebentley.co.uk/index.htm
Stanley Mann Racing
011 44 1923 852 505
www.stanleymann.com
The Vintage Garage
802-253-9256
http://vintagegaragevt.com
Vintage Bentley Parts Ltd.
011 44 1926 496 739
www.vintagebentleyparts.co.uk
Parts Prices
Brake shoe, front or rear - £300 ($483)
Bulkhead, 4½ Litre, original - £580 ($935)
Complete 9-foot 9½-inch chassis, 3 Litre - £6,936
($11,176)
Engine block, 3 Litre original - £1,000 ($1,611)
Engine, 3 Litre original - £12,500 ($20,141)
Gas tank, 4½ Litre restored - £700 ($1,128)
Grease gun, Tecalemit original - £75 ($121)
King pin - £155 ($250)
Mirror, original - £225 ($363)
Pedal shaft, cone clutch - £1,656 ($2,668)
Wrench set, original - £100 ($161)
Club Scene
The Bentley Drivers Club Ltd.
W.O. Bentley Memorial Building
Ironstone Lane
Wroxton, Banbury, Oxfordshire
OX15 6ED England
011 44 1295 738 886
www.bdcl.org
Dues: £50.00 ($81); Membership: 3,600</s> | 12,581 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The first World
War had brought about great advances in the development
of the piston engine, materials and fuel. It also brought
about changes in the social life of the country and
the redistribution of wealth. Nevertheless, there were
plenty of young men coming out of the Services with
money to burn and bent on combating the inevitable boredom
which occurs between the ending of the excitements of
war and the process of settling down to peace-time England.
Practically no cars for private use had been made since
1914, and such second-hand ones as would be available,
would command fantastic prices and would have no performance
to speak of in any case.
It was against this background, that W. O. Bentley found
himself with his engineer's training, his experience
in the development and racing of the French D.F.P. sports
car before the war, and in the design and development
of aircraft engines, in particular the Bentley Rotary
engine, during the war.
Before the war ended W. O. had already formulated his
ideas for a reliable, reasonably comfortable, quiet
but fast motor car of sporting type which could be owner-maintained.
Taking for his inspiration the principles on which the
pre-war racing Peugeot and Mercedes engines had been
made, he settled down in January 1919, in New Street
Mews (off Baker Street) in London, with F. T. Burgess
from Humber's and Harry Varley from Vauxhall, with both
of whom he had worked during the war, to make detailed
drawings of the new car. Clive Gallop joined the team,
and in September Nobby Clarke (Chief Petty Officer R.
A. Clarke, D.S.M., R.N.A.S.) also joined. It was Nobby
Clarke, later to become Head Mechanic, who put together
the first 3 Litre Bentley engine which started for the
first time in October 1919. A semi mock-up of an engine
and chassis was on view at the Olympia Motor Show in
November 1919. In December 1919 the first complete Bentley,
Experimental No. 1, underwent a road test in the hands
of Sammy Davis of The Autocar, whose report was published
in January 1920.
THE PROTOTYPE
The engine had four cylinders cast en bloc with four
aluminium water jackets and a single overhead camshaft
operating four valves per cylinder, driven by a vertical
shaft from the front end of the crankshaft. The valve
operating gear was enclosed by two inclined covers.
A magneto on the offside and the water pump on the nearside
of a cross shaft were driven by gears off the vertical
shaft. Water was delivered through the cylinder jacket
on the nearside and was returned to the radiator by
a water rail fed by five curved branch pipes from the
top of the cylinder block. A single Claudel Hobson CZP
carburettor on the nearside supplied mixture to the
cylinders through a ram's horn induction pipe. Lubrication
was by dry sump and oil was pumped under pressure to
the main and big ends and to the camshaft. Excess oil
from the camshaft was returned to the sump by external
pipes to the crankcase breathers.
Power was delivered to the rear wheels through a cone
clutch, 'A' type gear box, pot joint universals and
spiral bevel rear axle. The frame of deep section was
made of high grade steel.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
During 1920 and 1921, as a result of continuing testing
and competition work in sprints, hill climbs and racing
on Brooklands, the development of the 3 Litre proceeded.
Following lubrication problems with the dry sump, a
wet sump was designed having cooling tubes running through
it. However, the tubes soon became blocked with road
dirt and this sump was discarded in favour of a unit
having a large separate oil tank under the crankcase.
A second magneto was fitted to the water pump end of
the cross shaft and the water pump was moved in front
of the vertical shaft housing and was driven by a skew
gear from the magneto cross shaft. Provision for a second
set of plugs had been incorporated in the original cylinder
block casting in anticipation of future developments.
The original two-cam per cylinder camshaft was replaced
by a triple-cam per cylinder shaft whose direction of
rotation was reversed. A small dynamo was driven from
the rear end of the camshaft through a geared-up (3:1)
set of gears in its own box. The cam case was now enclosed
in a half cover with a large oil breather in the centre
and the drain tubes led to the crankcase through the
cylinder jackets. The water rail with up-swept branches
gave place to a neat rail along the side of the block
just above the exhaust manifold.
Very little alteration was made to the chassis except
for flattening the pronounced curve of the front end
of the frame and the dumb irons. By September 1921,
when the first production model was delivered to its
owner, the 3 Litre Bentley looked much as we know it
today.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF
PRODUCTION ENGINE AND CHASSIS
The Engine. Four cylinders cast en bloc with bore and
stroke 80 x 149 mm. and having a capacity of 2,996 c.c.
Each cylinder had four valves and eight valve springs
operated by a single overhead camshaft with triple cams
per cylinder. The cams operated two single steel rockers
to the exhaust valves and a single forked rocker for
the two inlet valves. The camshaft was driven by a vertical
shaft and bevel gears from the front end of the crankshaft.
Aluminium alloy pistons and four bolt shell bearing
connecting rods were used. Twin synchronised magnetos
driven from a cross shaft fired eight plugs in the order
of 1-3-4-2. The carburettor was a Smith 5 Jet Type 45
VS.
Lubrication: Oil was piped under pressure from the separate
oil tank under the crankcase through the drilled crankshaft
to the main and big end bearings and by splash to the
cylinder walls and little ends. A separate pipe from
the filter, outside the engine on the near side, fed
oil to the camshaft bearings and rockers. Surplus oil
was returned to the tank via two drain tubes situated
between the cylinders and also down the vertical shaft
housing.
Overhead valve gear: The original BM 1800 camshaft was
fitted to the first 160 chassis after which the BM 2391
was used until 1926, when the BM 1800 was reinstated.
Both camshafts were hollow and had drilled oil ways
for lubricating the five bearings and rocker gear. The
complete set of steel rockers were threaded on long
(steel) rods supported in a single rocker carrier which
ran the whole length of the cam case.
Clutch: The clutch was of the inverted cone type lined
with Ferodo. The compensated withdrawal mechanism was
automatically lubricated.
The dynamo: The dynamo, originally geared up through
its own gear box, was later driven at camshaft speed
and was connected to the camshaft by a flexible coupling.
The cooling system: Water was taken from the radiator
and pumped to a distribution pipe inside the offside
cylinder jacket and was returned to the radiator by
a water rail with short branches taking off from the
area of the valve seatings.
The Chassis. The frame was of high grade steel of deep
section, braced fore and aft by two tubular tie bars
and four heavy angled cross members, which combined
made a rigid frame. The nose of the engine was supported
on the front cross member, the gear box on the two centre
cross members and the fourth cross member in rear of
the rear axle.
The gear box: An 'A' type box with four speeds forward
and a reverse with positive interlock, and right hand
change. The gate was carried on an extension of the
box. The speedometer in the early cars was driven by
pulley from the propeller shaft; later it was gear driven
from the nearside of the gear box casing.
The back axle: The final drive was by spiral bevel and
pinion encased in a removable nose-piece without disturbing
the back axle casing.
Brakes: Both the foot and hand brakes operated on the
rear wheels and were of the internal expanding type.
The brakes were compensated through a balance beam differential.
Coachwork: Initially the Company supplied chassis for
customers to fit the kind of body they wanted, but to
qualify for the Five Years Guarantee the complete car
had to be returned to the Works for a final test. Later
the Firm was able to sell complete cars with bodies
to their own specifications.
Handling qualities. By any standards the 3 Litre handled
well. Although at low speeds the steering was somewhat
heavy, it became easy and light as the speed increased
and at all times remained positive. The steering was
extremely sensitive to correctly balanced front wheels;
each wheel being supplied with four 'studs' on to which
lead and fibre rings were threaded and secured with
a nut. The tendency of the car was to understeer with
the rear end breaking away first but, even on ice, it
always gave plenty of warning long before things got
out of hand.
The brakes, considering the weight of the car, were
extraordinarily effective, but considerable pedal pressure
was required.
The Super Sports model with its very short (9 ft.) wheelbase
was tricky to handle at the best of times, being liable
to break away at either end almost without warning.
TYPES OF 3 LITRE MODELS
The Short Standard. This was the first model made and
it had a 9 ft. 9 J- in. wheelbase chassis with a low
(4-3) compression engine, 'A' Type gear box and 13/51
(or optional 3-53) rear axle ratio. One hundred and
forty-one chassis were made in 1922, 44 in 1923 and
8 more during 1924/5. Total production was 193. Each
chassis was guaranteed to do 80 m.p.h. on Brooklands
Track.
The T.T. Replica. Following the Firm's success in the
Tourist Trophy race of 1922, a replica chassis, as regards
engine, was produced. The compression ratio was raised
to 5-3 and the body was the new light sporting four-seater
Vanden Plas. Each chassis was guaranteed to achieve
90 m.p.h. Sixty-seven cars of this type were made in
1923 and four in 1924, bringing the total of replicas
to 71.
The Long Standard. At Chassis No. 161, the 10 ft. 10£
in. wheelbase model was introduced to cater for those
who wanted larger or heavier closed bodies for continental
touring. This model had the low compression engine,
a new wide ratio 'B' type gear box and 13/55 final drive.
In 1923, 93 Long Chassis cars were made and in this
year the Smith Bentley 45 BVS replaced the Smith 45
VS carburettor. In the next two years production increased
rapidly, 266 cars in 1924, 240 cars in 1925. In 1926
production fell to 122 and during the next three years
only 79 cars were made because the 6\ Litre and the
4½ Litre were beginning to come into production.
In all 800 Long Chassis cars were built-almost half
the whole 3 Litre output. Each chassis was guaranteed
to do 75 m.p.h.
All the cars mentioned so far had blue backgrounds to
the 'B' in the winged radiator and fuel tank badges.
The Speed Model. The first Speed Model was Chassis No.
356, and the type had the T.T. Replica engine with 5-3
compression, 9 ft. 9$ in. wheelbase, B.H.B. pistons,
twin S.U. carburettors ('Slopers'), 'A' type gear box,
3-53 rear axle ratio and front wheel brakes. Each chassis
was guaranteed to do 90 m.p.h. Vanden Plas bodies for
this model were most favoured but two-seater and saloon
bodies could also be fitted. In each of the years 1924/5/6,
production was 130/134 cars a year. In 1927 only 88
cars, 1928 21, and 1929 four cars were made bringing
the total production for this model up to 507 cars.
Except for the T.T. this model supplied all but one
of the Firm's racing 3 Litres. All Speed Model Chassis
had red backgrounds to the 'B' in the badge.
The Light Tourer. It was necessary for the Firm to make
a cheaper model to sell quickly at under £1,000
for the complete car in order to help finance the launching
of the 6J Litre Bentley. This model had the short chassis,
low compression engine, 'B' type gear box and low axle
ratio. Forty were made and they did what they were intended
to do. Some of these cars have been converted to Speed
Model specifications in later years.
The Super Sports 100 m.p.h. Model. In 1925, to meet
a limited demand for something even more exciting than
the Speed Model, a 9 ft. wheelbase chassis with a 61
compression engine with the Speed Model gear box and
final drive was produced. The background to the 'B'
in the badge was green and the radiator tapered in at
the bottom like the Standard 6\ Litre. Only 15 of these
chassis were built, but each was guaranteed to do 100
m.p.h. and the guarantee for this model was reduced
to one year. The specification of this engine became
the standard specification of the Speed Model engine
from 1926. Most of the bodies were two seaters, nevertheless,
Martin Walter managed to build a four-seater body which
complied with the Le Mans regulations for the car which
ran in the 1926 Le Mans race.
PRODUCTION MODIFICATIONS
As experience on road and track was gained, improvements
were made to the 3 Litre, but even in the early production
stages there were few major modifications to the engine
or chassis to correct initial faults. Such modifications
as were produced were for the purpose of increasing
reliability, power and docility as can be seen from
the following paragraphs.
1923. The T.T. Replica, based on the T.T. cars and the
Long Wheelbase chassis were introduced as the first
link in the separation of the town carriage type of
car from the sporting car.
1924. The Speed Model with twin S.U. carburettors came
into being as an improved version of the T.T. engine
and chassis. Four-wheel brakes of Bentley-Perrot design
were fitted to all the new 3 Litre chassis, necessitating
a redesigned front axle and modifications to the steering.
A single adjustment under the floorboards took up wear
on the linings of all four wheels simultaneously. Experiments
were tried out with hydraulic brakes, but for a variety
of reasons the Firm decided to keep to the rod operated
system and in fact used no other system in any of their
later models.
1925. A larger header-tank was fitted to all chassis
(from No. 1010) which raised the height of the radiator
by 1 in. This greatly improved the appearance of the
line of the bonnet which previously had sloped downwards.
1926. The original steel rocker arms were replaced by
duralumin ones, the initial design of which gave trouble,
but was quickly modified. All chassis frames were reinforced
and the Long Chassis were fitted with strut gear strengthening
plates. The early type of sliding Perrot shafts were
found to cause excessive wear and seizure of the shafts
after considerable mileages, and to cure this the male
and female shafts were pinned and the sliding effect
transferred to the frame bracket. Stone guards were
fitted to Speed Model radiators and Dunlop tyres were
fitted to all chassis. From chassis No. RT 1549 a cast-iron
differential casing replaced the original aluminium
type. At the end of the year the separate oil tank under
the crank-case was replaced by a sump and crankcase
in one casting (like that of the 4½ Litre). The
capacity remained the same at 2\ gallons.
1927. Speed Model chassis were equipped with 'C type
gear box instead of the original 'A' type close ratio
box. (The new box was more robust and quieter, but was
not nearly as much fun to handle according to some.)
1928. The final changes appeared after the introduction
of the 4½ Litre when some parts such as the thicker
gauge frame, heavier front axle beds, separate rocker
boxes for each cylinder and fixed type top vertical
bevels were incorporated in the last of the 3-Litres.
THE 3 LITRE IN COMPETITIONS
W. O. Bentley set out with the intention of putting
into practice what he had learnt from racing the French
D.F.P. car before the first World War, and that was
that racing was the surest and cheapest way of testing
a car, and that success was the cheapest form of advertising.
1921. Some months before the first production chassis
were being delivered to their owners, Experimental No.
2 started winning races, hill-climbs and speed trials
up and down the country and in the process collected
eight 'firsts'.
1922. It was not until a year later, in May and June
1922, that Bentley Motors entered for major races. Early
in the year four production chassis, whose engines had
shown up well on test, were taken in hand in the Experimental
shop where, under Frank Clement, they were stripped
down and meticulously rebuilt.
Modifications to these chassis included a small, flat,
most un-Bentley-like radiator, an outside exhaust system,
a 22 gallon fuel tank slung amidships (in addition to
the standard 11 gallon tank) and a 2 gallon spare oil
tank on the near side between the gear box cross members.
The fuel and spare oil were fed under pressure by an
air pump under the dash operated by the riding mechanic.
High compression pistons were used and a C.Z.P. Claudel
Hobson carburettor with heating coils round the induction
pipe. A good deal of lightening of parts was done, such
as drilled pistons, hand-brake lever, brake drums and
filed connecting rods.
INDIANAPOLIS. One of these cars was shipped to America
to be driven by Douglas Hawkes in the Indianapolis 500
Mile Race. The car was hopelessly outclassed, but it
finished the course at an average speed of around 81
m.p.h. after a trouble-free run.
The car created a very good impression, but the cost
of the venture was fearful at a time when money was
in short supply. For all that this very new marque had
been tested and had come out with credit.
THE T.T. The next event was in June, a month later,
when a team of three 3 Litres to be driven by W. O.
Bentley, Frank Clement and Douglas Hawkes were entered
for the International Tourist Trophy Race in the Isle
of Man. This race was somewhat odd in that it was for
3-litre cars when the International formula was for
2-litre cars. The entry list was, therefore, small and
the R.A.C., to give it greater spectator appeal, ran
a 1,500 c.c. race over a shorter distance, concurrently
with the main race, which was over eight laps of the
37J mile circuit. Two Sunbeam and three Vauxhall racing
cars and three Bentley modified touring cars started
in the race which was run in pouring rain. One Sunbeam
and two of the Vauxhalls dropped out leaving the remaining
Sunbeam to win with Clement's Bentley 2nd, 'W. O.' 4th
and Hawkes 5th. The sole remaining Vauxhall was 3rd.
The most important thing for Bentleys was that they
won the Team Prize against two teams of well-known racing
cars which made for very good publicity.
Small time events were not neglected either, for between
July and October, Bentleys took no less than 19 firsts
in speed events, and private owners were beginning to
take a hand.
RECORDS. In September, J. F. Duff, one of the Bentley
Agents, took single-handed the British 'Double Twelve
Hour' record (in England, of course, 24 hour racing
was not allowed) at 86-79 m.p.h. covering just over
2,082 miles in the two periods. He also took Class 'D'
records (as they were then called) of 1 to 13 hours,
100 to 1,000 miles and 100 to 1,000 kilometres at between
86 and 87 m.p.h. The car weighed 23$ cwt. on the start
line, and petrol and oil consumption averaged 14-7 and
85 m.p.g. respectively.
1923. LE MANS. While Bentley Motors continued to pile
up successes in minor meetings, John Duff, impressed
with the reliability of the 3 Litre, persuaded 'W. O.'
to prepare his record-taking 3 Litre for a 24 hour race
to be held at a place called Le Mans, in France. 'W.
O.' thought it was a mad idea, but unwillingly agreed
and lent him Frank Clement as co-driver. In the event
the car ran well and, in spite of no front-wheel brakes,
finished equal 4th, and in the hands of Clement set
up the first Sports Car lap record at Le Mans at 66-69
m.p.h. During the race, trouble was experienced with
stones flung up by the car in front, breaking lamp glasses
and puncturing the petrol tank. In future years Bentleys
were fitted with stone guards on radiator, lamps and
tanks.
A month later Duff entered the same 3 Litre privately
(in company with a locally-owned Bentley) in a touring
car G.P. at San Sebastian. Neither car did any good,
although they were ahead of the Hispanos and Peugeots
which suffered from tyre troubles. Duff was leading
at an average of 65 m.p.h. when a stone hit him in the
face and caused him to crash. The second Bentley retired
shortly before the end of the race. For this magnificent
drive Duff was given, ex gratia, the 3-litre class prize.
BOULOGNE. In September, three 3 Litres were entered
for the Georges Boillot Cup at Boulogne to be driven
by Frank Clement, Bertie Moir and John Duff, the first
two cars being Works entries. Clement burnt out a new
type of magnesium alloy piston and retired. Duff had
hit a cow in practice, the result of which showed up
in the race, and Moir, in spite of continual carburettor
trouble, managed to finish without distinction.
1924. LE MANS. Duff again entered his Works-prepared
3 Litre, a new car with front-wheel brakes and stone
guards all round. The Bentley's speed and reliability
told as the opposition gradually fell out; then the
Bentley was in trouble itself with a jammed gate, the
windscreen broke away and finally swollen hubs delayed
the car for 40 minutes while a wheel was changed. In
spite of all these tribulations, the Bentley won the
race at 53-78 m.p.h. and recorded the Firm's first win
at Le Mans.
1925. LE MANS. The Firm
entered two new cars, one driven by Clement and Duff
and the other by Kensing ton Moir and Dr. J. D. Benjafield.
The 'Le Mans Start' was first used in this race. Segrave's
Sunbeam and Moir's Bentley had a great duel for 15 laps,
when the Bentley ran out of fuel due to a miscalculation
as to the extra amount of fuel a Bentley would use when
racing with the hood up. As the rules did not allow
filling up under 20 laps, Moir was out of the race.
Duff continued with the second car until a petrol pipe
broke causing an hour and a half's delay. (For the future
all racing Bentleys had duplicated pipes and change-over
taps.) Clement and Duff continued through the night
making up for lost time until the early hours of the
morning, when a carburettor fire caused too much damage
for the car to continue. Future S.U. 'Sloper' carburettors
had a strengthening rib underneath the float chamber.
A 34-litre Lorraine-Dietrich won the race at 57-84 m.p.h.
RECORDS. In September,
Benjafield and Duff, in the latter's 3 Litre, made two
attempts at Montlhery on the 24 Hours Class 'D' record.
In the second attempt they took it at 95-03 m.p.h.
1926. RECORDS. The Firm
attempted in April to take the 24 Hours Class 'D' record
at Montlhery at over 100 m.p.h. The drivers were Barnato,
Clement and Benjafield, in the latter's very short chassis
Brooklands 3 Litre with a light body. After taking the
12 Hours at 97-54 m.p.h., the car retired. A second
attempt was made at the end of April with the same car
and drivers. This time only the Six Hours record was
taken at 102-2 m.p.h. before the car was retired.
The final attempt was made
at the end of June using, again, Benjafield's short
chassis with a long tailed, very light, streamlined
body. The drivers were the same, but with the addition
of Duller. The 12 Hours record was taken at 100-96 m.p.h.
Four hours later the car was crashed during a thunder
storm in dramatic circumstances which put off further
attempts indefinitely.
LE MANS. A team of three
new cars were entered; two Speed Models driven by Benjafield/Davis
and Clement/Duller, and a Super Sports 9 ft. car driven
by Thistlethwayte and Gallop. By 4 a.m., Bentleys were
5th, 7th and 8th. Two hours later Duller retired with
valve stretch due to over-revving, and at 9 a.m. Gallop
brought in the 9 ft. chassis with a broken rocker. The
Davis/Benjafield car was then running 3rd, three laps
behind the Lorraine in front. With orders to take second
place and with failing brakes, Davis over did it at
Mulsanne and was out of the race 20 minutes before the
end. The Lorraines came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the winner
averaging 66-08 m.p.h.
The Benjafield/Davis Bentley
was numbered 7 in this race and, as a result of its
dramatic failure, was for ever afterwards known as 'Old
No. 7'.
BOULOGNE. Benjafield bought
'Old No.7'andentered it for the Georges Boillot Cup
race in September with Kensington Moir as his co-driver.
On the 13th lap, when Benjafield was in 3rd position,
he crashed the car badly and was himself taken to hospital.
Both subsequently recovered fully from their injuries.
1927. THE SIX HOURS. Four
3 Litres were entered for the Essex Six Hours race at
Brooklands, two of the Works' cars, one driven by Clement
and the other by Benjafield and Barnato; and the two
private entries of Callingham and the Birkin brothers.
All but the Birkin car had the new type of duralumin
rocker arms and these broke up one after the other during
the race and the cars retired. Tim Birkin's car had
lost all its gears except 3rd, when Clement took the
car over, and between them they drove it into third
place behind Duller's Sunbeam and Davis's Alvis.
LE MANS. The Works entered
three cars. The first of the new 4½ Litres driven
by Clement and Callingham and the two 3 Litres which
ran in last year's race, driven by Benjafield and Davis
(in 'Old No. 7') and Duller and Baron D'Erlanger in
the other. The race started at 4 p.m. as usual, and
the three Bentleys ran away from the rest of the field.
At 9.30 p.m. all three Bentleys were involved in the
'White House Crash'. Two of them were out for good and
the third, 'Old No. 7', so badly damaged it was doubtful
if it could continue. Davis managed to get the car to
the pits. In spite of a bent front axle, twisted chassis,
cracked steering arm ball joint, a broken headlamp,
loose and flapping offside running-board and wing, the
two drivers in turn kept the car going through the night
and the next day, even increasing speed to destroy the
leading Aries and finally winning the race at 61-35
m.p.h.
This was the last of the
nine races in which Works prepared and entered 3 Litres
took part. With their second win at Le Mans the Firm's
luck had at last turned and in a blaze of glory (for
wasn't she the Guest of Honour at the Savoy?), 'Old
No. 7' handed over the torch to the new 4½ Litre.</s> | 12,582 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Head west along Highway 16 to
Prince George, BC.</s> | 12,583 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Woolf Barnato
Woolf Barnato came from a humble backround
but was born into fabulous wealth. His wealth would
naturally bring him into contact with the upper classes,
but in the snobbish eyes of high society he would be
looked down on, considered an upstart, a nouveau riche.
This naturally would affect his personal outlook and
probably made him very scrupulous about his public image.
Barnato was a complex character and in WO's opinion
although a fine sportsman he had a different side when
it came to business. Like other people in the same position,
Barnato sought to overcome the class barrier by participating
in sport and car racing, and posessed the talent and
drive to excel in these activities.
When the opportunity came in 1926 to rescue Bentley
Motors. He was probably flattered and saw that it would
do him no harm to be part of the company and probably
thought that he could turn the fortunes of the company
around. He exacted a price for this by devaluing all
the existing pound shares to one shilling.
What Barnato did not realise was that WO would resist
his attempts to devalue the marque by introducing cheaper
non-sporting models into the range. In Barnato's eyes,
WO was not suitable to be managing director and was
eventually replaced by one of Barnato's so called cronies.
In 1929 WO had reached a personal crisis, brought on
by years of overwork, his failing marriage, the death
of Burgess, the endless stress of the board meetings
where he resisted the efforts of the other directors
to initiate policies that he did not agree with. The
4-litre side valve engine was a failure and WO would
not take the lead to put this right.
1929 showed a profit for the company and the start of
the 4 Litre design proper with the engine using the
Ricardo patent 'high power' cylinder head under the
supervision of the new chief designer Barrington. 1930
saw intense activity in the drawing office putting the
finishing touches to the 4 litre design and also in
the engine shop where the prototype engines were assembled
and tested.
The 4 litre was rushed into production and surely met
the aims of the board as a luxury non-sporting car.
However, Bentley customers had come to expect some degree
of performance from Bentley cars, so the 4 litre must
have been a disappointment to them. The other aim of
the board to reduce the cost of manufacture was not
possible without reducing quality and technical specification
and in some respects the quality of the 4 litre is better
than previous models. What had happened was that Bentley
Motors had produced a car without the sporting pedigree
the customers wanted and at a price that was more than
the specification of the 4 litre warranted. The board
hadn't listened to WO and paid the price for it.
One of the probable reasons that Barnato had taken over
the company in 1926 was that he could see that being
associated with a glamorous upward moving high profile
company with considerable racing success would do his
reputation no harm. He would also be able to race the
factory prepared cars as much as he wanted. Conversely,
in 1931, Barnato would have seen that the downturn in
the fortunes of Bentley Motors could affect his public
personna in a negative way. This is something he would
not like.
In 1930, after the win at Le Mans, the official racing
programme was halted. One good reason for this, apart
from financial, was that despite the win at Le Mans,
the Bentley cars were becoming outclassed by cars such
as the Mercedes which trounced Bentley at the Irish
Grand Prix and the Alfa Romeos similarly at the Ulster
Grand Prix both in 1930.
There seems to be no record of Barnato racing after
his Le Mans victory in 1930. Barnato had probably made
a personal decision to retire from racing, perhaps through
family persuasion, although he continued to construct
racing cars in private with Wally Hassan. So that his
main reason for continuing to support Bentley Motors
was removed.
As we know, by now, the Wall Street crash was affecting
the luxury car market in the UK and Barnato faced having
to continue to keep the company afloat with money from
his own pocket.
Rolls Royce Ltd
Royce was suffering from bad health and was leading
his design team from offices in Sussex and the South
of France, alternating between the two.
Bentley Motors was a thorn in Royce's side. We have
all read in the Review reports by RR personell in which
grudging praise is given to the 6½ litre although
also commenting on the rough edges of the car. Of course
RR designs had a much longer gestation period than the
Bentley products because RR had a much more stable economic
base, whereas the economic climate at Bentley Motors
dictated a minimum of time to produce new models, which
would account for this discrepancy. Bentley cars benefitted
from the racing successes which gave the cars that certain
cachet that the RR products could never have.
Royce kept a close eye on developments at Bentley Motors
and when the opportunity came along to shut down the
company he took it. Royce never had any intention to
continue the manufacture of Bentley cars, all he wanted
in his final years was to eradicate the Bentley threat.
However, as we will see, things didn't go exactly as
he planned.
The Pawns
WO
WO was undoubtedly a pawn in this game. His life and
livelihood had been Bentley Motors, and to avoid the
company going under in 1926, he and his fellow shareholders
had to accept a deal dictated by Barnato, which devalued
their shares from one pound to one shilling. Which in
WO's case wiped out his capital although he was still
receiving a good salary from the company.
Barnato very astutely made it a condition that WO sign
a service contract which tied him to the company. The
importance of this will become apparent later.
WO says that he and Barnato were friends, perhaps Barnato
was friendly enough to WO's face, but in reality although
keeping WO on as chief engineer, because of the conflict
of policy between WO and the board, Barnato would consider
him unfit to be managing director and replace him.
WO didn't have much going for him after the Barnato
takeover, basically he became an employee of Bentley
motors. His share capital was not sufficient for any
control of the company, his position as managing director
was just as a figurehead. The public perception of WO
was that he was a rich and successful man, after all
he lived in a posh house (rented) and drove around in
the latest Bentley (belonging to the company) and of
course he was the managing director of a famous company
(in continual financial trouble).
Because of his pathological shyness he was not a social
animal and I can't imagine him doing the Charleston
at the Cafe De Paris. He was vulnerable to the attentions
of women who made the going and became married to a
society lady who loved the round of coctail parties.
WO was not the kind of man to make small talk at parties,
he was, I think a workaholic and spent too many hours
at work. The marriage was an unfortunate mistake and
ended in a messy divorce after the company went to RR.
In 1929 WO was suffering the chagrin of a doomed marraige,
the board would not listen to him about the future of
the company, his friend and chief designer Burgess was
terminally ill. The company was in dire straights.
The picture I'm trying to paint here is that WO was
a man in crisis, no longer in control of his destiny,
he was being forced to do things by the board which
he considered to be wrong and he just refused to carry
out the instructions of the board when asked to design
the pushrod OHV for the 4 litre engine. Barnato would
have seen WO as a problem, it's doubtful that they were
real friends.
In a way Barnato did WO a favour by letting the firm
go under as WO writes in his autobiographies that he
spent some happy times working for RR testing the Derby
Bentley prototypes often abroad with his new wife Margaret.
Ricardo
Ricardo lived not far from Royce, whilst I
don't think that they were actually close friends, they
enjoyed family picnics together and sailed together
on Ricardo's yacht the Pearl.
Ricardo depended on Royce for work for his consultancy
so was vulnerable to pressure from Royce to reveal details
of the work he was carrying out for Bentley Motors.
Recently I discovered the following letter written by
Ricardo to Elliott one of Royce's senior engineers based
at Royce's sattelite office near Chichester. The original
is not good enough to copy but here is a verbatim transcript.</s> | 12,584 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
From Prince George we head north
again on the Hart Highway (Highway 97) through
the Pine Pass to Chetwynd.</s> | 12,585 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
The last day of motoring was stressful
as the car overheated due to a loose ground wire —
battery not charging and a broken wire on the fan switch
— no electrical fan. So the morning tea break at
a private residence turned into a physical challenge.
35 degrees and laying for 1/2 hour under the dashboard
on back with the feet up in the air and over the seats.
The service crew guided me through all the checks and
fixes. At the following petrol stops it was Roger's
turn for a work out. As the car would not start due
to low battery the car had to be pushed three times
with the help of locals as the car was too heavy for
one person.</s> | 12,586 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
A Feb 19, 2010
update on CPedia.com said, "The case opens next
week and we predict Stanley will become the most famous
man in the history of Bentley since Woolf Barnato."</s> | 12,587 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
There were now two cars disputing the
same identity, and one — the special — sporting
a highly non-Bentley chassis number! Enter Houlding,
magnifying glass to the fore. He admits the case had
him baffled. "There was no doubt the special had
been built on a genuine short chassis as there was no
trace of 'cut and shut'. However, I could not find a
correct number anywhere on it." In this instance
a screwdriver would have served better than the lens.
A deck board above the front chassis crossmember was
eventually lifted and there, at last, was numerical
proof positive. From there on it was comparatively easy
to match original registrations to chassis.</s> | 12,588 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
In 1989 Mr. Thompson sold MR3390 through Stanley Mann.
The registration mark assigned to the car upon re-entry
into the UK was DS8226 and is with the car today.
The car was purchased by an American, Mr. Charles Mallory
of Connecticut, USA who imported the car into America.
The car was driven sparingly while in his ownership.
As a small footnote, MR3390 in the ownership of Mr.
Mallory, was one of the first cars this writer inspected
when I commenced my search for a vintage Bentley in
1990-1991. MR3390 was effectively the car as it appears
today when I saw it then, save for a different paint
scheme.
Mr. Mallory ultimately sold MR3390 to Dr. Lynn Boynton,
an avid vintage car enthusiast and driver, resident
in Wisconsin and Florida, USA. Lynn drove the car very
little. He is really a Silver Ghost man and is a past
chairman of the Silver Ghost Association.
Dr. Boynton, with kind assistance from Tim Houlding,
located and purchased the original Thrupp & Maberly
wings from John Thompson with the intention of having
them reunited with the original bodywork. One rear wing
still retains the South African national identity mark.</s> | 12,589 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Twenty-three Bentley cars, including
one of New Zealand's oldest, have rolled into Blenheim
as part of a five week nationwide tour.
The New Zealand Bentley Tour 2010 started on January
20 in Christchurch and finishes on March 6 in Auckland.
Mike and Marianne Knowles' 1924, 3-litre short-chassis,
red-label, speed-model Bentley is one of only two New
Zealand-owned Bentleys taking part in the five-week
jaunt around the country.
There are also 21 Bentleys and four Lagondas from England
taking part in the tour. Mr Knowles, who has owned his
classic car for 37 years, said it was one of the oldest
in New Zealand.
"The only thing that's not original is the driver
and the passenger," he said.
The relic of the motoring industry was first owned by
Forrest Lycett, who went on to become a famous Bentley
racing driver.
In the 1950s, Mr Lycett set a record on the Jabbeke
Straight in Belgium where he drove an 8-litre Bentley
over 241 kilometres an hour.
Mr Knowles' vehicle is not quite as quick, but it still
has plenty of power under the hood. "It's a man's
car, it goes like s...," he said.
The car comfortably handles speeds of up to 110kmh,
but despite his urges, he has never pushed its limits
because he is wary of blowing up the engine.
Mrs Knowles said that throughout the trip a number of
people had approached them with "lovely stories"
about old cars and had thanked them for maintaining
a piece of history.
The country's quiet open roads were the main talking
point for the tour's British members.
Peter Brennan, from Cambridge, England, who was returning
for his third visit to New Zealand with his 1930 Le
Mans Bentley, joked that he might never return home.
"It's superb ... there's a lot of countries where
you can't do this because of heavy traffic."
Event organiser Frank Renwick, of Christchurch, said
it was the fifth time the tour had taken place since
1999.
Blenheim residents could expect to see some of the cars
"putting" around town until tomorrow when
the tour embarked on its North Island leg.</s> | 12,590 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Other awards presented at the concours
include the Pol Roger Award for The Most Elegant Gentleman
or Lady Driver, given to Fred & Donna Anne Kriz;
the Lockton Private Clients Award for The Most Historically
Significant Car, given to Jonathan Turner’s 1925
Bentley 3 litre Team Car; the William & Son Award
for The Most Elegant British Car, given to Dr. Terry
Bramall CBE’s 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Vanden
Plas Torpedo Grande Luxe; the RM Auctions Award, given
to Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Lee’s 1937 Horch 853
Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet; the Royal Automobile
Club Spirit of Motoring Award, given to Evert Louwman;
and the Autoglym Biggest Shine Award, given to James
Patterson’s 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Voll & Ruhrbeck
Roadster.</s> | 12,591 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
This tour is very well organized. We
are followed by a luggage van with a flat bed trailer
which has a "Smart car" on it. If one brakes
down, the day trip can be completed in the Smart car
while the "patient" is transported on the
flat bed. Most every night there is a program, yesterday
BBQ and line dancing, tonight Italian buffet and a film
from the Paris-to-Beijing Rally. The tour book gives
distances in miles and kilometers and things to see
on the way come with pictures! The room accommodations
have been perfect. So far we always have two queen size
beds — well separated — we wonder what we
will get further North.</s> | 12,592 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Early 2009: This year Roger
and I are touring Canada & Alaska in the vintage
Bentley. The month of June has been selected because
it is after the snow-melt and before the black flies
start biting! There are 34 Bentleys and one Aston Martin
participating and we plan to cover some 6000 miles/9000
km in 25 days, with rest/washing days planned, we will
cover between 100 and 400 miles/600 km per day. The
temperatures will vary between 40-95 degrees Fahrenheit/6-30
centigrade, requiring heavy jackets and shorts. We were
advised to pack an extensive first aid kit including
tweezers to remove ticks as we will travel through wild
country. We will be busy packing/unpacking, de-layering
clothes, taking pictures of bears, enjoying spectacular
scenery, maintaining the car, socializing and having
fun. As we get further north we will be able to change
tyres in daylight at midnight. (After
the South African tyre troubles we are equipped with
new heavy duty tubes and Blockley tyres but are prepared
to help others!)</s> | 12,593 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
I have come to the conclusion that
these submissions rely upon extracts of a letter taken
out of context and which contain material inaccuracies.
The letter as a whole relates to the history of the
one and only car from 1929 up until he sold it in 1936.
He makes it clear that it was his decision to rebuild
the same car. He did not let it go into limbo, nor did
it cease to exist. More importantly, he regards the
car which raced in the British Empire Trophy Race at
Easter 1932 as the same car that had won all the previous
races back to the 1929 win. It also refers to the fact
that it was racing with its old chassis and the 6+ litre
engine in both 1929 and 1930 Le Mans races.</s> | 12,594 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
This year the race took on an entirely
fresh character. So far Bentleys have had it all their
own way for a number of years. The result was that few
foreign makes could be persuaded to race against them,
and a sort of inferiority complex germinated in the
minds of the French, although the race was held in their
country. "Why enter," they would ask, "when
Bentleys are sure to win? They are unbeatable on the
Sarthe circuit!" Continued...</s> | 12,595 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
James Medcalf - Dec
28, 2013
Dear Robert, These pictures show early 3
lt Oil Filter which I modified some 30 years
ago. You have to turn the filter 180 degrees
in order to get the oil from pump to the
outside of the filter element.</s> | 12,596 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Mr Fenn, therefore,
has and demonstrated an expert and possibly unrivalled
knowledge of the history of Bentley vintage cars
and of how they have been raced, looked after and
described by the BDC and as to how they have been
repaired, maintained, rebuilt and reconstructed
over time.</s> | 12,597 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Mr Mann and
SMRL's case. Mr Mann, supported by
Mr Fenn's evidence about the BDC's system of classifying
vintage Bentleys, insisted that a "Speed Six" Bentley
means, and means nothing more than, that the car
in question incorporates into its chassis that part
of the chassis containing the original number that
had been fixed into or onto that part of a Speed
Six chassis that had left the Cricklewood works
in 1929 or 1930.</s> | 12,598 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
From a motoring perspective we had
the left magneto only firing on one or two cylinders
(both mags have been fully reconditioned for the trip),
the cause of the problem was probably excessive moisture
after the rains and poor contacts between the rotor
and the six contact points, our service crew spent a
couple of hours on it and we have full power again for
our drive to Port Elizabeth.</s> | 12,599 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
"The particular Bentley which crashed
to ruin on September 24 was the famous Old Number
One which won the 500 miles race in 1929. Owned
by Woolf Barnato who has since given up motor racing,
it was fitted with an entirely new engine for this
year's race. The old veteran was resuscitated once
too often."</s> | 12,600 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
But I'm getting ahead of the story.
Supercharging the uncompetitive 4-litre four-cylinder
racing car was not W. O. Bentley's idea. Decades later,
he wrote, "To supercharge a Bentley engine was
to pervert its design and corrupt its performance."
W. O. believed in displacement, but team driver Sir
Henry "Tim" Birkin convinced his teammate,
Woolf Barnato — an independently wealthy man who rescued
the company from bankruptcy and became chairman in 1926
— to support supercharging. W. O. had nothing to say
about it, other than to refuse permission to modify
his engines internally. The Roots-type supercharger,
driven directly from the crankshaft, was mounted conspicuously
in front of the radiator, between the car's front wheels.
Birkin's wealthy patron and admirer, the Honorable Dorothy
Paget, funded the workshop north of London where the
competition cars were prepared. Meanwhile, W. O. brought
out the Bentley Speed Six, which won the 1930 Le Mans
race even as the blindingly fast (yet horribly unreliable)
Blower set a lap record but failed to finish. Coincidentally,
Barnato was on the winning team driving the Six, his
third win in the three Le Mans drives of his career,
making him the only winner of the twenty-four-hour race
with a perfect record.
The Blower never did win Le Mans or any other significant
race, although Birkin took it to 137.96 mph at Brooklands
in 1932, a record that stood for three years.
Meanwhile, Noble the elder emigrated to the United States
during World War II and became the driver and personal
assistant of cosmetics queen Elizabeth Arden for twenty-five
years, until her death in 1966. He then performed the
same role for two decades for Bill Paley, the notorious
founder and longtime chairman of CBS. "It was fun
for Bob and me, as his sons," Roger told me at
the bottom of the hill, the rumbling of old racing motors
all around us. "He raced this car extensively in
the '50s, '60s, and '70s, mostly at Bridgehampton. He
actually won Bridgehampton in 1960 against Alfred Momo
and Briggs Cunningham. My misspent youth was spent handing
my dad wrenches. I'm a little emotional about driving
it now. It's a connection to him. We've both gone over
a hundred miles an hour in this one with Dad."
"He scared the living daylights out of me,"
added Bob, this from a guy who flew helicopters for
Air America out of Laos during the Vietnam War. Roger
then gave me a ride up the hill that I will remember
for a long time. Actually, he scared the living daylights
out of me.
At the end of this perfect Pennsylvania day, Roger washed
his chariot and parked it among the hothouse flowers
— exquisite Delahayes, majestic sixteen-cylinder Cadillacs,
Cords, DuPonts, Packards, and Bugattis — parked fetchingly
on the lawn of the Hotel Hershey for Sunday's automotive
garden party. It was shining like the precious family
jewel it is.</s> | 12,601 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
A smile spread
across Bill Hardy's face as he talked about buying one
of the most coveted of all vintage cars. The year was
1943. There was a wartime ban on non-essential private
motoring in Britain, so the supercharged Bentley had
been languishing in an orchard. It had been listed at
£1720 - an enormous price for a car - when new
in 1930. Mr Hardy bought it for £140.
Bentleys built before Rolls-Royce acquired the company
in 1931 epitomise the Bulldog Drummond school of British
engineering. They attracted Ettore Bugatti's famous
remark, "The world's fastest trucks," and
won the prestigious Le Mans 24-hour race in 1924,1927,1928,
1929 and 1930.
The prospect of getting behind the wheel of Mr. Hardy's
car kept me awake at night. The mind's eye sees these
barrel-chested heavyweights cruising along the almost
deserted roads of pre-war England, crewed by characters
straight from PG Wodehouse. It pictures them being raced
by such swashbuckling 'Bentley Boys' as Woolf 'Babe'
Barnato, the diamond millionaire, and fearless Sir Henry
Birkin, whose friends and fans called him Tim.
But cars have changed almost beyond recognition since
the 'blower' was regarded with the awe now reserved
for the likes of the Jaguar XJ220 and McLaren Fl. I
was concerned about factors that a modern motorist takes
for granted, notably brakes and gears. I recalled what
a friend with a sense of humour said about his vintage
Bentley, "Three things happen when you push the
brake pedal. First, the nose weaves from left to right
a few times. Second, you smell a faint whiff of brake
lining. Third, you may detect a slight reduction
in speed."
Getting behind the wheel was an achievement in itself,
because there is nothing so wimpish as a driver's door.
You either slide in the passenger's side, or risk a
technique similar to that adopted when mounting a horse.
Points are lost for getting the gear lever up your trouser
leg. We're talking about the right leg, because the
lever is on the 'wrong' side of the cockpit.
The wheel looks big enough to have come from a Great
Western Railway steam locomotive, and the leverage it
provides is welcome when almost two tons is moving at
very low speeds. Getting a vintage Bentley in and out
of tight parking slots is a practical lesson in the
upper torso's musculature. Enough dials and switches
to delight Heath Robinson are scattered across the dashboard,
but there is no sign of an ignition key. Sparking life
into the four-cylinder, 4.4-litre engine depends on
flicking two magneto switches, retarding the ignition
and adjusting the mixture control before pressing the
starter button. An exhaust pipe big enough to be mistaken
for part of the Channel Tunnel plays basso profundo
music.
The blower Bentley's image conceals the fact that Walter
Owen Bentley opposed the idea of increasing power by
supercharging the engine that produced 130bhp when tuned
for Le Mans. Tim Birkin's enthusiasm for such a major
modification was endorsed by Woolf Barnato, who was
Bentley Motors' chairman as well as one of the team's
star drivers. The huge Amherst Villiers supercharger
boosted power to 175bhp at 3500rpm.
Birkin's car failed to go the distance at Le Mans in
1930, but hoisted the lap record to 89.69mph during
a Boy's Own Paper duel with Rudolf Caracciola's
supercharged Mercedes. Birkin later lapped Brooklands
at 137.96mph in a single-seater blower that is still
raced.
The swashbuckling baronet's team accounted for five
of the cars. Fifty were bought by wealthy enthusiasts.
Brave men have wept and contemplated suicide while failing
to master a vintage Bentley's gearbox. Getting it right
involves the almost forgotten art of double de-clutching.
Slot the lever into first, engage the clutch - no problem
- and the Bentley moves off like any other car. The
view down the long, louvred, leather-strapped bonnet
is inspirational, even at a walking pace, but it is
important to remember that the accelerator is where
you expect the brake to be. Another prayer wings its
way to heaven as I floor the clutch, move the gear lever
into neutral, release the clutch, then floor it again
and ease into second. Miracle of miracles! I can hear
Birkin applauding in Valhalla.
Confidence grew as the Bentley accelerated and the steering
lightened. Second to third? Perfect! But my attempt
to change from third to top produced noises like the
Anvil Chorus, leaving me with what the cognoscenti
call a box full of neutrals. All you can do, apart from
swear and apologise, is stop the car and start all over
again.
But I was soon confident enough to hum Land Of Hope
And Glory and The British Grenadiers as the Bentley
thundered along roads so quiet we could have been time-warped
back to 1930. The difference between vintage and modern
brakes had to be taken into account, of course, and
there is no way that a 64-year-old veteran's handling
or ride will match up to what is taken for granted in
even a run-of-the-mill 1994 runabout. To expect that
is to label yourself a fool.
Modern cars insulate you from the outside world, but
a vintage Bentley feels and sounds and even smells fast
with its bellowing engine, howling gears and hot oil.
And it can keep pace with today's traffic. The supercharger
provides strong mid-range acceleration and The Autocar
reported a top speed of 97.82mph when its issue of September
19th 1930 featured a report subtitled 'The Appeal of
Immense Power, Linked with Great Docility'. The test
car, GH 6951, was destined to be bought by Bill Hardy.
The vintage Bentley's peerless character is complemented
by a tremendous appetite for hard work. I know an owner
who took his blower to America for an 8000-mile tour
that included races on both sides of the continent.
Above all, these magnificent old motors are tangible
and indomitable links with the days when Britannia ruled
the waves and waived the rules.
Sotheby's sold Bill Hardy's beloved behemoth for £386,500
a few weeks after I drove it. That works out at about
£2 profit per mile covered since 1943. But the
fun factor is impossible to quantify. And fun is what
these cars are all about.</s> | 12,602 |
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UPDATE:
March 7, 2012
The case was originally heard by a High
Court Judge who had ruled against Stanley
Mann in 2010. The case was then taken to
the Court of Appeal, and in a landmark ruling
of nearly 200 pages, the Judgment was overturned,
vindicating Stanley Mann of wrong-doing.
Please watch this space for the "Brewer
v Mann Court of Appeal 2012 Judgment"
document that will be presented here soon.
Editor — VintageBentleys.org, March
9, 2012</s> | 12,603 |
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Over the next four
years, Mr Mann restored the chassis using the expert
restoration services of Mr Julian Ghosh who was
based in Sutton Coalfield and to whom he paid �1,900.
The invoice, which dates from 1978, stated that
that payment was for "repair work on Bentley Speed
Six chassis SB2770 so as to be suitable for vintage
racing". Mr Mann provided the car with a proper
modern hydraulic braking system, an understandable
use of post-vintage parts given that he was to race
the car. He remade a radiator, that he must have
acquired from elsewhere, to the slightly lower line
of the Le Mans Style body and he also claimed to
have acquired a Bentley type C gear box and then
restored it. Mr Fenn's evidence was that all Speed
Sixes had a type C gear box so he and Mr Mann assumed
that that is the type of gear box that is in the
car. However, this was not verified. Mr. Sibson
was unable to satisfy himself that the gear box
was a type C rather than a type D because of the
lack of appropriate authenticating documentary records
and his not being permitted to take the gear box
apart to inspect it in detail.</s> | 12,604 |
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A further reason
why Mr Mann is personally liable to Mrs Brewer is
that SMRL did not buy the car from Mr James until
after SMRL had sold it to Fortis and, until that
sale, the car was in Mr Mann's possession since
it had been bailed to him and not to SMRL. Mr James
had contracted with Mr Mann personally to procure
a sub-sale of the car and in those circumstances
any warranty that Mr Mann gave Mrs Brewer had been
given by him to a prospective buyer of the car at
a time when it was in his possession and he was
personally seeking to arrange for its sub-sale.
For this additional reason, Mr Mann must have given
Mrs Brewer the warranty in his personal capacity.</s> | 12,605 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Mrs Brewer is entitled
to repayment by Fortis of all hire payments that
she has previously paid since she was entitled to
rescind the contract and such payments are recoverable
as reliance damages in accordance with the principle
identified in Yeoman Credit Ltd [18].
(4) Credit for use of the car during the period
of hire</s> | 12,606 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Read Alan Smith's blog
dedicated to the vintage Bentley.
Click
here for Alan Smith's Vintage Bentley
Spares.</s> | 12,607 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Even so, by 12th October 1929 it was
ready for the 500 miles race at Brooklands. A new 600
cylinder pattern differential and spicer shaft had been
fitted. The car was rebodied -- the four seater Van
de Plas was removed and replaced by a two seater form
with fintail or fishtail, new petrol tank and a fly-off
handbrake had been fitted direct to a compensator. The
gear lever was cranked outside the body with no reverse
catch. The car in this form took second place.</s> | 12,608 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
It is some considerable time since
a vintage Bentley came into this series. The example
now selected is thoroughly "special" and a
decidedly live specimen. At all events it was live to
good effect during last year's sprint events, in the
hands of its builder and owner, Maurice Brierley, of
Speldhurst, Kent. With a cut-down 3-litre chassis and
a 4 1/2-litre engine a decidedly potent piece of machinery
has been evolved and the car handles very well indeed...
Continued...</s> | 12,609 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Bentleys are a unique breed among classic
automobiles, because you're just as, if not more, likely
to see an 85-year-old Bentley being driven hard on a
tour or raced on a track as you are to see one on a
manicured concours lawn. And Bentley owners love to
learn about their cars' individual histories and to
share information with one another. There are Bentley
clubs around the world that celebrate the cars, draw
together owners and are storehouses for information,
but the acknowledged online home of that enthusiasm
is VintageBentleys. org. Continued...</s> | 12,610 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
(3) The car and its history</s> | 12,611 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Before considering
these claims, it is first necessary to consider
again the basis of Mrs Brewer's claim against each
defendant against which these claims are sought
to be off-set. Her claims are for damages for breach
of warranty in circumstances in which she was entitled
to rescind the two contracts and to reject the car.
There is no basis for setting up a restitutionary
claim for compensation for her use and enjoyment
of the car as an off-set to her claims for damages.</s> | 12,612 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Dispute �
summary. It follows that the dispute
is, in essence, three-fold:
(1) How did Mr Mann describe the car's engine to
Mrs Brewer, was that description accurate, did it
have contractual effect and did Mrs Brewer rely
on it in a way that induced the three contracts
giving rise to the sale of the car?
(2) Should the car have been described as a "1930
Speed Six Bentley Car"?
(3) What damages can Mrs Brewer recover for any
proved breach of warranty or contract?</s> | 12,613 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Sixteen valves, overhead camshaft and
dual ignition. Sound like the latest hi-tech engine
from BMW or Honda? Well you're wrong. These characteristics
describe the three-litre four-cylinder used in W.O.
Bentley's first production car the 1920s — the
legendary 3-Litre… Continued...</s> | 12,614 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
The nose surges forward in any gear and the big monobloc
engine gains revs quite quickly and will rev as high
as 3,500rpm. Even pressing on, however, you don’t
need to take the dancing counter beyond 3,000rpm; the
best work is done just below that, where the gears also
seem happier to match speeds.
We got about 10.7mpg driving the wheels off – it
doesn’t seem to burn fuel like a modern car, more
devours it. While the engine is smoke-free, the Bentley
leaves a trail of hydrocarbons and fried petrol in its
wake.
As well as the gearbox, the steering dominates the experience.
At rest, it’s so unbelievably heavy you shuffle
it like a learner driver and manoeuvring is tough, especially
with a 49ft turning circle.
On the move it lightens and is surprisingly accurate.
It still tests the shoulders of a Bentley Boy or Girl
and you have to be quick and accurate turning in before
the suspension loads build and the chassis twists. After
that you can only tug more lock on, which lifts you
completely out of the seat like a parson sitting on
a drawing pin.
The ride is pretty good and sleeping policemen can be
taken at high speeds, but when you’re really on
it, the beam axles start to work against each other
making it feel quite fidgety. Understeer predominates,
of course, but if the road is slippery, as it was on
the way up to San Marino, the rear wheels will slide
wide, which can be fun, but shouldn’t be overexploited
– it’s virtually impossible to gather up a
completely sideways Bentley.</s> | 12,615 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Speed Sixes
sold by description. The purpose
of the statutory requirement that goods sold or
bailed by to a consumer must confirm to their description
is to enable the consumer to know fully and precisely
what is being bought, bailed or hired. A seller
is at risk of selling goods in breach of the implied
term requiring goods to conform to their description
if that description is a general one which embraces
a wide variety of different features not all of
which are always present in goods of that description.
This is because that generic description might reasonably
extend to features that are not present in a particular
item but which are nonetheless features required
by the buyer and which the buyer had reasonably
understood to be present in the goods in question.</s> | 12,616 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
John Duff's 3-litre Bentley, driven
by the owner and by F. C. Clement, won the 24 hours
race for the Rudge-Whitworth Cup, at Le Mans, last Sunday
afternoon. Officially covering 1,290 3/4 miles, this
average equalled 53 3/4 miles an hour. In reality, the
British car went at least one hundred miles further,
but, under the complicated rules, which competitors
and officials alike admitted they could not understand,
Duff got no credit for his last 90 minutes' running,
although during this time he was driving hard under
the impression that he was in danger of losing the race. Continued...</s> | 12,617 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
SMRL's purchase
of the car. It is now known that neither
SMRL nor Mr Mann owned the car on 6 June 2007 when
SMRL sold it to Fortis and Mrs Brewer paid SMRL
the deposit. Mr Mann had agreed to buy the car from
its then owner, a Mr James, for �325,000 in December
2006 on a sale or return basis. The car was still
owned by Mr James when it was seen by Mrs Brewer.
At that time, Mr Mann was in possession of the car
as a bailee since Mr James had left it informally
with him to enable him to sell it. The sale contract
from Mr James was entered into following the sale
of the car to Fortis and was concluded when Mr Mann
forwarded �325,000 and SMRL's purchase invoice to
Mr James on 8 June 2007.</s> | 12,618 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
A further reason
why Mr Mann is personally liable to Mrs Brewer is
that SMRL did not buy the car from Mr James until
after SMRL had sold it to Fortis and, until that
sale, the car was in Mr Mann's possession since
it had been bailed to him and not to SMRL. Mr James
had contracted with Mr Mann personally to procure
a sub-sale of the car and in those circumstances
any warranty that Mr Mann gave Mrs Brewer had been
given by him to a prospective buyer of the car at
a time when it was in his possession and he was
personally seeking to arrange for its sub-sale.
For this additional reason, Mr Mann must have given
Mrs Brewer the warranty in his personal capacity.</s> | 12,619 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
At Prince Rupert we will embark
on a ferry and travel (12-14 hours) through the
Inside Passage of coastal British Columbia to
Port Hardy near the northern tip of Vancouver
Island (This is the cruise ships route).</s> | 12,620 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Head west along Highway 16 to
Prince George, BC.</s> | 12,621 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Bentley Motors Ltd., decided not to
supply front wheel brakes of any kind with their chassis
until they were satisfied that they had produced an
absolutely fool-proof system. Realizing the danger involved
by fitting types of an unperfected character, this concern
has spent a great deal of time and money in producing
a system that is (a) perfectly safe in the hands of
the ordinary driver at the wheel of a fast car; and
(b) long-lived and easy to adjust. Continued...</s> | 12,622 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
We attended Pebble Beach as a guest
of Bentley, and asked the firm's head of interior design,
Robin Page, if the modern cars had any connection to
examples like Chassis
#3. "Definitely" he said. "The knurled
knobs in our current cars, and the way the gauges come
to rest at 1 o'clock, are details taken straight from
the early cars." That, to us, is the proper use
of one's automotive heritage.
The auction of #3 was held for a full house in October
2011, meaning a thousand people in assigned chairs inside
the Gooding tent and others filling the standing room.
It took just a few minutes and began at $500,000, the
few bidders who knew what they were getting took the
hammer price to $875,000, for a total of $962,500 after
the buyer's premium. That was a little less than Gooding's
pre-sale estimate, but still roughly three times the
amount a typical 3-Litre might fetch at auction.
"I believe the buyer got a great deal at the price
realized," said Twigg-Smith, "and although
I am not disappointed, I was certainly hoping for a
higher sales price! I think the fact that this car was
essentially unknown outside of the Bentley circles may
have limited its interest to collectors at this sale.
I would not be surprised to see it sell for substantially
more down the road a few years."</s> | 12,623 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Mike and Marianne Knowles, from Auckland,
along with their 1924 3-litre short-chassis, red-label,
speed-model Bentley are part of the New Zealand Bentley
Tour 2010, which started on January 20 in Christchurch
and finishes on March 6 in Auckland.</s> | 12,624 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Push started the car for the run through
Sussex into Kent. The re installation of the starter
motor was not successful. With all the handling of the
unit it now has a loose connection in the housing. We
pushed on anyway to visit Winston Churchill's home at
Chartwell where we had a picnic lunch on the lawn. Then
drove to Maidstone - our last destination. Sat next
to Jimmy Medcalf for dinner, he did an apprenticeship
including (amongst other things) starter motors and
said it should not pose a big problem. He now owns the
most original Bentley team car from the 1920's. Next
morning we had an appointment with him at 9.30 am. He
immediately saw where the problem was - ripped the unit
apart and soldered the broken connection. It was my
duty to refit the unit onto the chassis, laying on my
back for the third time. One hour later we drove off
to Dover, under our own steam, to visit the white cliffs
of Dover and the Castle where one could easily see the
European continent.
The next morning, our last day with the group, we went
to see a BDC members automobile, clock and vintage musical
box collection, going down memory lane listening to
old songs. Drove back to our hotel and put on our tuxedos
for the final dinner at Leeds castle. The castle dates
back to 1119, although a manor house has stood on the
same site from the 9th century (at that time home of
the Saxon royal family). It is set on 2 islands on the
river Len and absolutely spectacular. Surrounded by
water in a beautiful setting and perfect weather we
sipped champagne and listened to a jazz band conducted
by a nephew of Glenn Miller. As it was 4th of July the
band dressed up in American uniforms. The final dinner
with lamb chops, speeches and gifts recognizing the
tour organizers wrapped up a very successful and enriching
tour.
Next morning it was time to say good bye. Roger took
off for Switzerland and I drove the car back to Bedford
for a complete service and storage.
This was a very well organized tour allowing us to meet
lots of new BDC members and seeing the best of Britain.
Cheerio and Happy Motoring!</s> | 12,625 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Since being on the Green we have undertaken
so many jobs that I really can't remember them all,
but we have worked for customers all over the world.
Quite a number in America and we have not only completed
Bentleys, but all other types of cars. I remember buying
hundreds of lizard skins to make all the leatherwork
and trimwork in lizard on two Mercedes for a collector
in New York. They looked beautiful when finished and
were as the original specifications for we had found
lizardskin underneath the old seatcovers then we removed
them. We follow up connections in the United States
and make many visits to see customers who are now our
friends and we thoroughly enjoy ourselves when we come
over. I give advise and encouragement to so many people
that we are always either writing or telephoning and
keeping very much in touch.
We have completed in the last several years the bodywork Dick Burdick's 3 Litre from the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History, have recently built a body and restored the chassis for Matthew Sysak of Pennsylvania and the body work on Robert and Bea McLellan's 3-litre.
Bits & Pieces
One of the main items that we supply for vintage cars
is the windscreen. We have a department that makes everything
in brass. We have the various windscreen stanchions
and cut the teeth for the tooth joints and the pulls
for the quick release. We make them so that they fold
down, fold up, some have two openings screens and singles.
We make them with aero-screens and wind deflectors.
We also make the extra screens for the rear. Patterns
are sent and we work out pretty well the shape that
is required and I must say that we are very pleased
that we have very few to alter. We have good reports
and, when I go to various shows, I see our screens looking
very pristine.</s> | 12,626 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Mrs Brewer claims
damages arising from the breach of Mr Mann's contractual
warranty from both Mr Mann and from SMRL and, in
the case of SMRL, she also claims in the alternative
damages for breach of the implied term that the
car should conform to its description. Each of these
claims is for the recovery of her lost deposit,
for the instalments already paid and for an indemnity
against any outstanding liability that she might
have to Fortis. These losses are ones that flow
naturally from the breach of both the warranty and
the implied condition and are clearly foreseeable.
They therefore all fall and within the first limb
of the recoverability rules provided for by Hadley
v Baxendale [14]. Mrs Brewer may claim these damages
since they represent her direct loss flowing naturally
from the breach of both the warranty and the implied
condition of her sale contract with SMRL. This loss
is one that arises directly from her having entered
into the hire purchase agreement and the contract
of sale with SMRL since, but for the breach, she
would not have entered into either contract and
would not have expended anything on the car.</s> | 12,627 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
~~</s> | 12,628 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
"It was after this race (the 1930
Le Mans) that I retired from race driving. I had
the car de-tuned and used it on the road as a sports
tourer including taking it down to the South of
France in the late summer of 1930. In 1931 at the
request of Jack Dunfee, I again had No.4 put into
racing trim with its single seater body from the
500 miles race of that year... The car's final appearance
was in the British Empire Trophy Race at Easter
1932, when it was deprived of third place by being
given the chequered flag a lap too early. After
this it was found that dear old No.4' had cracked
her chassis frame and I decided to rebuild the car
with a drop frame chassis similar to the 8 litre
for the 500 miles race. When the car was completed
it was found that the extra weight of the new chassis
reduced its performance, so an 8 litre engine was
put in instead...It was in this race ....Clive was
killed. I rebuilt the car for the road, put a coupe
body on it.....the original radiator with its inscriptions
I still have somewhere. This radiator was badly
damaged when the car went over the top in the...1932
race and a new 8 litre type was fitted when the
car was adapted for the road; in fact one might
really say that the inscribed radiator is all that
remains of Old Number One." (? four)</s> | 12,629 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Summary</s> | 12,630 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
I have had to consider that matter
with great care. Mr. Slowe, if I may say so , dealt
with the matter very delicately but tellingly in cross-examination,
but at the end of the day I accept Mr. Hassan's explanation.
He was merely talking into a tape recorder for the purpose
of a book which was being produced or "ghosted". From
this I infer that the matters were perhaps ghosted or
he was assisted in writing those matters. Even those
passages which suggest that must be read alongside the
evidence which he gave.</s> | 12,631 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
All cars that started
life as a Speed Six car are unique and are approximately
eighty years old. Each surviving Speed Six has changed
significantly over the years, some beyond recognition,
from the car that left the Cricklewood works on
first delivery. The Speed Six characteristics or
qualities that any one potential buyer or Speed
Six enthusiast are looking for in any one of these
unique cars include some of the following intangible
features of the car: its performance during its
active racing lifetime; its being the product of
the design, engineering and mechanical skills of
W.O. and his unique team of assistants in the vital
production years between 1929 and 1930; its having
been produced in the Cricklewood workshop; its current
performing capability; its present standard of upkeep
and appearance; its current value as an historic
and unique vintage car and its future potential
for keeping or increasing its current value as a
collector's item in a changing and unpredictable
market.</s> | 12,632 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
The dashboard is splattered with Jaeger and Smiths
instruments including a chronometric revcounter that
scurries up and down the scale like a frightened bird.
Starting involves groping under the dashboard for the
electrical master switch, pulling on a Bakelite fuel
switch, tugging on the brass magneto switches and the
ignition quadrant, then thumbing the big black starter.
At idle, the engine sounds like chestnuts popping in
the oven.
Bentley D-type gearboxes are not for the fainthearted
and even experts rasp cogs – there’s a small
time window to double declutch up or down. I never got
from second to third completely, but experience breeds
confidence and the clutch is light and positive.
Strangely, you don’t hear the supercharger from
the driver’s seat, but the exhaust note more than
compensates. The big four-pot blows a raspberry so rude
it could come from a strip-club band. Where the Speed
Six is refined power, the Blower is a brash hot rod.
At speed on one section we reached an indicated 85mph.
The noise was simply shattering, spalling off the Armco,
a bellicose blast across 83 years as redolent as Elgar’s
Nimrod. With about 175bhp (the race cars had bigger
SU carburettors and produced up to 240bhp) performance
is brisk, but must have been unbelievable in 1930.</s> | 12,633 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Another great day of motoring and for a change all
in the dry!! We were on the road for 11 hours. Drove
into the historic old town of Telluride with another
Bentley and took some pictures, then proceeded to Ridgeway
for coffee at the True Grit Cafe ...the John Wayne movie
was filmed here. All the towns folk were out and about
and we entertained the people who were admiring the
cars. We then proceeded to Cerro Summit between Montrose
and Gunnison, only to get held up for 30min due to road
construction. The subsequent run to Lake City, in the
heart of the San Juan mountains, was wonderful motoring
along the Gunnison river with the aspen trees starting
to change color a little bit. Lunch in Lake City on
the lawn was great with hundreds of people coming out.
We only left at 3pm and enjoyed an extra coffee, cookie
and cigar. Derek drove back to Gunnison, always followed
by a trooper, but he got very good feedback as he only
touched the yellow line a couple times, not too bad
for guiding a heavy vehicle thru 100 tight bends.
Arrived in Crested Butte around 5pm with the sun behind
us, spectacular scenery. The remaining four Bentleys
are running well, some points needed adjustment and
we have a small oil leak between the engine and the
dynamo which is in the front of the car - this can be
fixed later. Our other mishap was my blown away cap,
the troopers tried to recover it but the Grand Gazette
which we get every morning reported that it looked like
a run over beaver and it was not worth recovering.</s> | 12,634 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
The generic description
of the car as a 'Speed Six car' was sufficient to
describe either type of car. Thus, given the buyer's
wishes that had been communicated to the seller,
the contract description that was provided could
only have been complied with if the engine was an
original Speed Six. For the seller to avoid liability,
the description would have had to have referred
expressly to the replacement engine-type actually
in the car and also to have described the physical
changes that had occurred to that engine and its
current performance capabilities by reference to
a defined specification and the tests that had been
carried out to prove those capabilities.</s> | 12,635 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
~~</s> | 12,636 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Repairs cost over two
hours, and while Clement broke the lap record once he
returned to the course, there would be no catching the
leaders. Bentley would have to settle for fourth place.
Shifting the date to June for 1924 delivered better
weather. Bentley won, but then in 1925 fell foul of
a rule change which dictated that all cars had to run
with their soft-tops erected until the first fuel stop,
a minimum of 20 laps. Bentley hadn't calculated the
effect this would have on fuel consumption. The car
photographed here (well, most of it — few cars
of the period are fully original this long after the
fact) stopped at the Pontlieue hairpin, out of fuel.
Bentley went on to dominate the race in the second half
of the decade, breaking the domestic monopoly on the
entry and setting the annual enduro on its way to legendary
status.</s> | 12,637 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
"I shall always remember my first
sight of the 'blower'. I had an ordinary 4½-litre
at the time and had driven up to H. M. Bentley's in
Hanover Street to discuss some modification — and
there in the showroom stood the perfect car, a 4½
with a shining black open four-seater body with screen
folded flat and two aeroscreens in position: I had to
have it and a deal was struck. 'H.M.' had had the engine
stripped and new bearings fitted as well as everything
else possible done and I started off with a virtually
new car and drove it 75,000 miles with only normal decoking
and brake relining having to be done in the course of
them." — Owner of JB 1850 in the 1930s
Continued...</s> | 12,638 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Contractual
Description. The question that arises
is whether there was a contractual description of
the car in each of these contracts. The answer is
as follows.</s> | 12,639 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Mr Sibson acknowledged
that he understood his duties to the court as an
expert witness. He is now aged sixty four and is
qualified to act as an expert in the engineering
of Bentley cars by a five-year Motor Vehicle Technician
apprenticeship, which he started when he was fourteen,
and by over forty years' working experience with
vintage cars. He also acquired in his youth various
relevant City & Guilds qualifications. He was
challenged in cross-examination to the effect that
he lacked sufficient experience or expertise in
vintage Bentleys to be able to give reliable expert
evidence about Speed Six and Standard Bentley 6�-litre
engines and as to his independence and objectivity
given that he frequently worked for the father of
a good friend of Mrs Brewer. That friend, Mr Sholto
Gilbertson, had provided Mrs Brewer with an inspection
and valuation report in his capacity as a Bonham's
vintage car assistant and valuer which was the immediate
forerunner of her initiating these proceedings.
Mr Sibson explained that he had worked for Mr Gilbertson-Hart,
Mr Gilbertson's father who traded in vintage cars,
for about two days a week for over twenty five years
and that his work for Mr Gilbertson-Hart had largely
consisted of inspection report writing and the testing,
maintenance and repair of the engines of his vintage
cars. In the course of this and his other work,
he regularly inspected and worked on vintage Bentleys
including both Speed Six and Standard Bentley engines.</s> | 12,640 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Le Mans this year provided more thrills
than it has ever done in the past. Indeed, I am not
sure that it was not the most exciting race of any kind
to be held for at least five years… The bonnet
was never lifted, throughout the race, on No. 4, the
winning Bentley — a wonderful testimony to the engine's
reliability. Continued...</s> | 12,641 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
On this analysis, and having examined
the car as it exists today after Mr. Hubbard's rebuild
of it, he has come to the conclusion that this car is
a direct descendant of Old Number One Speed 6, the car
that won at Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. The car has been
rebuilt several times to reach its present form but
has a continuous documented history from 1929. He is
surprised why its identity is in question and he fails
to understand how anybody could seriously argue that
this car is not, by its continuous history,</s> | 12,642 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
He goes on: "I've saved this one
twice." From what? "From being turned into
another tourer". This is a tender point in Bentley
circles — the conversion of normally slow saloons
into dramatic tourers, usually with Le Mans accoutrements.
Fingers are often pointed at Stamley, and he has done
his share, though frequently on instruction from owners.
But there are other views: these cars are no longer
for transport. They are preserved only for the pleasure
of driving, and, that HJM lightweight apart, a tourer
will always be a lighter, quicker car. A saloon is dearer
and harder to build; and of course he runs a business.
He makes a point to tell me: "That car there I
can probably sell as it stands for £140,000. But
as a tourer I could get another £100,000 fir it."
It says something for him that he has been known to
sell a saloon with a contract preventing the new owner
from removing the body.</s> | 12,643 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
Moreover, the submission
that Mrs Brewer had lost the right to reject is
irrelevant to her current claim. This is because
she is claiming damages from Fortis and is not claiming
the right to reject the car nor to rescind the agreement.
This is because Fortis retook the car and Mr Mann
and SMRL then agreed with Fortis that SMRL would
repurchase it from Fortis and have now done so.
In consequence, Mrs Brewer is confining her claim
to one for damages for breach of warranty and of
the implied term that the car should conform to
its contractual description. These damages are her
outstanding and unrecovered loss resulting from
the misdescription following the repurchase of the
car by SMRL.</s> | 12,644 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
Just about two years ago I had a motoring
experience, which really merited that oft-misused word
"unforgettable." I joined Forrest Lycett for
a Brooklands test of his 8-litre Bentley, a car known,
I suppose, to every enthusiast who is familiar with
English speed trials and hill-climbs. During the course
of the afternoon, times were recorded which had never
been equalled by any other car which The Motor has road-tested.
Continued...</s> | 12,645 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
It gets worse. Ethanol is a solvent
that can loosen the sludge, varnish and dirt that accumulate
in a fuel tank. That mixture can clog fuel lines and
block carburetor jets.
Blame the Renewable Fuel Standard. This government-mandated
rule requires certain amounts of ethanol and other biofuels
be blended with gasoline and diesel fuel. But when Congress
first passed RFS as part of the Energy Policy Act in
2005, our demand for energy was increasing. Today, it’s
the opposite. Total demand for fuel has decreased thanks
to more-efficient vehicles, more hybrids and increased
environmental awareness. The EPA is set to release the
2015 standard in June. Meanwhile, some legislators are
pushing to reform or eliminate the Renewable Fuel Standard
entirely.</s> | 12,646 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Back into BC and the fur trading and
frontier towns of Fort St John, and Fort Nelson were
reached and then quickly forgotten as we headed ever
further North , in several 300 mile plus driving days.
The nights became days as the daylight hours now stretched
well into the night, and as each hotel was reached,
bed, food and drinks with our fellow Bentley drivers
seemed a blur as we were off again for another 8-9 hours
of driving, next to Whitehorse the first real Gold Rush
town, with a real frontier feel and Paddle Wheelers
on the river to boot.
Things were getting interesting now as this Bentley
adventure unfolded, we were now in the Yukon, a huge
vast mainly unpopulated area of forests, lakes, mountains
and animals bigger than many counties. Its bears, caribu,
moose, goats, deer, wolves and eagles abound and outnumbered
Bentleys and drivers by a big margin. These animals
are not shy either as we encountered black and grizzly
bears on the road and were actually chased down the
road by two wolves who showed no fear of a WO going
at speed, we also carried "Bear Spray" in
case of attack, large cans of capsicum spray, fortunately
not tested at the optimum 15ft from an angry bear!</s> | 12,647 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
JUDGEMENT (As Revised)</s> | 12,648 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Since being on the Green we have undertaken
so many jobs that I really can't remember them all,
but we have worked for customers all over the world.
Quite a number in America and we have not only completed
Bentleys, but all other types of cars. I remember buying
hundreds of lizard skins to make all the leatherwork
and trimwork in lizard on two Mercedes for a collector
in New York. They looked beautiful when finished and
were as the original specifications for we had found
lizardskin underneath the old seatcovers then we removed
them. We follow up connections in the United States
and make many visits to see customers who are now our
friends and we thoroughly enjoy ourselves when we come
over. I give advise and encouragement to so many people
that we are always either writing or telephoning and
keeping very much in touch.
We have completed in the last few years the bodywork
Dick Burdick's 3 Litre from the Central Texas Museum
of Automotive History, have recently built a body and
restored the chassis for Matthew Sysak of Pennsylvania
and the body work on Robert and Sharon McLellan's 3-litre.
One of the main items that we supply for vintage cars
is the windscreen. We have a department that makes everything
in brass. We have the various windscreen stanchions
and cut the teeth for the tooth joints and the pulls
for the quick release. We make them so that they fold
down, fold up, some have two openings screens and singles.
We make them with aero-screens and wind deflectors.
We also make the extra screens for the rear. Patterns
are sent and we work out pretty well the shape that
is required and I must say that we are very pleased
that we have very few to alter. We have good reports
and, when I go to various shows, I see our screens looking
very pristine.</s> | 12,649 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
When Peter Clark said "she's rather
good, as 'Blue Labels' go" and told us what she
has cost him we realised that here was a unique opportunity
to discover just what a sound but not abnormal 3-litre
Bentley can do. Albeit, in matters of layout and equipment,
Peter's car is distinctly individualistic. What she
actually represents is a very late series "Blue
Label" vintage 1928-29 with the original fabric
saloon body replaced by cut-about sports two-seater
carriage work... Continued...</s> | 12,650 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Her recollection of the car has been
rightly described by Mr. Rosen as "vivid". She had recollections
of being driven by her father in the car in the grounds
of Arden Run and how he used to time the car down the
long drive. On the balance of probabilities, this was
after it had ceased to be the property of Bentleys and
had been acquired by Barnato as his personal racing
car. This must have been after the 1930 Le Mans race
and thus she must remember it in its Brooklands form
in 1931 and 1932. However, the fire at Arden Run was
in January 1932 so it is more likely that she remembers
the car in that form at Arden Run in its 1931 form.</s> | 12,651 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Sporting Cars on Road & Track:
The Super-Sports Austin Seven
By 'Open Throttle'
Published in "Motor
Sport", February 1925
When the ordinary model of the Austin Seven made
its appearance in the year 1923, few motorists had the
slightest idea that it was destined to reach the high
position it occupies to-day in the esteem of the sporting
motorist, and the present "Brooklands" Super-Sports
model certainly opens up possibilities for many a keen
owner to whom the ownership of a really fast car had
previously been a cherished ambition.
If the successes of this model have caused astonishment
among racing men in our own country, its remarkable
feats on the Continent have created something in the
nature of complete bewilderment to the followers of
road and track events across the channel, where it has
literally swept the board in competition with ultralight
cars of long-standing reputation.
I had long looked forward to an opportunity of trying
one of the latest models over my own pet testing ground,
to see whether the little Austin, in racing trim, possessed
roadworthy qualities comparable with its track performance,
and the car used for the purpose was taken straight
from the stock of Messrs. George England, Ltd., who
are responsible for the various modifications of this
particular model, the chassis being, of course, supplied
by The Austin Motor Company, Ltd.
Observations as a Passenger.
In accordance with my usual testing practice, I decided
to travel for the first few miles in the passenger's
seat, in order to observe points about the car which
one is liable to overlook when taking the wheel immediately.
The first thing that impressed me was the amount of
room for a passenger of average dimensions, and that
no sensation of being cramped exists. The pneumatic
upholstery is quite delightful and the riding position
gives one the impression of being part of the car, which
is increased by the correct angle of the squab and the
foot-rest, the latter providing a housing for the accumulator.
The first hill was approached by a blind right hand
bend, and though the driver had no previous knowledge
of the somewhat tricky turn, his quick manipulation
of the gear showed that the Austin is certainly very
handy to control. In fact, at this early stage of the
test, it appeared as if there was at least 20 h.p. available
under the bonnet, instead of a modest "Seven."
Part of the course included some long straight stretches,
with a very rough surface, and this provided an excellent
test for the suspension system when travelling at high
speed. On one occasion the rear springs " bottomed
" over a double pot-hole, but as the combined weight
of the passengers amounted to well over 23 stone, this
could not be wondered at. Subsequently I discovered
that the rear shock absorbers were adjusted rather too
tightly, which undoubtedly had some influence on the
suspension generally.
Hedsor Hill is somewhat deceptive as a brake testing
gradient, for the sharp turn half way down necessitates
the sudden application of the brakes, but the car was
kept well in control by the use of the front and rear
wheel brakes alternatively, even when making a very
fast descent. On this particular car, it appeared that
the brakes were a little fierce in action, probably
due to want of a good run in, but otherwise I could
make no adverse comments.
Hill Climbing Tests.
I took over the wheel at Bisham and being well acquainted
with the hard climb through the woods to Winter Hill,
wondered if the Austin would require a spell of bottom
gear. At the foot of this hill I dropped into second
gear and the rev, counter immediately went up to 3,500,
which dropped slightly on rounding the hairpin bend.
At first it seemed as if bottom gear would be needed,
but I had underestimated the Austin acceleration, for
on getting into the straight again, on the next part
of the climb, the revolutions rose to just over 4,000,
thus enabling me to use top gear before the summit was
reached.
The greasy surface at the hairpin bend seemed to present
great opportunities for a first-class skid, but though
I actually tried one, the little car kept to its even
course and refused to oblige even with the slightest
suspicion of tail-wag.
Though the car is not obviously intended for colonial
conditions, I could not resist the temptation of .trying
it at a " stunt " hill in the neighbourhood.
I think this particular hill is very little known at
present. It boasts of a very greasy limestone surface,
crossed by two deep water courses and a maximum gradient
of between i in 3 and I in 4. The severity of the hill
may be judged by the fact of a notice board stating
: "Motor Vehicles Not Allowed Through Here,"
it having been discovered last year when attempting
to find a gradient which an Alvis Sports would not climb.
Perhaps I was guilty of attempting the first part of
the climb at too high a speed, as unfortunately one
of the wheels slipped into a water course, which pulled
the car up with a jerk. As this occurred at the very
steepest part of the climb, it was intended to run down
and try again ; but on making an attempt to get away,
I found to my surprise, that with the aid of the 14.5
to r bottom gear, the car pulled itself out with ease
and finished the climb on top without the least signs
of distress.
Touring Comfort.
On concluding the test for hill climbing, the return
journey was made over good roads, which gave the opportunity
of judging how the car would behave under ordinary fast
touring conditions. At a speed of 5o miles an hour,
it seemed as if one could keep on driving for ever without
fatigue, though naturally one has to become accustomed
to the difference between driving a miniature car and
one of the ordinary dimensions.
Whilst it holds the road admirably, the Austin Sports
is distinctly lively, but gives no suggestion of the
"pea on a drum" effect, of which it is sometimes
unjustly accused.
The engine gets on with its business in a contented
kind of way and the careful selection of gear ratios
never gives rise to an undue screaming, if the gear
change is manipulated properly. The exhaust has a pleasant
note and the careful tuning to which all models of this
type are subjected results in a rhythmical roar, free
of all spluttering or other irregularities at all engine
speeds.
Technical Observation.
At the finish of the test, the Boyce motor-meter, fitted
to the radiator cap, proved that the engine was remarkably
cool, even after the long spells of second speed gear
work in which we indulged. I can truthfully use the
word "indulged," as the second gear is so
delightful,that it was called upon on many occasions
for the purpose of getting up a good speed on the level,
as well as for surmounting steep gradients.
On second gear there is no difficulty in attaining 4,000
revolutions per minute, and at no opening of the throttle
can any trace of a "fiat spot" be detected.
Two Zenith carburettors of the 30 H.K. type are employed,
these being mounted on two induction pipes arranged
between the three exhaust pipes leading to the manifold.
A casual examination of the engine rev* eals very few
departures from the standard lay-out, but consist in
a high compression cylinder head, a high lift camshaft,
and special pistons and timing gear. To permit of the
high engine speeds, light Celerity valves are used in
conjunction with double springs and specially designed
tappets. Particular care has been paid to the lubrication
system, which is effected by forced feed to the big-ends
through the drilled crankshaft.
The gear box is quiet in action and by the use of a
special crown wheel and pinion, in the rear axle, the
following ratios are provided : First speed, 14.5 to
1. Second speed, 8.17 to 1. Top speed, 4.09 to I.
In its general construction and dimensions the chassis
is standard, which is a tribute to the design of the
original Austin Seven, but the body work is of a patent
construction, framed in three ply and white wood, with
aluminium panelling. To aid in securing a perfect streamline
effect, a special undershield is fitted and both front
and rear axle are " faired " in accordance
with racing practice. Normally, the bucket seats are
staggered to the extent of nine inches ; but can, if
so desired, be made to suit the requirements of individual
purchasers.
The equipment includes Hartford shock absorbers, specially
adapted to the springs, C.A.V. electric lighting and
an A.T. revolution counter, calibrated to show miles
per hour on top gear.
A Boyce motor-meter is included as standard and the
spare wheel is carried in a very ingenious manner in
the tail, being readily accessible by the removal of
the streamlined cover which projects a few inches above
the top of the body. Plenty of luggage room is available
behind the seat squabs' and another feature of the body
construction is four sliding panels, giving access to
the brake adjustment and regulators for shock absorbers.
NORTH LONDON M.C.C.
Prof. A. M. Low presided over the fifth annual dinner,
a large party of members and guests were present.
Professor Low spoke of the amenities of club life and
the excellent record of the club in particular. He quoted
as an example the London rally of motorists, held each
Whit Monday, which attracted over 1,200 enthusiasts
to the Alexandra Palace last June.
Mr. Alan W. Day, the hon. secretary, stated that the
1924 season had been spoiled to a great extent by the
continued bad weather, and that several of the more
important events had been cancelled. He dwelt upon the
inadvisability of the formation of numerous local clubs,
a direction in which there has been considerable activity
in the past few months, and pointed out that the best
interests of the sport as a whole were not served by
a multitude of small organisations who could never run
events on a large scale and who rarely survived beyond
their first season. During the past three years no fewer
than eight local clubs have been formed in North and
North West London, seven of which are now defunct.
The various trophies and awards secured during the season
were distributed, and special mention was made of the
handsome Ivison Cup, presented each year by Mr. A. J.
M. Ivison, vice-president, and of the Cuffe Cup, giVen
annually by Mr. G. E. Cuffe, the late trials organiser,
who is now in Assam.
The engine capacity being only 747.5 cubic centimetres,
qualifies the car for all sporting events in the 750
c.c. category, and as each example is sold with a "
Brooklands " certificate of 75 miles per hour,
it may be taken that there is every reason for expectir
g a track speed of at least 80 miles per hour after
the necessary amount of running in.
The price of the machine in racing trim is £265,
and a hood screen and wings can be fitted as extras
if desired, though these take nearly To m.p.h. off the
maximum speed.
The Bentley Range of Models.
As the Bentley Speed Model has achieved a worldwide
reputation, one is rather too ready to think of the
name in connection with sporting machines alone. The
Bentley range of models includes all types, such as
the two-seater, the four-five seater tourer and saloons,
these various models being suitable for motorists other
than the racing and sporting owner.
Bradshaw Engines.
We have received from James Walmsley & Co. (Preston),
Ltd., Frank Street, Preston, an interesting booklet
giving full details of the 350 c.c. overhead-valve Bradshaw
engine. We understand that readers desirous of obtaining
a copy can do so if they apply to Walmsleys, mentioning
The BROOKLANDS GAZETTE, and enclosing stamps for postage.
M.C.C. Souvenir.
The Motor Cycling Club is issuing an artistically designed
Souvenir to past and present members of the Club who
have gained Gold Medals in any LondonEdinburgh Run.
It is 2 in. in diameter, enamelled in two colours, and
costs Io /—, Application for the Souvenir should
be made to the Captain of the Club, Mr. W. H. Wells,
Moss Hall Lodge, North Finchley, N. 12.</s> | 12,652 |
<s>[INST] What details can you share about the following response? [/INST]
I am surprised to learn that supercharged
Bentleys were competing in 1928, but agree with Mr.
Bennett that, generally speaking, large and especially
heavy cars are relatively slow over road circuits. In
this connection the 8-litre Bentley's Shelsley time
of 44.08 secs. may be dismissed as a "potted"
effort on the part of car and driver which could not
be sustained throughout the length of a race… Whether
or not the manufacturers regarded the 8-litre Bentley
as fast a road car as the supercharged 4 1/2-litre is
an inside secret. Personally, in view of its 12-ft.
wheelbase, I would say they did not, but the point is
immaterial, for the 8-litre was not in production at
the time of the events mentioned. Indeed, it did not
make its debut until after Bentleys' officially announced
retirement from racing. (F. Lycett) Continued...</s> | 12,653 |
<s>[INST] What is the main topic of the following response? [/INST]
Within a fortnight it had been modified
and prepared for the Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park.
The back axle internals had been removed; the fishtail
had been refitted to the exhaust; the windscreen removed
and aero-screens fitted direct to the body. In this
form it took second place.</s> | 12,654 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
Conclusions</s> | 12,655 |
<s>[INST] Who are the main participants in the following event? [/INST]
It was produced for my inspection in
Lincoln's Inn. It looked beautiful and the magic and
sheer power of its engine evoked excitement and nostalgic
memories of the past; but looks and sounds are not everything.
The defendants maintain that it is not worth to bear
the name Old Number One.</s> | 12,656 |
<s>[INST] What event is described in the following response? [/INST]
It needed great imagination to see
a finished car in the remains lying on the drive but
Hay was inspired. It would be another four years before
he passed his driving test, so trips in the quest for
spares were by bicycle or train.</s> | 12,657 |
<s>[INST] Can you provide details about the activities mentioned in the response? [/INST]
Conclusion
� sale by description. Thus, the
description for the purposes of the implied term
in all three contracts is to be considered to be
and to mean: "'a 1930 Bentley Speed Six Car' containing
a Speed Six engine". By necessary implication, that
description in the context of these contracts was
also stating that the car's chassis was 'a 1930
Speed Six chassis' and that the car had a continuous
history. I have already found that that phrase had
the same meaning as, or incorporated, the phrase
warranted by Mr Mann, namely that the car's engine
was a "Speed Six engine". There was a breach of
the various implied terms that the car conformed
to this description in that no part of the extended
description was complied with.</s> | 12,658 |
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