Automóviles Bentley (1921-1965): libros - historia y modelos

WO Bentley launched his first model, the 3-litre, in 1921, as a sporting car for the discerning driver, intending that it should provide 80mph performance, with exceptional reliability based on the quality of its engineering and construction.
It became the favourite of wealthy young sportsmen and, to prove a point, 3-litres won at Le Mans in 1924 and 1927.

While still in production it was joined in 1927 by the 90mph 4½-litre, still a four-cylinder, which won at Le Mans in 1928. The best-known Bentley, the supercharged 4 1/2, was offered in 1929 and was a genuine 110mph car at a time when most cars struggled to achieve 60mph.

The author commences with an account of the design and development of the 3-litre prototypes against the background of WO's experience as a designer, particularly his work on aero engine design in World War I.
Then comes a detailed examination and analysis of the production 3-litre - its engine, transmission, chassis and running gear - and its evolution through the "Standard" model, Speed Model and Super Sports, with extracts from contemporary reports and road tests.
This is followed by equivalent coverage of the 4 1/2-litre and 4 1/2-litre supercharged models.

The author gives an account of the cars' illustrious competition history, principally at Le Mans, and reviews the range of bodies offered by coachbuilders, from stark two-seaters to overweight limousines.
Ten outstanding examples of the cars have been photographed specially for this book and are featured in detail in some 150 colour shots. There are also more than 150 black-and-white photographs drawn from archive sources.

WO Bentley had launched his first model, the four-cylinder 3 Litre, in 1921, as a sporting car for the discerning driver, intending that it should provide 80mph performance, with exceptional reliability founded on the quality of its engineering and construction. All cars even came with a five-year guarantee.
In 1925 the company launched WO's latest creation, the six-cylinder 6 1/2-litre, intended as a fast luxury car to rival the Rolls-Royce Phantom and to steal a part of its market. This was a car of quite different character from the 3-litre, and well suited to elegant enclosed coachwork. It was joined in 1928 by the Speed Six version, which derived its extra performance from having twin carburettors and a higher compression ratio.

In the steady hands of Woolf Barnato, Bentley's principal financial backer, Speed Sixes won at Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. Next, in 1931, came WO's true supercar, the 8-litre. Enormous, strikingly handsome, fabulously expensive and capable of 100mph in any form, it is one of motoring's immortals, but by now the company was in trouble, and the 4-litre which was hastily introduced to revive its bank balance sadly failed to do so.

As a background to these events, the author opens with an account of the company's performance, and its problems, during the later years of the 1920s. Then comes a detailed examination and analysis of the 6 1/2-litre - its engine, transmission, chassis and running gear - with extracts from contemporary reports and road tests, and information on production changes and modifications.
This is followed by equivalent coverage of the Speed Six, 8-litre and 4-litre models. The author describes the Speed Six's illustrious competition history, and reviews the range of bodies offered by coachbuilders, from open tourers to stately limousines, for the six-cylinder cars.

Six outstanding examples of the cars have been photographed specially for this book and are featured in detail in some 175 colour shots. There are also more than 115 black-and-white photographs drawn from archive sources.Offering an in-depth examination of these splendid, charismatic Bentleys, this book provides an unrivalled store of knowledge for the many who care passionately about them, and serves as a tribute to the men who made them.

All car enthusiasts know, or think they know, what a vintage Bentley should look like. It should have a Vanden Plas four-seater tourer body, and should be painted green.
But Bentleys weren't always like that. When these cars were new, other types of body - saloons, limousines, fixed-head coupés, landaulets, cabriolets, drophead coupés, sedancas de ville - outnumbered the tourers and sports models. Sadly, these were the bodies which were the first to be scrapped, even though their chassis were often saved.

W O Bentley had never intended that his cars should become the luxury playthings of the rich. His first model, the Three Litre, although expensive, was clearly aimed at the sporting motorist. Very quickly, however, it attracted buyers who wanted to body it with heavy saloon and limousine styles, for which it was not well suited.
In response, Bentley first increased the wheelbase and then developed more owerful models - the 6 1/2 Litre (and its high-performance version, the Speed Six), the 4 1/2 Litre, and finally the magnificent Eight Litre. British society seized on these cars and clothed them with equally magnificent bespoke bodywork.

This book uses over 200 contemporary black-and-white illustrations and some 60 specially shot colour photographs to tell the story of Bentley coachwork during the 1920s, and up to 1931 when the company went into receivership.
Each of the three classes of coachwork - saloons and limousines, drophead coupés, and tourers - is traced as it evolved through that exciting decade. Major developments such as the Weymann system, cellulose paint and streamlining are described in detail. Interspersed are short histories of the major coachbuilding firms involved and light-hearted quotations from the motoring journals of the period.

At a time when every vintage Bentley car which comes on to the market is regarded as no more than another chassis on which to build a Le Mans replica, this book is a timely reminder of the diversity of coachwork which used to grace the products of Britain's most famous car maker.

The 4 1/2-litre Bentley is one of the most iconic pre-war cars, and the supercharged 4 1/2-litre 'Blower' Bentley is today one of the most sought-after and most valuable cars for collectors.
The 'Bentley Boys' won several high-profile races in Bentleys, and Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin won with a 4 1/2-litre car in 1928. Five supercharged 'Blower' Bentleys were built to compete at Le Mans, but the car's Achilles Heel was its reliability, and it never won the 24-hour race.

This Manual provides details of the 4 1/2-litre unsupercharged and 'Blower' Bentley racing cars, detailing their period racing history, anatomy and engineering, and providing an insight into owning, maintaining and running an example of this iconic car today.
Illustrated with period photographs and design and engineering material, plus photographs of restored examples in use today.

The Bentleys built by Rolls-Royce during the 1930s after their surprise takeover of Bentley Motors early in the decade proced to be an extraordinary success for the company.
This success was due to the performance and manners of the cars, to the excellence of their engineering and construction, to the wonderfully attractive coachwork offered, and to the association with the Illustrious Rolls-Royce reputation.

The new 3½ Litre Bentley of 1933 fully matched up to the inspired slogan "The Silent Sports Car" that Rolls-Royce gave it, and although considerably more expensive than its competitors it sold better than any of them. It appealed not only to the discerning sporting motorist but also to those who wanted a smart town car that doubled as express weekend transport. It was the right car for all occasions and the right car to be seen in.

The Bentley was a favourite of coachbuilders too, and for years during the mid-1930s more firms exhibited coachwork on the Bentley chassis at the London Motor Show than on any other marque. The greatest accolade came from W O Bentley himself, who pronounced the 3½ Litre the best car that had ever borne the Bentley badge.

After outlining the story of Bentley Motors and the Rolls-Royce takeover, the author give a thorough account of Rolls-Royce's search for a car with which to relaunch Bentley before the earlier glories of the name began to fade.

Then he provides a detailed technical analysis of the 3½ Litre, covering every aspect of the chassis, running gear, engine and transmission. This is followed by equivalent coverage of the succeeding 4¼ Litre and the short-lived Mark V.

Each of these receives comprehensive treatment, with information on differences from previous models, revisions and production changes, the range of bodies available from coachbuilders, performance and behaviour, and appearances in competitive events.

The history of the Derby-built Bentley is rounded off with a review of the late experimental versions, the Paulin/Embiricos car and the Corniche.
For owners, present and prospective, there are chapters on using the cars today and on the practicalities of ownership, including advice on parts availability, maintenance and preservation.

In the 1930s, Bentley's Derby factory supplied only chassis, without bodies, and customers for these refined, fast and enormously desirable cars would then select and turn to one of the many coachbuilders to design and construct a body for them to meet their tastes and requirements.

This book covers both British and overseas coachbuilders, and reviews the bodies they built on the 3 1/2-litre, 4 1/4-litre and Mk V Bentley chassis.

Coachbuilders are dealt with in alphabetical order, with details of the different types of body they supplied - saloon, coupe, drophead, sports, sedanca, etc - and photographs showing the wide variety of their creations.

Bentley aficionados will particularly appreciate the inclusion of chassis numbers for all the cars bodied by all the coachbuilders, which makes this a truly definitive work.

The two decades between 1945 and 1965 saw some remarkable motor cars emerge from the new Rolls-Royce factory at Crewe. The Mark VI Bentley was the first model to be built entirely by Rolls-Royce, using a body supplied by Pressed Steel, although coachbuilt cars continued to be available.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn version followed in 1949, this and its Bentley sister both receiving "big boot" bodies in 1952, the Mark VI becoming the R-type. Meanwhile the 120mph Continental appeared and became the undoubted pinnacle of Bentley motoring.
Then the entirely new Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-series, almost identical to each other, arrived in 1955 with a 4.9-litre engine, and from 1959 a 6.2-litre V8 was installed. By their side, coachbuilt S-series Continentals continued as bespoke grand touters.

"Original Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1946-65" is the essential companion to these supremely elegant cars, which survive in large numbers thanks to their mechanical longevity and peerless quality of construction. The aim of this book is to reveal, in words and colour photographs, how the various models altered through the course of production.

Rolls-Royce's policy of continual refinement means that a vast number of specification changes occurred for each model. Completely authentic specification can be elusive because many of these cars have been altered by owners unconcerned with originality, often seeking merely to keep their treasured possessions running without incurring the expense of genuine parts.

This book provides owners, restorers and enthusiasts with details of exactly what changed and when. Drawing on factory records, parts lists, catalogues and other data now held by the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation, the author has provided a meticulous survey of the standard steel cars built at Crewe.
Over 250 specially commissioned colour photographs, showing the detail changes to these cars, accompany the authoritative text and provide a valuable reference source. Indispensable for all owners, restorers, buyers and enthusiasts.

Rolls-Royce and Bentley relied upon standardised body designs after 1945, but for the next two decades both marques also supplied chassis frames separately, and it was possible to have these clothed with coachwork by bespoke coachbuilders like, for example, Mulliner, Park Ward and James Young in Britain, or Graber, Farina and Franay in Europe.

Many buyers took this route, and this highly illustrated book bears witness to the wide variety of styles that were built in this fascinating period.
Chassis number lists for each coachbuilder, both in Britain and overseas, identify their creations, to make this a comprehensive and essential companion for anyone interested in Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the post-war era.

The Bentley Mk VI, introduced in 1946, fairly bristled with new ideas and marked a bold change of direction. The most radical departure from pre-war practice was the fact that the Mk VI could be bought with a standard body. Other major new features were the engine, cruciform chassis and hydraulically operated front brakes.

However, none of this indicates the true historical importance of the Mk VI or why the model is at the heart of this book-quite simply the Mk VI's design was the well-spring from which all the mainstream Rolls-Royce and Bentley models flowed until the advent of the Silver Shadow and Bentley T-Series in 1965.

Here is the complete story of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn and Silver Cloud and the Bentley Mk VI, R-Type and S-Type. Covering concept, design and development, production, promotion, publicity and the coachbuilt cars.
There is also helpful practical advice on buying and running these cars today, together with appendices of chassis number sequences and dates, build numbers and modifications and development by chassis number.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow & Bentley T-Series were a revolutionary step forward when launched in 1965. This book tells the full story, and gives details of models, history, and design of these classic British cars, including related coach-built cars, the Silver Wraith ll, Corniche & Camargue. Malcolm Bobbitt also uses his extensive motoring experience to provide valuable advice for buyers, owners and restorers.

This new Fourth Edition has been fully revised, and contains much new and updated information as well as several new pictures.

Un livre de Brooklands consacré aux voitures Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud et Bentley S-Series. Description des modèles Silver Cloud, S-Series, Continental, Limousine, Silver Cloud II, III, S2 et S2 LWB.

• Les articles, parus à l'époque dans la presse automobile anglo-saxonne, sont une bonne source d'information sur l'histoire, l'évolution des modèles et la technique.
• Cet ouvrage contient aussi des impressions de conduite, des tests routiers et comparatifs, des données techniques, etc.