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Index |
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BOOK REVIEW
BY ROBERT McLELLAN |
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Bentley: Four Cylinder
Models, In Detail
3-Litre,
4½-Litre & 4½-Litre Supercharged, 1921-1930
Author: James Taylor, 2012, 176
pages, over 150 color photos, 150 black and white photos
and drawings and images. Publisher: Herridage & Sons
Ltd
Bentley:
Six Cylinder Models, In Detail
6½-Litre,
Speed Six, 8-Litre & 4-Litre, 1926-1931
Author: James Taylor, 2012, 175
pages, over 175 color photos, 115 black and white photos
and drawings and images. Publisher: Herridage & Sons
Ltd |
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If you are a hard-core
Vintage Bentley enthusiast, the first question is, "Will
I learn anything new in these books or are they just
a rehash of previous Bentley books?" Having read
everything Bentley that I have been able to lay my hand
on since my youth in the 1950s, I have good news. James
Taylor notes in the introduction that he recognizes
the abundance of previously printed Vintage Bentley
literature over the last 80 years and the current crop
of books available.
This is an effort to entertain and inform enthusiasts
who have not read all of the expensive and difficult
to find out-of-print books. For those of us who have
forgotten much of what we have read years ago, he approaches
the readers with a detailed analysis of the specific
cars and models. That approach works. His goal of mixing
old content with new content and pin pointing, as the
title states "In Detail" specific cars and
models will capture and hold the reader's attention.
The word "detail" should not be misconstrued
to mean "technical". These are not restoration
manuals but a through look at the cars inside and out
with historical, statistical, design, engineering and
racing information discussed along with photos. It is
clear that Taylor is a knowledgeable Vintage Bentley
enthusiast and that writing comes as second nature to
him. It is a formidable task to present what we may
remember in a light that makes it worthy of review and
more interesting than before. But he accomplishes exactly
that. As I read the two volumes, I developed the eerie
feeling that I wish I had written these books because
he is writing the books that I would have written had
I had his time and talent. The format, style, content
and photos are all excellent and presented in a quality
manner.
The "Four-Cylinder Models" volume will take
you from his formative years when WO was influenced
by his education in locomotives, managing / sale / racing
as a DFP dealer and an aero engineer in the Royal Navy,
to the last 4½ litre built. An impressive strength
of the books is that Taylor does not bounce from one
car to another but documents individual cars and models
thoroughly. For example, six pages and 14 color photos
are devoted to EXP 2. This approach is repeated over
and over again in both volumes. Highly commendable!
The "Six-Cylinder Models" is the companion
to the first volume and in every way continues the theme
from the development of 6½ Litre through the
8 Litre as finances plunged Bentley into a desperate
effort to continue with the disastrous 4 Litre and into
receivership. But along the way, the 6 cylinder cars
were grand tourers and winners at the track.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to James
Taylor for his kind words regarding this web site and
that he found the work that our contributors have put
into the web site useful.
Click
here for our web site's reference list of additional
Bentley publications.
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Order these books
here: Bentley:
Four Cylinder Models, In Detail ::
Bentley:
Six Cylinder Models, In Detail |
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Posted on Apr 01,
2013 |
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Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photograph received from Simon Hunt for Chassis No. RL3439 |
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Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Chassis No. 147 |
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Sep 29, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Ernst Jan Krudop for his Chassis No. AX1651 |
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Sep 28, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Lars Hedborg
for his Chassis No. KL3590 |
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Sep 25, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. XV 3207 |
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Sep 24, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. YM 7165 |
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[More] |
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CLUB TALK
Upcoming Vintage Bentley Events |
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