1925 Bentley 6½ Litre Retroview
Carrrs, February 2016
W.O. Bentley was of the belief that buyers wanted to drive in top gear all the time and so required bigger engines with six cylinders. He devised a silent camshaft drive for a prototype and went testing in France. However, following an encounter with a Rolls-Royce tester in a prototype Phantom, he found his own car was no faster and so decided to add more engine capacity.
His aim was: “A new model which we knew we could sell, and at a substantially higher profit than the 3 Litre.”
Unfortunately it turned out that the new car “was so expensive to get out of the experimental and into the production stage, that on several occasions I was certain we were going to go under”. He was right to be worried.
By 1926 the Big Six looked as though it was going to be the last Bentley so W.O. persuaded Joel Woolf Barnato to rescue his company.
Woolf’s passion was motor racing, so when it looked as though the factory that made his favourite cars was going out of business, he more or less bought it and remained managing director until 1931.
The 6½ Litre was produced with a choice of wheelbases.Its defining feature was a three-throw crank camshaft drive like that of a railway engine but impeccably engineered and, as W.O. promised, silent.
Key Facts
| Dates Produced | 1925 -1930 |
| Number Built | 363 |
| Price New | £1,975 - £2,780 |
| Body | Various (saloon and open). Length: 11 ft. (3.3 m). Weight: between 4,955 lbs (2,247 kg) and 5,375 lbs (2,438 kg) depending on coachbuilder. |
| Engine | 6.5 Litre, 6 cyl, 4 valves per cylinder, 3-throw coupling rod drive |
| Power | 147 bhp (109 kW) @ 3,500rpm |
| Transmission | 4-speed gearbox, Ferodo cone clutch, right hand change |
| Chassis | Pressed steel frame, 7 cross-members, later with strut and rod stiffener; leaf spring suspension; Bentley and Draper friction dampers, later hydraulic at rear; Dewandre servo mechanical brakes, front Bentley-Perrot; |
| Dimensions | Wheelbase: 132 in (335 cm). Track: 56 in (142 cm); Length: between 181 in (459 cm) and 199 in (505 cm). Width: 68.5 in (174 cm). Height: 60 in (152 cm) |
| Performance | Top speed: 85 mph (136 kph) |
| Current Value | £400,000 plus |
Source: Carrrs, February 2016