Forrest Lycett and his amazing 8-litre Bentley (Page 4 of 9)
Motor Sport Magazine, July 1998

 

The radiator was considerably lowered and cut away, the dynamo which protruded from its base being moved to a chassis location and driven from the prop-shaft, the opening for it below the radiator covered by a polished plate. Weight was saved wherever possible, without resorting to lightening holes, the scuttle being lowered to line-up with the lightweight bonnet, and abbreviated mudguards and small Lucas long-range lamps being used in place of the large head lamps of standard Bentleys.

 

WB enjoying one of many passenger rides around Brooklands in 1939

 

'Mac' also fitted a one-shot plunger-pump chassis lubrication system, the auxiliary fuel tank, and a separate accelerator so that low speed could be maintained without snatch. He also cord-bound the road springs and fitted both Hartford friction-type shock absorbers and Luvax hydraulic dampers. To save further weight the vacuum brake servo was removed. The result was this lean, handsome car, with a top speed of an easy 110mph in road-trim, which was rather impressive 67 years ago.

 

Remember that this great Bentley was no simple cut-and-shut special, was used primarily as an everyday car for pleasure and business journeys, and that when entered for competition events it was never conveyed to the venues in a truck or van...

 

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