Bentley 4 Litre
Encyclopedia
The 4 litre was an ill-thought-through last minute attempt at restoring the Bentley
company to a good financial state. Introduced in 1931, it used a Ricardo
F-head engine (modified by Walter Owen Bentley) of half the capacity in the 8 litre chassis in an attempt to attract economy-minded buyers.
Instead, possibly treacherous owner, Barney Barnato, dropped the company into receivership
shortly after it went on sale and by devious manoeuvres archrival Rolls-Royce
purchased the business to stop production of the dangerously successful 8 litre Bentley. Bentley and his staff and D. Napier & Son Ltd had expected the business would be bought by Napier
.
The conventional straight-6
engine used an 85 mm (3.3 in) bore and 115 mm (4.5 in) stroke for a total of 3.9 L (3915 cc/238 in³) of displacement. It lacked the high power output and technology of the previous Bentley-designed engines.
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
company to a good financial state. Introduced in 1931, it used a Ricardo
Harry Ricardo
Sir Harry Ricardo was one of the foremost engine designers and researchers in the early years of the development of the internal combustion engine....
F-head engine (modified by Walter Owen Bentley) of half the capacity in the 8 litre chassis in an attempt to attract economy-minded buyers.
Instead, possibly treacherous owner, Barney Barnato, dropped the company into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
shortly after it went on sale and by devious manoeuvres archrival Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
purchased the business to stop production of the dangerously successful 8 litre Bentley. Bentley and his staff and D. Napier & Son Ltd had expected the business would be bought by Napier
Napier & Son
D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engine and pre-Great War automobile manufacturer and one of the most important aircraft engine manufacturers in the early to mid-20th century...
.
The conventional straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine used an 85 mm (3.3 in) bore and 115 mm (4.5 in) stroke for a total of 3.9 L (3915 cc/238 in³) of displacement. It lacked the high power output and technology of the previous Bentley-designed engines.