Today, most cars are capable of topping 100mph, but back in 1925 'the ton' was a spectacular speed that very few had experienced. Any road car with this kind of performance potential was a sensation, none more so than the rare Bentley Super Sports, the first model given the iconic green-winged 'B' badge. Just 18 of this high-performance, short-chassis machines were built between 1925 and '27, and each came with a factory guarantee of 100mph. Lighter, shorter, more powerful and faster than any other 3 Litre, its performance came at the exclusive price of £1050-compared to £925 for the Speed Model. This chassis-only deal then required further outlay for a body by your preferred coachbuilder.
With a 9ft wheelbase, 9½in shorter than the Speed Model, this more trim 22½cwt (1143kg) machine shaved off 25kg and was instantly recognisable to enthusiasts in 1925 due to its more compressed profile. Also enhancing the Super Sports' style were a tapered radiator and scuttle to reduce wind resistance.
Under the bonnet, the final development of WO Bentley's handsome overhead-cam, twin-plug 'four' was tuned with a lightened flywheel, increased 6.3:1 compression, drilled valve spring caps, lighter 'hourglass' pistons and twin SU Type G5 'Sloper' carburettors. With a 15/53 axle ratio, the chassis was driven down from the Cricklewood works to Brooklands in exposed form for its 100mph test prior to delivery.
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Denne historien er fra July 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring
