Our car of the month is no ordinary car, it combined the best of performance and style and outshone the rest at the 1928 Le Mans. In its time it achieved things that were seen as impossible and is still today a highly respected and sought after car. Of course we are talking about the Bentley 4.5 litre.
First assembled in Cricklewood, 1927, the Bentley 4.5 litre was an advancement on the existing 3 litre model. With a sole purpose to create a more powerful car for personal transport, Walter Owen Bentley achieved exactly that through increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 litre.
The engine was advanced and modern for its time, the displacement was 4,398 cc, 100 mm bore and 140 mm stroke with two SU carburettors and dual ignition and fitted with Bosch magnetos. The engine produced 110 hp for the touring model and 130 hp for the racing model. Reaching speeds to 4,000 rpm, the four valves per cylinder were a reach above the rest in a period where most cars only used two valves per cylinder. As on the 3 litre Bentley the camshaft was driven by bevel gear on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine.
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