Jay Leno's Garage gives a fascinating look at the comedian's car collection, many of them reflecting pivotal and anecdotally interesting moments in American and international automotive history. His rarest find is a Chrysler Turbine, powered by a jet engine. Then there's the Czech-built 1938 Tetra which, during the Second World War, was responsible for killing several German soldiers who had no idea how to drive the sedan. On Tuesday, Leno showed off his 1931 Bentley Mulliner sedan, a classic car once owned by a Chilean diplomat, only to become a chicken coop several years later.
A Chicken Coop Or A Chicken Coupe?
This Bentley's function as an avian storage unit is sure to raise eyebrows among car buffs, but Leno has an explanation. "It had been used as a chicken coop because it's big," he said. "You can get a lot of chicken in this thing." A lot of that extra space was due to this Milliner's 156-inch wheelbase, slightly more than the Duesenberg, which hogged the road with a 153-inch wheelbase back in the day.
Still, that agrarian function smacks of sacrilegious to Bentley fans, especially the Milliner, which several pundits call automaker Walter Owen Bentley's greatest achievement. Only 100 of these were ever built, originally designed to carry four people. It was built to hit 100 miles an hour although lighter Milliners have been clocked at 125 mph.
A Massive 6-Cylinder Engine
All that was achieved by a massive six-cylinder engine with a head that wasn't detachable from the motor. "This is how you get around blowing head gaskets," mused Leno. Despite that convenience, to maintain and fix the engine, much of the work had to be done from beneath the Milliner. "It's like going to a proctologist for dental work," added Leno.
Also unusual was the overhead cam, which wasn't driven by gears or chains but by what Leno called conrods, much like locomotives in the early years. At the end of the crankshaft was another crankshaft that was responsible for turning the camshaft. Adjusting it required inserting washers and the oozing of the oil between the sealers determined how valves were to be adjusted.
This Bentley Loves To Run
Taking the Mulliner for a spin around town, Leno can't help but be impressed by the power of the engine. He didn't reveal to viewers the horsepower of the six-cylinder motor but claimed it had plenty of torque, with the ability to hit 70 miles an hour without much effort, unlike other vehicles at the time.
"You know, most older cars... you don't want to go much over to, so it's going to take a long time to get there," said Leno while behind the wheel. "With this, not a problem, I mean it loves to run."
Source: Jay Leno's Garage