Bentley like most British brands, and most British cultural staples, get haunted by their past. The brand may have recently emerged on the other side of difficult years with excellent models such as the Continental GT, Bentayga, and Mulliner. Volkswagen's intervention saved the brand in 1998 allowing these cars to enter production. Before this, the company changed hands numerous times, and at one point fell under Rolls-Royce's ownership. No matter what, Bentley has produced refined and luxurious vehicles with rather large price tags to match. Their classic cars are no exception.
Under the guidance of Captain Walter Owen Bentley M.B.E, the company pioneered racing cars in the 1920s and 1930s to match the reputation of the first world warplanes that the engineer developed. The most famous of all these vehicles was the 4 1/2 Litre, introduced in 1927 with the supercharged "blower" model coming in 1929, an icon of inter-war racing. However, the 4 1/2 Litre was Bentley's second car, it built on the legacy of the earlier and often forgotten 3 Litre.
The Brand's First Car
According to Bentley themselves, the first 3 Litre launched to the world at the 1919 Olympia show. The model needed much refinement but went down a treat with the promise of it being able to lap Brooklands, a now-abandoned British racetrack, at a mighty 75 mph and top out at 80 mph. Remaining in production until 1929 the 3 Litre had two revisions, the red and then green label which had a promised performance of 100 miles an hour. Thorney Kelham, a specialist in classic car restoration claim that Red Label cars came on a shorter “sport” chassis, and had an engine with higher compression and twin “sloper” SU carburetors, resulting in the car's boosted performance. However, all engines were inline 4-cylinder engines with 4-speed gearboxes.
Considering that the land speed record in 1920 was in the mid 150-mph range, the 3 Litre was a truly exhilarating vehicle with luxury to match. In a move normal for the time Bentley supplied everything including the engine, chassis, gearbox but the body, meaning that many 3 Litre Bentleys have different body styles, that carry more weight with their room for extra passengers and lavish luxuries. Bentley claims that this is what led to famous the 6 1/2 Litre engine, a displacement that British luxury cars came to prefer until relatively recently. Bentley's first car began the company, which produces some of the world's most sought-after luxury vehicles and grand tourers.
The Car's Success Propelled Bentley Into Stardom
Bentley's 4 1/2 Litre receives recognition for its racing success, with victories at such high profile races as Le Mans. Both cars raced alongside one another and the 3 Litre overshadowed the more powerful car's potential. Bentley claims that the 3 Litre took its maiden victory at Brooklands in 1921 before production models continued to take “countless victories”. Two of the most prominent victories for the 3 Litre include Le Mans in 1924 and 1927, the marque's first two victories at the legendary race. The 1924 race is partly responsible for Le Mans' prestige. Bentley brought their car in to replace a wheel, only they couldn't do it. Other competitors bore down on the Bentley Boys as they lost half an hour, they triumphed by only one lap. A stripped-down 3 Litre even found its way to the Indianapolis 500 in 1922, it failed miserably as a Duesenberg went on to victory. Bentley hadn't quite found their stride as they would with their more powerful cars.
The balance between luxury and racing success led to Bentley becoming the car of choice for Ian Fleming's Bond. The films have seen Aston Martin become tied to Bond, but for Fleming, Bentley embodied the opulence of early twentieth-century motoring and the power that the somewhat reckless driver would need to cross continents in a hurry. The 3 Litre continued to make appearances on British television with the car appearing in The Avengers, a program about two spies, by character David Keel, a bowler hat-wearing and umbrella-wielding traditional gentleman.
Legendary Cars Bring Legendary Prices
Classic Bentleys and Rolls-Royces of the era all cost a surprisingly large amount, rivaling a well-specified new Continental GT or Mulliner. Bentley produced these cars in incredibly limited numbers and were only available to the wealthiest aristocrats and playboys of the early twentieth century. A grand total of 1,622 3 Litre models left the factory between 1921 and 1929, this included the standard car and those with the red and green badges. For perspective, Bentley reports that in 2020 they shipped 11,206 cars to customers. These old models may cost the same but are incredibly rare.
As ever, some specifications are more desirable than others, vehicles in British Racing Green will always command a premium over those in shades of black or navy. Classic, a company that collects and analyses auctions and sales of classic vehicles, finds that the average Bentley 3 Litre sells for $376,032 with highs approaching near $1 million for the elusive red and green label models. This is the price a gear head must pay to own a slice of such a prestigious brand like Bentley's first car.