Bentley 3 Litre, 1926, #RE1400, Vanden Plas Open Tourer. Front wheel brakes were found on 3 Litres after 4-wheel brakes became series standard in 1923. W.O. Bentley realised his ambition to built the first true all-English sports car with the first prototype Bentley 3 Litre in 1919, though careful testing prior to start of production caused considerable delay and not before 1921 the first car was delivered to customer. The four cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder became renowned for its sturdiness and Bentley fielded works entries in the most severe competitions like the Tourist Trophy and the 24 Hours at Le Mans with considerable success. This boosted sales at the factory and provided the information for constant improvement. In addition to the basic version TT models and Speed models were offered. The Super Sports, of which only 18 were built, was capable of exceeding the magic figure of 100 mph. ________________________________________ Technical Data: 4 cylinder in-line engine, iron cylinder block and cylinder head cast in one piece; bore stroke 80 x 149 mm, capacity 2,996 cc, aluminium alloy crankcase, dual ignition by magnetos; cone type clutch; 4 speed gearbox; bevel pinion final drive; suspension by semi-elliptic springs front and rear; rear wheel brakes; wheelbase 2,985 mm (117.5 in)(from 1922 long wheelbase 3,302 mm (130 in) optional; from 1925 wheelbase 2,985 mm abandoned ); tyre size 820 x 120 (from 1925 tyre size 5.25 x 33 1/2, from 1928 tyre size 5.25 x 21) ________________________________________ No. made: 3 Bentley 3 Litre Experimental 1088 Bentley 3 Litre 513 Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model 18 Bentley 3 Litre Super Sports 1622 Bentley 3 Litre altogether