8 replies to this topic

[ollychester]

Hello all - long time lurker first time poster here.

I'd like to ask a question which has been niggling at the back of my mind for the best part of 15 years. My grandfather was a Rolls Royce collector and I once read a throw away line in one of his books, which I've never tracked down since, mentioning plans for a team of straight 8 Bentleys for the 1940 Le Mans 24 hrs.

I have never, despite a bit of searching, managed to find anything more than that one line - has anyone else ever heard anything about these plans, or are they in the realms of fiction?

Fiction or not, it's fairly straightforward to have a stab at the outlines of the car knowing the other things Rolls were playing with at the time... new ifs chassis as used in Corniche and Mk V, B80 engine as used in Phantom IV and some sort of Georges Paulin streamliner bodywork.

Edited by ollychester, 06 September 2010 - 15:11.

[RCH]

Never heard that before but it sounds wonderful! I must admit when most would be counting sheep I tend to draw up entry lists for Le Mans 1936 and '40!

[rudi]

Never heard that before but it sounds wonderful! I must admit when most would be counting sheep I tend to draw up entry lists for Le Mans 1936 and '40!

There was an entry list for Le Mans 1936 :Visit My Website

[David McKinney]

There was an entry list for Le Mans 1936 :Visit My Website

Qui étaient les "conducteurs"?

Edited by David McKinney, 06 September 2010 - 19:12.

[RCH]

There was an entry list for Le Mans 1936 :Visit My Website

Yes I know, but it is always interesting to speculate on what might have happened. I was surprised to see Eddie Hall's Bentley on the list.

[RCH]

Wasn't the Rolls Royce B80 engine an inlet over exhaust design which was presumably great for the carriage trade or military/commercial applications but not really suitable for a racing engine?

[Tim Murray]

I was surprised to see Eddie Hall's Bentley on the list.

According to George A. Oliver in the Profile publication on the Bentley 3½ & 4¼ litre, Rolls-Royce had been supporting Hall’s efforts since 1934, and for 1936 Hall 'had been given permission' to enter Le Mans. To this end, Hall had fitted the 4¼ litre engine in place of the highly-tuned 3½ previously used. This larger engine had been endurance tested at full throttle for 24 hours, so RR were obviously taking things fairly seriously.

[ollychester]

Wasn't the Rolls Royce B80 engine an inlet over exhaust design which was presumably great for the carriage trade or military/commercial applications but not really suitable for a racing engine?

Yes, it was an ioe, so perhaps they would have been thinking of a new head, or a supercharger. Although the B60 made good power in the R-type Continental so may be they would have relied on an aero body and good preperation to make the difference.

[RCH]

According to George A. Oliver in the Profile publication on the Bentley 3½ & 4¼ litre, Rolls-Royce had been supporting Hall’s efforts since 1934, and for 1936 Hall 'had been given permission' to enter Le Mans. To this end, Hall had fitted the 4¼ litre engine in place of the highly-tuned 3½ previously used. This larger engine had been endurance tested at full throttle for 24 hours, so RR were obviously taking things fairly seriously.

In a "clearing out" fit a few years ago I sold all my profiles on Ebay, why ever did I do that? I remember reading of the car being entered for Le Mans now you mention it.