Bentley 3 Litre
1921–1929 · Bentley 3 Litre — Sports Car, Inline-4, designed by W.O. Bentley.
The Story
This is where Bentley begins. The 3 Litre, the company’s very first car, put W.O. Bentley’s overhead-cam, four-valve engineering on the road from 1921 — and on the podium at Le Mans, which it won in 1924 and again in 1927. It founded the legend of the ‘Bentley Boys,’ the wealthy amateurs who raced (and partied) their way into motoring folklore.
It was big, heavy and unsubtle next to the tiny Bugattis it humbled — prompting Ettore Bugatti’s immortal jibe that it was ‘the fastest lorry in the world.’ Bentley took it as a compliment. And in 1925 a 3 Litre became the first Bentley owned by Woolf Barnato — a year before he bought the whole company and saved it.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Sports Car class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
W.O. Bentley
Walter Owen Bentley founded Bentley Motors in 1919; his OHC 4-valve engines and the ‘Bentley Boys’ won Le Mans five times (1924, 1927–30). After Rolls-Royce bought Bentley in 1931 he moved to Lagonda, designing its V12.
Studio Motors POV
Where it all began — the car that built the Bentley legend at Le Mans. Provenance is the whole game: a works or period-raced 3 Litre is blue-chip, an honest tourer a usable piece of motoring history.
The Engine
W.O. Bentley Vintage Four
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 3 Litre
Worth Knowing About the 3 Litre
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. Ettore Bugatti dismissed it as 'the fastest lorry in the world' — and Bentley wore the insult as a badge of honour.
- 2. Woolf Barnato bought his first Bentley — a 3 Litre — in 1925, a year before he bought the company itself and rescued it from collapse.
- 3. It won Le Mans twice (1924 and 1927) and launched the 'Bentley Boys' legend.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. Bentley's very first car (delivered 1921); ~2,996 cc OHC four.
- 2. Le Mans winner 1924 (Duff/Clement) and 1927 (Davis/Benjafield).
- 3. Sold as Blue Label (touring), Red Label (Speed) and rare Green Label (100 mph) chassis.
- 4. 1,622 built (1921–1929).
- 5. Twice the engine size of the dominant Bugattis — strength over finesse.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Woolf Barnato — bought his first Bentley, a 3 Litre, in 1925, then bought and chaired the company in 1926. The ‘Bentley Boys’ (Barnato, Birkin, Davis, Benjafield et al.) campaigned 3 Litres at Le Mans and Brooklands. (Documented; Wikipedia / Motor Sport.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Speed/Red-Label cars are the most desirable; works or period-race provenance means multi-million money. Demand matching-numbers chassis/engine and expert authentication — a genuine vintage Bentley is a forensic purchase.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley 3 Litre
- Class
- Sports Car
- Production years
- 1921–1929
- Units built
- 1,622 total (incl. 513 Speed/Red-Label & 18 Super Sports)
- Variants
- Speed Model (Red Label); Le Mans / TT works racers
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-4
- Engine family
- W.O. Bentley Vintage Four
- Displacement
- 2,996 cc (3.0 L)
- Power
- 80 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 90 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 45 hp/tonne · 49 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3919 lb
Questions
3 Litre FAQ
How many times did the Bentley 3 Litre win Le Mans?
The Bentley 3 Litre won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice — in 1924, driven by John Duff and Frank Clement, and in 1927, driven by Sammy Davis and Dudley Benjafield — establishing Bentley as the dominant British racing marque of the 1920s.
What did Ettore Bugatti say about the Bentley 3 Litre?
Ettore Bugatti reportedly called the large racing Bentleys ‘the fastest lorry in the world,’ a remark the Bentley Boys and marque supporters wore as a badge of honour rather than an insult.
What do Bentley 3 Litre cars sell for at auction?
Prices vary widely by specification and provenance. A 1923 Bentley 3 Litre Boat-Tail Roadster realized £103,500 at Bonhams in December 2023, while rarer Speed Model variants and any car with works or Le Mans race history command substantially higher sums.
What engine does the Bentley 3 Litre have?
The Bentley 3 Litre is powered by a 2,996 cc overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine producing approximately 80 horsepower in the range-topping Red Label Speed Model form, with a top speed of around 90 mph.
Can you lease a Bentley 3 Litre?
Yes, specialty lenders structure collector-car leases regardless of model year.
The Bentley Lineup
Explore every Bentley
3 Litre ’216½ Litre / Speed Six ’264½ Litre ’27Blower 4½ Litre ’29
R-Type Continental ’52S1 Continental ’55S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) ’55S2/S3 Continental ’59
Mulsanne (1980) ’80Turbo R ’85
Continental R ’91Azure ’95Arnage ’98
Continental GT (1st gen) ’03Continental Flying Spur ’05Azure (2nd gen) ’06Brooklands (Coupé) ’08
Mulsanne (2010) ’10Continental GT (2nd gen) ’11Flying Spur (2nd gen) ’13Bentayga ’15Continental GT (3rd gen) ’18Flying Spur (3rd gen) ’19
Buy, sell, source or lease this 3 Litre.
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