Bentley 8 Litre
1930–1932 · Bentley 8 Litre — Grand Tourer, Inline-6, designed by W.O. Bentley.
The Story
The 8 Litre was W.O. Bentley’s masterpiece and, in the end, his heartbreak. Launched in 1930, it was the grandest, fastest luxury car of its day — guaranteed to reach 100 mph no matter how heavy the coachwork — and W.O.’s own definition of perfection: ‘I have always wanted to produce a dead silent 100mph car, and now I think that we have done it.’
But it arrived into the teeth of the Depression, and its ambition helped pull Bentley under. Only 100 were built before Rolls-Royce secretly bought the company in 1931. W.O. kept a personal 8 Litre, GK 706, for fast runs to the South of France — until, as he bitterly recorded, ‘the nadir was reached when I was instructed in a letter to sell my 8-litre.’ It remains the ultimate W.O. Bentley.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer 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
W.O. Bentley’s masterpiece and his heartbreak — the silent 100-mph grand car that crowned his career and helped end his company. The pinnacle of vintage Bentley craftsmanship.
The Engine
W.O. Bentley Vintage Six
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 8 Litre
Worth Knowing About the 8 Litre
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. W.O. Bentley kept an 8 Litre, GK 706, as his personal car — and was reunited with it on his 80th birthday at a Bentley Drivers' Club reunion.
- 2. After Rolls-Royce secretly bought Bentley in 1931, W.O. wrote that 'the nadir was reached when I was instructed in a letter to sell my 8-litre.'
- 3. Bentley guaranteed the 8 Litre would reach 100 mph regardless of the heavy coachwork fitted.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 7,983 cc OHC six, 220 hp; only 100 built (1930–32).
- 2. W.O. Bentley's magnum opus and the last all-new pre-takeover Bentley.
- 3. Guaranteed 100 mph whatever the coachwork.
- 4. W.O.'s own car: GK 706.
- 5. Its ambition during the Depression hastened Bentley's fall to Rolls-Royce.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
W.O. Bentley himself — his personal car GK 706, in which he toured France with his wife. The 8 Litre’s tiny, aristocratic clientele had bespoke coachwork by Mulliner, Gurney Nutting and others. (Documented; Bentley Media / W.O.’s autobiography.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
All 100 are bespoke-bodied grails — coachwork, originality and provenance set value; GK 706 (W.O.’s own) is the holy grail. Expect $1.5M–$4M+ and authenticate the chassis/engine/coachwork history.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley 8 Litre
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1930–1932
- Units built
- 100
- Variants
- 12 ft & 13 ft wheelbases; bespoke saloon, limousine & tourer coachwork
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- W.O. Bentley Vintage Six
- Displacement
- 7,983 cc (8.0 L)
- Power
- 225 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 100 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 89 hp/tonne · 24.9 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 5600 lb
Questions
8 Litre FAQ
What engine does the Bentley 8 Litre have?
The Bentley 8 Litre is powered by a 7,983 cc overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine producing approximately 220 horsepower. Bentley guaranteed the car would reach 100 mph regardless of the weight of the bespoke coachwork fitted.
How many Bentley 8 Litres were built?
Only 100 Bentley 8 Litres were built between 1930 and 1932, each with bespoke coachwork by firms including H.J. Mulliner and Gurney Nutting. It was W.O. Bentley’s final all-new design before Rolls-Royce’s 1931 acquisition of the company.
What did W.O. Bentley say about the 8 Litre at its launch?
At the 8 Litre’s 1930 launch, W.O. Bentley described it as the fulfilment of his lifelong ambition: ‘I have always wanted to produce a dead silent 100mph car, and now I think that we have done it.’ He kept his own example, chassis GK 706, as his personal car.
Can you lease a Bentley 8 Litre?
Yes, specialty lenders structure collector-car leases regardless of model year.
How does the Bentley 8 Litre differ from the Speed Six?
The Speed Six was conceived as a racing car and road car combined, while the 8 Litre was built purely as the ultimate luxury grand car, with a larger 7,983 cc six-cylinder engine — producing approximately 220 horsepower versus the Speed Six’s 180 horsepower — designed to propel heavy formal coachwork silently to 100 mph.
The Bentley Lineup
Explore every Bentley
3 Litre ’216½ Litre / Speed Six ’264½ Litre ’27Blower 4½ Litre ’29
8 Litre ’30
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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
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