Bentley
4 Litre

Why it matters

The 4 Litre was the last new model of the original Cricklewood Bentley company, intended as a smaller, cheaper rival to the Rolls-Royce 20/25 after the 1929 crash. Its Ricardo-designed engine in a heavy 8 Litre-derived chassis left it underpowered, and the company's collapse in 1931 ended it after some 49 or 50 cars.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Bentley 4 Litre (Wikimedia Commons: Bentley 4 Litre)
  Photo: Michael Gaylard · CC BY 2.0
• Bentley 4 Litre (Wikimedia Commons: Bentley 4 Litre)
  Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

To cut costs, Bentley combined a 3,900 cc straight-six designed by Harry Ricardo's firm with a shortened version of the heavy 8 Litre chassis. The result was regarded as underpowered and never won over the marque's followers. On 10 July 1931 the company could no longer meet its obligations; Woolf Barnato withdrew his support and Bentley Motors went into receivership. After a brief contest with Napier, Rolls-Royce bought the company through the British Equitable Central Trust for 125,275 pounds, and the last 4 Litres were completed at Cricklewood into 1932.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The 4 Litre uses a Ricardo inlet-over-exhaust straight-six of 3,900 cc in a double-drop chassis based on the 8 Litre, with an 11 ft 2 in wheelbase. Matching chassis and engine numbers should be checked; the catalogued car is chassis VA4089 with engine VA4095.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Bentley Drivers Club – Vintage History Level B

   • 49 cars built ("some 49")

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   1931 Bentley 4-Litre Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas Level B RM Sotheby's

   • 3,900-cc straight-six ... inlet-over-exhaust configuration
   • 3,900-cc straight-six
   • claimed output of 120 brake horsepower at 4,000 rpm

   Accessed 2026-11-11