‘100 miles per hour m speed with 100 percent m comfort and docility’ This proclamation was made in an advertisement that appeared for the Bentley 8-Litre in the April 17th, 1931 issue of The Autocar magazine, touting the performance of what Bentley claimed was The world's finest car’. Nearly a century later, many enthusiasts agree. This is a bold statement, especially when in 1931 cars like the Duesenberg, RollsRoyce Phantom II, Hispano-Suzia H6C 8-Litre, Cadillac V-16, and several other magnificent automobiles were being made. The 8-Litre was W.O. Bentley's finest grand tourer. It was also the last car he designed for Bentley Motors.
In the 1920s, W.O. Bentley's cars had earned a solid reputation and were highly competitive in sporting events, including the first win at the 24-hour Le Mans race for a British car in 1924 and subsequently winning four more times before 1931. Despite impressive racing triumphs, by the end of the 1920s the finances of Bentley Motors were precarious indeed. The company was still not able to sell enough cars forto make a profit. There was already a large number of manufacturers battling in the market for smaller and cheaper cars, but as far as Britain was concerned there was only one real competitor for the ultra-luxury market: Rolls-Royce. For 1930, Bentley aimed to create a faster, better handling luxury car than the Rolls-Royce Phantom II by producing what many historians consider his engineering masterpiece, the mighty 8-Litre.
