Throughout the mid to late 1920s Bentley was a dominant force in racing, and there was one iconic track it saw more success at than any.
Founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley and launching the brand’s first 3 Litre chassis in 1921, a new endurance race in France also entered the fray around the same time.
That race was the 24 Hours Grand Prix of Endurance held in 1923. You probably know it better these days as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
After an equal-fourth finish in the first such race held at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Bentley went on to win the event the following year. Then again in 1927. And in 1928. And then occupying the top four spots in 1929. And finally a one-two finish in 1930.
To call Bentley a dominant force at Le Mans in those days would be like describing Antarctica a bit chilly. Yet, despite such dominance, the brand wouldn’t win it again until its most recent victory in 2003, a whole 73 years later.
But it was in 1928 that one of those four consecutive victories spurned an Aussie connection to Bentley’s racing dominance – and it came in a car similar to the 1928 4½ Litre you see here, a car featuring in RR Auctions’ April 2026 sale.
Like many manufacturers of the day, Bentley simply produced rolling chassis which were fitted with bodywork by independent coachbuilders, rather than selling complete cars from a showroom floor.
While the 1924 and ’27 victories came in the early 3 Litre and 1929-30 races were won in the iconic Speed Six, 1928 saw the 4½ Litre earn its place at the top of the Le Mans podium. (The following year, it occupied places second through fourth.)
The winning car’s lead driver was Woolf Barnato, at the time Bentley’s director and financier. A prototypical member of the so-called Bentley Boys, this was the first of his own three consecutive Le Mans wins.
But alongside him on the 1928 podium was his Melbourne-born co-driver Bernard Rubin – a close friend of Barnato’s, even living next door to him for some time. Having originally moved to England with his parents at age 12, Rubin previously served for the British Army in World War I, suffering injuries that left him unable to walk for three years.
After a period of purchasing properties in the Northern Territory, he then began to develop an interest in motor racing that culminated in his debut at Brooklands in 1928, finishing sixth, before becoming the first Australian to win Le Mans the same year. Talk about a baptism of fire.
It wasn’t until Vern Schuppan won 55 years later that an Aussie would grace the top of that podium.
Introduced in 1927, just 720 examples of the 4½ Litre were produced, including 55 examples of the iconic yet unsuccessful supercharged ‘Blower Bentley’ that was based on the same platform.
Life for this particular example, chassis NT3138, begins in the UK where it was originally delivered with Weymann saloon coachwork. It was then believed to have been used as an ambulance during the World War II before ending up in South Africa.
It was later brought to Australia in 1989 by well-known Australian motoring personality Clive Smith. Bought as a project, it was subsequently restored by Australian Bentley expert Rod Warriner, and now features the Vanden Plas-style bodywork you see here, of course finished in British Racing Green.
The Bentley motor cars of the day were superbly engineered vehicles, with W. O. Bentley pioneering the use of aluminium pistons among other mechanical innovations.
Its torquey four-cylinder engine – which despite the name is actually a 4.4-litre – also features twin-spark cylinder heads, an overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder, and an advanced cross-flow design.
It’s backed by a four-speed non-synchro manual gearbox, and rides on semi-elliptical leaf springs with mechanical drum brakes on all four corners. To drive one of these to victory after 24 hours straight and 155 laps of the Le Mans circuit would’ve taken some serious skill.
Perhaps the evidence of just how well engineered these cars were, however, is the fact this example runs incredibly well almost one century later.
If snagging a truly special slice of history gets your high octane blood pumping, head to RRAuctions.com.au where you’ll find this and many other prestigious listings in our curated timed sales.
