The engine sizes in some of these really old race cars is just mind boggling when you consider that they are often just 6 cylinders. I mean this Bentley here is from 1933. We’re not talking about the 50’s or 60’s, when there were considerable improvements in engine design. This 1933 Bentley set records using pure brute force and determination. And when you look at the wheelbase and design, you know that this thing was meant for long stretches at speed, not tight corners like it is seeing at Goodwood.
With that said, it is performing really well in this video even though it isn’t quite going 142 miles per hour like it did to set the record at Brooklands. Can you imagine going 142 mph behind the wheel of this thing? It certainly doesn’t seem possible and yet these men and machines did just that.
Check out the video below from Goodwood.
Video Description:
We’re privileged to have some of the most iconic racing cars at Goodwood, but occasionally, something really ‘special’ makes an appearance. This Bentley Barnato-Hassan Special is a one-of-a-kind record holder. The 8-litre powerhouse was built to break the Brooklands lap record, and it still holds it today at an incredible speed of 142.6mph. This broke John Cobb’s 140.91mph record set the previous year in his Napier-Railton.
Despite being a high-speed machine and not designed for a tighter-cornered circuit, we got to see this beautiful racing car compete in the 2024 Parnell Cup at the 81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport. Over the 82MM weekend, we spoke to owner David Little and Vintage Bentley owner and the car’s preparer William Medcalf.
