Significantly larger and with more power than its direct competitor at the time, the Bugatti, the ‘3 litre’ Bentley went on to win Le Mans in 1924 as a result.

The larger engine compensated for the increased weight prompting Ettore Bugatti to call it, with grudging respect, "the fastest lorry in the world".

Thanks to W.O.’s engineering background; the engine was technically advanced for its time, a production car with four valves per cylinders and an overhead camshaft.

Interestingly, just before war broke out, Mercedes-Benz had one of their racing cars on display in the Bentley showroom in London.

The car was subsequently confiscated, taken apart and scrutinised.

A number of advances were noted such as a cast iron monobloc design and an aluminium camshaft; although difficult to produce, these contributed greatly to durability and set contemporary engineers thinking.

As a testament to W.O.

Bentley’s individual design skills, many examples of his early vintage models fortunately s...