A racing history

Sir,
As the creator of the 8-litre Bentley Special featured in your article “A Gentle Giant” (Motor Sport, February 1988), I would like to correct certain inaccuracies and perhaps add a few points of interest.

Firstly, you said it did not have “any racing history of its own — yet.” I first raced YF at Bentley Silverstone in 1983, winning the Novice Handicap award and the McKenzie Trophy. We won the Russ’ Turner Trophy at Silverstone in 1986, and achieved Fastest Vintage at VSCC Colerne with a standing-start quarter-mile in 15.7 seconds, the kilometre in 28.4 seconds, and a terminal speed of 116 mph fully road-equipped.

Secondly, it is unfair to say that Stanley Mann’s team “completed the car this last winter”. YF is well-known in VSCC circles, and if any credit is to be given it must be to the following people, who helped me with the project: Nigel Hudson for just about everything mechanical, John Guppy for basic groundwork, chassis modification and making the con-rods, the late Jim Abbot for the braking system and Williams and Pritchard for executing my body design so well.

The idea was inspired by two other 3/8-litre Bendeys, namely Jumbo Goddard’s car (HT 9029) and the fastest of them all, the Llewelyn Bentley (YP 41). She was built primarily for fast touring, with racing as a secondary consideration— but had to have the reliability to be driven to a meeting, raced and driven home again, all of which she does admirably.

I acquired YF in 1965 from Dan Margulies, in 3-litre two-seater form, and it was the first motor car I ever owned. I hope the above is of interest, if only to put the record straight.

John Konig, Kings Somborne, Hampshire