Rolls-Royce Craftsmanship: A Road Test Odyssey with Bentley's S-series 4.9-Litre Model

Bentley is not a name to be taken lightly. Indeed, the development of the Rolls-Royce-built cars has been steady, sensible and continuous, culminating in today’s S-series 4.9-litre model, of which Motor Sport was recently able to conduct a road test extending over more than 1360 miles.

The modern Bentley has a specification in which traditional engineering is blended with the requirements of the present. The six-cylinder engine has a bore and stroke of 4887cc, but the power output remains locked in the bosoms of the Rolls-Royce technicians. The chassis is of closed-box-section construction with cruciform centre bracing, a steel front pan carrying the suspension and steering units.

The body lines of the S-series Bentley are beautifully proportioned, rendering this big car handsome as well as imposing. In a car of this price and reputation one expects every conceivable luxury, and the Bentley does not disappoint. The car we tried was the standard four-door 5/6-seater saloon of pressed-steel construction.