Brian Johnson 1928 Vanden Plas Le Mans Bentley

Brian Johnson 1928 Vanden Plas Le Mans Bentley, The legendary, original “Bentley Boys” was a motley crew of wealthy British sportsmen and racing enthusiasts who established Bentley’s reputation for high performance motoring in the 1920s. Woolf “Bentley Boy” Barnato, son of diamond magnate Barnet Barnato and heir to the Kimberly diamond fortune, purchased Bentley in 1925 as it was teeter totting on the precipice of extinction. He was the guiding force behind the creation of the supercharged “Blower Bentleys” and the brand’s revival.

Barnato put together a group of enthusiasts made up of playboys, aviators, sportsmen, racing drivers and even a pearl fishery magnate, Bernard Rubin and an automotive journalist and Editor at The Autocar, S.C.H. “Sammy” Davis, to go racing and save the brand. Had it not been for the Bentley Boys, the marque might not still be around. Bentley won four consecutive victories at Le Mans from 1927 to 1930 and earned the reputation for reliability and durability, and for building “The World’s Fastest Lorries.”

It was the 4 ½-Litre Bentley engine, an evolution of the original 3-Litre in the early chassis, complete with four-wheel semi-elliptical suspension and mechanical brakes that made Le Mans racing history. The overhead cam, four-valve integrated head and block Four was bored out to 3.9 inches to produce 4.4 Liters (268 cubic inches) and 110 horsepower in street trim. Higher output 130 horsepower engines powered the racecars. In 1928, it was Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin driving a 130-horsepower 4 ½-Litre, Vanden Plas Le Mans Tourer model that won the 24-hour race. In 1929 and 1930, Barnato and his Bentley Boys increased engine size by adding two more cylinders and won the 24-hour Le Mans enduro in more powerful Speed Six models.

While the high-profile Blower Bentleys usually get all the attention at shows, it was the naturally aspirated 4 ½-Litre cars that blew away Bugattis at Le Mans and created the marque’s performance mystique that continues today.

AC/DC rocker, historic sports car racer and member in good standing of the Sarasota Café Racers, Brian Johnson, is a modern day Bentley Boy. He street drives, shows and has even taken his 1928 4 ½-Litre Bentley Vanden Plas Le Mans Tourer on the track. At this year‘s Walter Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta, Brian took time out from racing to participate in a charity event, taking children for rides around the circuit in his raucous “Thunder Guts” Bentley.

Johnson’s 1928 Tourer, like so many 1920s Bentleys, started out as a four-door Saloon (sedan). Coachbuilder Freestone & Webb originally bodied his car. It was later fitted with a traditional ash-framed, vinyl covered British Racing Green Vanden Plas Le Mans Tourer body. Unlike many makes of cars that have been re-bodied, vintage Bentleys with authentic style bodies are accepted by international clubs and organizations. The Rolls-Royce Owners Club (RROC), which also recognizes Bentley as well as the Bentley Drivers Club, embrace authentically re-bodied vehicles. In order to tell it from an original car, you would have to be a vintage Bentley restorer or aficionado.

Riding on 21-inch wire wheels, Brian Johnson’s thundering Bentley produces torque by the truckload. And it’s all in by 3,500 rpm, the engine’s redline! The cast iron OHC Four, with twin SU sidedraft carbs (without air cleaners) and twin magnetos is mated to a non-synchro four-speed “crash box” via a  300-pound cone-type clutch/ flywheel. With unassisted steering and mechanical brakes, it’s a handful to drive on the street.

 The 4 ½-Litre Bentley is a massive, macho machine that commands attention even when standing still. From its huge mesh-accented grille shell and Lucas headlights and four friction shocks to its exposed Le Mans quick-fill gas tank, Thunder Guts dominates wherever it goes. Other mouth-watering details include a fold-down windshield with Brooklands screens, engine turned alloy dash with full Jaeger instrumentation and a signature oversize cord-wrapped, four-spoke steering wheel.

Brian Johnson is not the only member of the Sarasota Café Racers who owns a Vanden Plas bodied 4 ½-Litre Bentley. Dale Powers, a world-respected vintage Rolls-Royce and Bentley expert, has a British Racing Green 1930 model in his eclectic collection. They often end up showing next to one another at local events, attracting huge crowds. Dale can also be seen and heard at RROC Nationals, narrating the drive-bys at trophy time.

That was then; this is now. Bentley continues as the world’s premium luxury high-performance automotive marque and can still be found on the grid at Le Mans. In 2003, after 73 years since Bentley’s last win at Le Mans, two Bentleys were entered in the epic 24-hour endurance race.  On June 14, the race started with the two Bentleys taking the lead. The #7 car ran consistent laps, while the #8 car set the fastest lap of the race.

On June 15, two Bentley Speed Eights came in First and Second at Le Mans, almost 73 years to the day that the two Speed Sixes had achieved the same. It was a day that those who witnessed it will never forget.

Brian Johnson 1928 Vanden Plas Le Mans Bentley 2013-05-22T03:14:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: My Videos Tube