It is always a good time to delve into the interesting history of some of the most emblematic models of automotive firms and this time it is for the return of one of the icons of Bentley.
In 1958 the British firm began to work on the design of what would be the first monocoque of Bentley y Rolls-Royce which would come as a replacement for the motorhome bodies supported by a separate chassis.
Photographs: Bentley
The Bentley T-Series is back
That car was later the Silver Shadowthe first belonging to the T-SeriesBy 1962, John Blatchley, famous for designing the R-Type Continental, He completed a steel and aluminum monocoque and the design was improved, adding more space.
The model used a 6.23-litre, 225-hp V8 engine and was subjected to extensive testing including a 100,000-mile endurance race. At that time the car achieved the highest specific power per weight of any production car in the world.
Photographs: Bentley
It was a clear example of revolutionary engineering, of which 1,868 examples were produced with a list price of £5,425.
59 years later the oldest Bentley T-Series in the world is back with the number SBH1001 chassis after literally being under a tarp in the back of the warehouse and not being used for decades.
The fact that it was the first in this series and the equivalent of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow motivated the decision to put it back into service, of course, after a careful restoration, although to tell the truth it retained as much of the original car as possible.
The entire Bentley was stripped down for an assessment by the experts at P&A Wood, specialists in the conservation and restoration of classic Bentleys.
Photographs: Bentley
Checking it piece by piece they discovered that the key elements were in surprisingly good condition and after being quiet for 15 years the engine came to life.
The main challenges were a missing instrument panel, a wiring harness without a detailed diagram, corrosion around the frame and a few other repairs. Being such an old model it was difficult to get spare parts available on the market, however they were able to source them from a T-Series that was at the end of its life.
Another detail was that the Bentley had supports Vibrashock vibration-damping systems and dual-circuit hydropneumatic height control were installed, hydraulic hoses were replaced and components were restored to full working order.
The exterior also required some work as there was poorly executed repair work under the paint, the spoiler was also corroded and had to be replaced and the edges of the panels had to be smoothed.
Photographs: Bentley
After all the work behind it to bring it back to its glory days, the Bentley T-Series was reunited with its old 1900 TU registration number to be the latest addition to the line-up. Heritage Collection.
Along with 45 other cars from the same collection, the car returns to its home in Crewe, Englandto be part of a permanent exhibition, and will be kept in working order and legal to drive on the road when the occasion warrants.
