Bentley 4 Litre Price Guide

The Bentley 4 Litre was W.O. Bentley’s final and least successful model. A compromise car introduced in 1931 to generate revenue at a lower price point than the 8 Litre. It arrived too late to save the company and too compromised to enhance its reputation.

The Car

The 4 Litre used a new six-cylinder engine of 3,669cc designed by Ricardo. This was the only W.O.-era Bentley not to use an engine designed in-house. Output was around 120bhp. The car was smaller and lighter than the 6½ Litre and 8 Litre but lacked their character. Around 50 were built before Bentley went into receivership in July 1931. Rolls-Royce acquired the company at auction, outbidding Napier, and W.O. Bentley found himself working for his new owners as a consultant, a role he deeply resented.

Buying

The 4 Litre is the least sought-after W.O. Bentley but still a rare and historically significant car. It represents the end of the independent Bentley era. The 3 1/2 Litre that followed in 1933 was the first “Derby Bentley” designed under Rolls-Royce ownership and a completely different animal.