Bentley T Type: The Very First One

Images: Bentley Motors

After decades of being off the road and in storage, the very first Bentley T-Series is being brought back to life after the start of a complete wheels-up restoration. The 6¼-litre pushrod V8 has been started for the first time in at least 15 years, and the engine and gearbox have proven to be in good condition despite their extended rest.

After a restoration project—which took over 18 months—that returned the car to outstanding condition, it was added to Bentley’s expanding Heritage Collection of road-going cars that together describe all 103 years of Bentley’s history.

The oldest T-Series completed manufacture on 28 September 1965. Owned by Bentley Motors and destined for trials work around the world, the T-Series was finished in Shell Grey exterior paint and complemented with a Blue Leather interior.

The T-Series was originally announced and displayed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965 and was significantly different from its predecessor, the S-Type. Notably, the T-Series was the first Bentley to use a unitary construction method, using a monocoque in place of the chassis-on-frame technique of every Bentley before it. As we also know, it was essentially a badge-engineered Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

The 225 bhp, 6¼-litre V8 was originally designed and introduced in 1959 in the Bentley S2 (as well as the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II). At the time, the engine achieved the highest specific output by weight of any production car in the world of 2.7 lb/hp (1.2 kg/hp). The engine was considered over-engineered at the time, but its inherent strength, reliability, and development potential led to it becoming Bentley’s mainstay engine for the next 50 years.

By the time the engine was retired in 2019, it was delivering more than double the amount of power and three times the original torque whilst producing 99 percent fewer emissions.

In 1958, work began on designing the first monocoque Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Both were known for coachbuilt bodies underpinned by a separate chassis but customer expectations and requirements were changing at a time when the coachbuilding trade was also declining. Customers wanted their Rolls-Royces and Bentleys to be externally smaller but maintain the space, luxury and comfort that they had come to expect.

By 1962, John Blatchley—famous for styling the R-Type Continental—had completed a new exterior design for a steel and aluminium monocoque body. The design improved on the passenger space of the preceding S3, but with the overall car now seven inches shorter, five inches lower and three-and-a-half inches narrower. Overall cabin space was increased and a bigger boot provided more capacity for luggage.

The Silver Shadow/T-Series had an advanced chassis with independent suspension on all four wheels, with automatic height control according to loading. Pressure for the self-levelling suspension came from the triplicate hydraulic braking system which had disc brakes on all four wheels (this was under a Citroën license granted
for free, as stated by a "plaque" on the firewall of the first series). The suspension comprised of double wishbones and coil springs at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear.

1,868 examples of the first-generation T-Series were produced, with a pre-tax list price of £5,425 and the majority consisting of standard four-door saloons. A two-door version was created in 1966, and a year later a convertible version was launched; although production numbers remained a very exclusive figure of 41 cars. A second-generation car, known as the T2, was launched in 1977 and stayed in production until 1980.

In October 2016, a group of apprentices started the rejuvenation process for T-Series VIN 001. Starting with the removal of trim and the reconditioning of the Body-in-White, the T-Series started its journey to return to active duty. After initial preparations, the work was put on hold whilst the introduction of the current product range and future electrification activities became more of a priority. But with renewed attention on developing the Heritage Collection, the car was readied in good time.