1930 Bentley 8-Liter Mayfair Coupe

To find a vintage Bentley with its original engine and original body is rare indeed—and it’s the second-to-last built

Introduced at the London Motor Show in 1930, the Bentley 8-liter made an immediate impact. While the engine was an extension of the successful 6.5-liter engine that powered Bentleys to numerous race victories, the 8-liter was intended to knock Rolls-Royce from its pedestal.

The 8-liter was capable of 100 mph fitted with formal coachwork, while the Rolls-Royce had difficulty attaining 90 mph. It also impressed the automotive scribes of the era, with the Sphere of 1931 describing the new 8-liter as “one of the finest examples of British Automobile Engineering that has ever been produced,” while Autocar recounted a 1930 road test in glowing terms.

Unfortunately, the 8-liter was launched in the teeth of the Great Depression and Bentley’s chief financier, the great Woolf Barnato, cut his losses and withdrew. After only 100 8-liters were built, Bentley ceased production.

The majority of 8-liters were fitted with formal, heavy, four-door saloon...