Auto-First | Hou Shunmao Recently, the Bentley brand restarted the comprehensive restoration of its first T-series model to reproduce the charm of this classic car that has been stored for decades. After at least 15 years of silence, the 6-liter pushrod V8 engine on the car start

Auto-First|Hou Shunmao

Recently, the Bentley brand restarted the comprehensive restoration of the first T-series model to reproduce the charm of this classic car that has been stored for decades.

After at least 15 years of silence, the 6-liter push rod V8 engine , which was equipped with this car, started again, and the engine and transmission were still in good condition. The Bentley brand is expected to carry out repair work for at least one and a half years, and will include this T-series model in the Bentley Collection series after helping it restore to its best condition. All the vehicles included in the Bentley Collection series meet the on-road standards, and the ever-increasing series of models aim to highlight the Bentley brand’s 103-year glorious history.

This oldest T-series model belongs to Bentley Automobile . After it was launched on September 28, 1965, it went to all parts of the world for a series of tests. This model uses a shell grey body and creates an interior with blue leather.

On October 5 of the same year, the Bentley T series model was released for the first time at the Paris Motor Show, significantly distinguishing itself from the previous generation S-Type models. It is worth mentioning that the T-series model is the first Bentley model to adopt a single-body horizontal structure, replacing the previous independent chassis and body technology with a single-body shell body design.

This model is equipped with a 6-liter V8 engine with an output power of 225 horsepower. It was designed and developed in 1959 and was originally installed on the Bentley S2 model. At that time, the thrust-to-weight ratio of this engine reached 2.7 lbs/hp (about 1.2 kg/hp), which was the first thrust-to-weight ratio of the global mass-produced engines. Although this powerful engine was once considered too advanced, it was its many advantages such as strong power, reliable performance and huge development potential that made it the main engine selected by the Bentley brand in the next half century. When the engine was retired in 2019, the improved version had twice the output power than the original version, with three times the torque, while reducing emissions by 99%.

In October 2016, a group of Bentley Auto Apprentices began to restore the T-Series model with the identification code 001. They first set out to remove the decorations and repair the white body. Since then, the T-Series has embarked on a "return journey". Subsequently, as the Bentley brand focused its products on the new model product portfolio and the field of electrification transformation, the T-Series restoration work that has completed the preparatory process had to be suspended. Recently, with the brand's increasing investment in the Bentley Collection series, the restoration of this classic car has been launched again.

1958, Bentley began to design the first model with a single shell body. Previously, Bentley Automobile was famous for its independent chassis car manufacturing technology. However, as time goes by, customers have new demand for cars, and the volume of body transactions at that time also declined. Bentley customers expect the car to have a more compact appearance while maintaining the interior space, luxury style and comfort.

In 1962, John Blatchley designed a new steel and aluminum single-shell body. The designer had previously designed the body for the Bentley Continental R model, which is quite famous. Compared with the previous S3 models, the new design improves the riding space, while the length, height and width of the car are reduced by 7 inches, 5 inches and 3.5 inches respectively. Not only is the cabin more spacious, but the improved luggage compartment space is also larger, making it easier for customers to load more luggage.

Then, seven prototype cars equipped with newly developed engines underwent a series of high-intensity vehicle tests, including a range test of more than 100,000 miles (about 160,000 kilometers). Other design innovations include independent subframe that can carry engines, transmissions, suspension, steering and rear axle components, equipped with a "Vibrashock" rubber subframe mount to isolate road noise and reduce vibration.

T series models are equipped with an advanced chassis system, and the four-wheel independent suspension can automatically adjust the chassis height according to the load. The triple hydraulic brake system provides pressure to the adaptive suspension, which is equipped with disc brakes on all four hubs. The suspension consists of a double wishbone at the front and a coil spring at the rear and a semi-torking arm.

Bentley T-series was once hailed as an innovative example in the field of engineering and manufacturing because it was the first Bentley car to no longer use a standalone chassis. Not only that, this Bentley series model, born in 1965 and adopts a single-shell body design, has a maximum speed of about 185 kilometers per hour and an acceleration time of only 10.9 seconds for a four-door sedan.

The first generation Bentley T series models were produced in total, with a recommended price of £5,425 without tax, most of which are standard versions of four-door sedans. In 1966, the T-series model launched a two-door version, and a convertible version was released a year later, with a total output of 41 units. The second generation of Bentley T-Series (also known as the T2) was launched in 1977 and continued to produce until 1980.