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1932 Bentley 8 Litre Mulliner Saloon Heads to Auction
A 1932 Bentley 8 Litre with four-door saloon coachwork by H.J. Mulliner, one of the last 25 examples built before Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley, is offered for sale in Rhode Island after an 800-mile vintage rally.
By George Kensington · 5 min read
A 1932 Bentley 8 Litre carrying four-door saloon coachwork by H.J. Mulliner is being offered for sale in Greenville, Rhode Island, on behalf of its current owner. The car, chassis YX5110, is one of the final 25 examples of the 100 built during Bentley's last two years of production before Rolls-Royce Limited purchased the company out of receivership in late 1931.
The 8 Litre was announced in September 1930 and first presented at the London Motor Show the following month as a luxury-oriented touring car riding on what was then the longest chassis produced by Bentley. The model's ladder frame was available in 144-inch or 156-inch wheelbase variants, clothed in custom bodywork by a variety of coachbuilders. Even larger-bodied cars were claimed to be capable of speeds over 100 mph. Although Bentley briefly added a 4 Litre derivative, the 8 Litre became the last new platform designed during the company's Cricklewood era.
This example was delivered new in June 1932 by London dealership Jack Barclay to an owner in Bromley, England, who retained it through 1940. Chassis YX5110 then passed to another Bromley owner who stored it through the war years before limited use and disassembly for a planned refurbishment in the early 1960s. It was purchased as an unfinished project in 1970 by Formula 1 team owner and car collector Peter Agg, who commissioned completion of the refurbishment by the staff of his company Lambretta Concessionaires.
Upon completion, the car was highlighted in a 1974 issue of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars as well as in John Bolster's 1976 book Upper Crust, while also making appearances at Bentley Drivers Club meetings throughout the UK. It was then purchased in 1979 by a Bentley Drivers Club member who kept it for 28 years, a span during which it underwent various mechanical refreshes before being displayed at the 2004 Techno Classica Essen in a large transparent case.
After changing hands in 2007, the car was sold in 2010 to a German owner who had it repainted in its current color scheme of green and black with red pinstripes. It was purchased four years ago by its current owner and was driven by the seller in the 800-mile North American Vintage Bentley Meet rally in New York's Finger Lakes region in May 2026.
Power is provided by a 7,983cc SOHC inline-six featuring four valves per cylinder, dual ignition with coil and magneto systems, and twin SU carburetors. The engine is said to have been overhauled in 1988, and an alternator has been added. A four-speed manual transmission and dry single-disc clutch send power to the rear wheels, and the gearbox is said to have been overhauled in 1994. Suspension incorporates solid axles and semi-elliptical leaf springs at front and rear with friction shock absorbers up front and lever-arm hydraulic shocks at the rear. Stopping is handled by mechanically actuated drum brakes with assistance from a Dewandre servo.
The right-hand-drive cabin was re-trimmed during the 1970s refurbishment and features red leather over front bucket seats and a rear bench with matching upholstery over the door panels. Additional features include color-matched carpeting, a right-hand shifter, wood door caps, door pockets, roll-up windows, a dashboard-mounted ashtray and cigarette lighter, dual gloveboxes, front and rear fold-down central armrests, wood trays that fold out from the front seatbacks, dual rear vanities, and rear grab ropes. The four-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a wood dashboard housing instrumentation including a 120-mph speedometer, a 4k-rpm tachometer, a clock, and gauges monitoring coolant temperature, amperage, oil pressure, fuel level, and brake performance. The five-digit odometer shows 85k miles, approximately 800 of which have been added under current ownership.
Exterior details include centrally hinged doors, Lucas fog lamps, a Flying B radiator mascot, a driver-side cowl spot lamp carrying dual mirrors, a tilt-out lower driver-side window panel, a fabric roof panel incorporating a sliding sunroof, window rain guards, running boards, trafficators, an integrated trunk, and quadruple diver's-helmet rear lamps. Black-painted wire wheels are wrapped in 6.75/7.00-21 Blockley tires, as are dual side-mount spares. A tool tray is integrated into the trunk, and an array of additional tools and supplies is also included. The car is offered with a tool kit and a clean Montana title.
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