As of 2013, Bentley 4½ Litre automobiles from this inter-war period – the "Belle Époque" of the automobile for some – sold for around €1, 000, 000. Blowers can fetch more than €7 million and are coveted by collectors despite never winning a single race.For many, the 4½ Litre is to automobiles what the Spitfire is to aircraft. lthough the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1, 625 kg (3, 583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4, 380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3, 302 mm (130.0 in), it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised. The robustness of the 4½ Litre's lattice chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was "resolutely modern"[10] for the time. The displacement was 4, 398 cc (268.4 cu in): 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke. Two SU carburetters and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp (82 kW) for the touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4, 000 rpm.[10][16] A single, crossflow, overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder in a side-valve cylinder head. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine. The Bentley's tanks - radiator, oil and petrol - had quick release filler caps that opened with one stroke of a lever. This saved time during pit stops. This 4½ was equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body.[1] The hood structure was very light but with high wind resistance (24 Hours Le Mans rules between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps for which the hood had to be closed). The steering wheel measured about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter
