The Bentley Boys

Text: Prithvi Nath Tagore

Images: Deepanjan Sarkar

As soon as John found a clear stretch of road on that Sunday, he floored the accelerator pedal and swiftly went through the gears. I was thrown back into my seat, astonished at the prodigious amount of torque and rapid acceleration the vintage 8-litre engine produced. After the short blast, John let off, producing a high-pitched blap blap blap pop pop from the exhaust. He turned to me and chuckled – “that’s the overrun!” A little behind was the green monster, Robert’s impressive 6 ½ Litre tourer, and I couldn’t be happier. Getting a ride in a W.O. Bentley, headed to my house with another following, was special.

The team at Classic Drivers Club received an out-of-the-blue call a few weeks ago from someone called Daniel. Who this Daniel was, we soon found out. Daniel Sequeira, to give his full name, was the trusty companion and driver of the pilot car (an enormous, customized Toyota Landcruiser from the 1980s) that was guiding John Walton’s and Robert Wilkinson’s Cricklewood Bentleys. John and Robert had shipped their two cars from the United Kingdom to India and over a few legs, planned to cover the length and breadth of the country for fun.

Since that first call, we followed the progress of the Bentleys, their route, the places they wanted to stay in and their final destination for their current leg. Siliguri was what they had in mind; we suggested Kolkata and after a quick rethink, they concluded that Kolkata would be a better option to park the cars. John, Robert and their team of two more gents, Jonathan and Ryan, were heading back to the United Kingdom for a little over three weeks and planned to return to Kolkata on October 10.

Classic Drivers Club took this opportunity to create an event named ‘The Bentley Boys’, a relaxed outing for members of the Club to welcome the two remarkable Bentleys. It took place last Sunday (September 13) in Kolkata, with club members enthusiastically turning up in their own historic vehicles.

The thought behind the event was to give Club members an opportunity to see the glorious Bentleys and to interact with their owners and their teams. Several marques turned up including post-war Mercedes-Benzes, a Derby Bentley, Volkswagen Beetles, a Chevrolet Fleetmaster, post-war Austins and Morrises and a rare MGB GT V8. A trio of motorcycles were also present, including a BSA and a Matchless.

I reached Town Hall ahead of time and shortly after 9:30 am, the huge Toyota Landcruiser appeared, followed by the magical sight of the two Cricklewood Bentleys. These were followed by members' cars and bikes, who quickly parked before hopping out to see the Bentleys. I was glad that a leading media house journalist and photographer showed up; the two cars deserved some media coverage.

After an hour of interaction, the classic convoy made its way down historic Dalhousie and into Red Road, where we halted briefly for press photos. I explained to John and Robert that Red Road was once an airstrip during World War II. “Really? Was it? How interesting”, came Robert’s response. He then said, “Look, can you arrange for those taxis to clear out from the main gate of Victoria Memorial so that our two Bentleys can park right in front for a few shots?” I knew this would be extremely difficult, especially on a Sunday. A devilish thought came to mind. “We’ll see”, I replied.

We carried on towards the roundabout in front of the north entrance of Victoria Memorial; local tourists startled at the sight of the approaching Bentleys. I got out of my car and rushed to the cabs, “quick, move out, quickly move out, a VIP convoy is coming right here!” Reluctantly, one by one, the taxis moved out, clearing the area in front of the north gate!

Robert and John seized this rare window and swiftly parked the two cars parallel to each other in front of the gate, whilst media and club photographers clicked away in the brief minutes that we had.

The police posted in the area suddenly realised what was happening and just before they got agitated, the Bentleys roared out of the area, speeding towards Taj Bengal. CDC had organised a brunch at the star address as part of the event.

The hotel’s parking attendants quickly moved out a modern Mercedes from under the porch and the two Bentleys settled into a coveted parking spot designed for exactly two cars under the porch of the entrance. And boy, did they look good.

John’s Bentley is a deep wine-red, a fascinating amalgam of an 8-litre Bentley engine shoehorned into a reinforced 3-litre chassis. Considerably lighter and smaller than Robert’s 6 ½ Litre, John’s Bentley has a higher compression engine too, for higher speeds.

Easily capable of 100mph and beyond, its two-seater fabric on aluminium tub and steeply raked windscreen behind that long bonnet make for a remarkable design. Massive, ventilated drum brakes all round, Carl Zeiss headlamps, a big bore exhaust and 19-inch Dunlop Racing tyres with a beautiful cross-hatch tread, complete the car. I look under the car; the sump is enormous!

Robert's is an emerald green 6 ½ Litre with a matching numbers chassis and drivetrain. I can see why Ettore Bugatti called them ‘the fastest lorries in the world’.

The 6 ½ is a beast; every aspect of it is enormous and hugely impressive. It sits very high off the ground, has a bonnet that goes on and on, sports a huge radiator and shroud, a massive fuel tank and rides on 21-inch Blockley tyres.

The whole car is jaw dropping. It has a later, period tourer body, with one door on the driver’s side and two on the passenger side.

I took a closer look at both cars and W.O. Bentley’s engineering prowess was evident. These were built for speed. The lovely quick-release radiator caps, similar quick-release petrol tank caps, knock-off spoke wheels, and huge fuel tanks.

Imagine how overbuilt the 3-litre chassis is; made for a four-cylinder engine but currently housing a much heavier 8-litre engine. And then, of course, there are the advanced engines. Head and block in one unit, eliminating the need for a head gasket, aluminium alloy pistons, dual coil and magneto ignition, single overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder; these were cutting edge specs in the 1920s.

And both these cars were headed to my house after brunch, to be parked till John and Robert return. I couldn’t believe that honour.  Two W.O. racing Bentleys in my garage shed for a month!

Perhaps Kolkata will never again have the good fortune of hosting two remarkable Cricklewood Bentleys.