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Bentley T series

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Production
  
1965–1980

Layout
  
FR layout

Class
  
Full-size luxury car

Platform
  
monocoque

Bentley T-series

Manufacturer
  
Bentley Motors (1931) Limited, Crewe, Cheshire

Body style
  
4-door saloon 2-door saloon 2-door convertible

The Bentley T-Series is an automobile which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1965 to 1980. It was announced and displayed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965 as a Bentley-badged version of the totally redesigned chassis-less Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

Contents

The Bentley T series was available as a four-door saloon and as a long wheelbase four-door saloon. A small number of two-door saloons were built with coachwork by James Young and Mulliner Park Ward and a two-door convertible with coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward was introduced in September 1967.

Point of difference

The Bentley T-Series was differentiated from the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow by its simpler and lighter front grille. In October 1966, the T saloon's pretax 'list price' of GBP 5375 undercut that of the Rolls-Royce by GBP 50.

Customers

The Bentley, being technically an identical twin of the Rolls-Royce, seems to have been bought mostly by owners wishing a little more understatement.

The formerly more sporting image of Bentley motor cars differing from Rolls-Royces was gone by the time the Silver Shadow/Bentley T was introduced and thus couldn't motivate buyers any more. "For a while Bentley´s sporting character has been as absent and as lamented as [deceased racing driver] Mr Seaman. The last batches of Bentleys have, to be rather frank, been a little hard to distinguish from their Rolls-Royce stablemates" was the opinion of Archie Vicar in the Motorist´s Illustrated Digest (Dec 1965). The same correspondent gave the car a favourable review, especially in comparison to its Rolls-Royce stablemate.

The outward appearance of a Bentley T is slightly more dynamic because the bonnet design is a few centimetres lower and the radiator shell shape with its rounded edges is smoother. In addition, the badging on wheel covers, boot lid and gauges featured Bentley motifs rather than Rolls-Royce ones.

Fundamental redesign

The T series is the first Bentley (or Rolls-Royce) without a separate chassis. It is totally different from its predecessor the S series.

  • new steel and aluminum monocoque body with subframes to mount the engine and suspension, more space inside but smaller outside, more passenger room, particularly in the rear compartment, more luggage space
    dimensions: - radiator grille 5 inches lower and 2 inches wider; the whole car - 7 inches shorter, 5 inches lower and  3 1⁄2 inches narrower
  • independent suspension on all four wheels with automatic height control according to loading

    • Other major improvements:

  • disc brakes on all wheels with a triplicate hydraulic braking system patented from Citroen that also supplied pressure for the self leveling suspension.
  • new and lighter power steering, improved automatic transmission, eight-way adjustable electric front seats, weight reduced 150 lbs, larger fuel tank
  • Engine is the least changed unit but a re-designed cylinder head allows a speed increase to 118 mph

    • 1977 upgrade

    The upgraded T2 featured rack and pinion steering, improved air conditioning, rubber-faced bumpers, a new fascia and for Non USA Spec. cars a front air dam, along with Bosch CIS Fuel Injection introduced for late 1979 and 1980 models for the USA and other markets, similarly to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II.

    The T1 was manufactured from 1965 to 1977 and the T2 was made from 1977 to 1980.

    Production of Bentley T-Series

    Note: 15 examples of the Two Door Saloon were built with coachwork by James Young and the remainder with coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward.

    References

    Bentley T-series Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA