1925 Bentley 3 Litre Tourer by Jarvis

A green 1925 Bentley 3 Litre Tourer with coachwork by Jarvis & Sons arriving at and leaving Arcadia Park during the 2021 Holiday Motor Excursion.

There's something special about a car company that has been in business for over a century. There's something even more special about getting to see the very first model produced by such a company. For Bentley, that's the 3 Litre.

I'm lucky to have seen several later examples of pre-war Bentleys, but this was my first time crossing paths with a 3 Litre. Its rounder grille set it apart from most Bentleys that came after it. If it weren't for the requisite British green paint, I confess I may not even have recognized it as a Bentley from far away.

But yes, this was how the high-end British marque got started. The 3 Litre was sold as a running chassis (which was common at the time), with bodywork provided by each customer's coachbuilder of choice. While various body styles were available, the most iconic were certainly the Le Mans-style open tourers, and many examples of the 3 Litre, as well as later models, were eventually rebodied in this desirable configuration. The 3 Litre helped establish the Bentley name in racing and paved the way for the well-known ""Blower Bentleys"". It was a big car, especially compared to other race cars at the time. But it also had a big engine to balance out its size and weight. While today's VW-owned Bentley is better known for luxury than for racing, it continues the tradition of building large, exquisite automobiles with plenty of power to make you forget about their size.

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