Vintage Bentleys make a distinctive noise. That's 'vintage' in the true 1919-1930 sense of the word, usually taken to mean the cars constructed by Bentley Motors Ltd at Cricklewood, north London, before the take-over by Rolls-Royce in 1931. The 3-Litre, the company's first model and the one that set the famous name on its path to glory, is typical.
Because of the advanced design, with an overhead camshaft opening four valves over each cylinder there's more mechanical noise than a simpler 1920s side-valve. It sounds busy, with a whirr of various different components mingling with the slurping intake through the two carburettors and that bassy exhaust, which contributes most of the fun. Stand behind the car, and you get the full effect - a deep-chested melodious clucking noise that develops into a purposeful bellow as the revs rise. Even the 3-litre, smallest of the Cricklewood Bentley engines, makes a rousing version of what's long been known as 'the bloody thump'.
This one, UE 1354, is a little bloodier than average. It's in a high state of tune,
