Car Restoration Projects

In September, 2024, the world’s oldest Bentley T-Series took its place in the Bentley Heritage Collection of road- and race-cars that together record all 105 years of Bentley’s history. The 59-year-old standard saloon was lovingly restored, preserving as much as possible of its original componentry.

This Shell Grey T-Series, with chassis number SBH1001, was used as a company trials car and featured in the original press coverage, following the model launch at the 1965 Paris Salon de l’Auto. 

When found under a cover in storage, the car had not run for decades and was missing several key areas: including its entire interior. 

The car’s significance as the first T-Series –  equivalent to the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow – off the production line prompted the decision to recommission it, preserving as much of the original car as possible. 

Mike Sayer, Head of the Bentley Heritage Collection, explained: 

“This T-Series is one of the final two pieces of the puzzle to complete our rejuvenated Heritage Collection. 

“Together with our T-Series Mulliner Coupe, this revitalised sedan – the first Bentley to use a unitary monocoque construction – completes the Bentley heritage story of the 1960s and 1970s.

“Our Chief Communications Officer Wayne Bruce and I quite literally found it under a tarpaulin in the back of a warehouse, and, given it was the first-off-line chassis, we knew we had to save it.” 

After a group of Bentley apprentices started the process of dismantling and assessing the car, the recommissioning of the T-Series was entrusted to the expert team at P&A Wood, specialists in the preservation and restoration of classic Bentleys and the company’s partner for Heritage Collection projects. 

Louise Wood, daughter of co-founder Andrew Wood, led the project, supported by Coachwork manager Dave Lowe – a P&A Wood veteran of 23 years. 

Key elements of the drivetrain proved to be in surprisingly good condition. The engine burst into life after a 15-year silence and needed only a thorough service, while the gearbox simply required minor adjustments. The rear axle was in a good state and only needed new seals. 

Major challenges for the team included the missing dashboard, no interior trim, a wiring loom in pieces, corrosion around the rear subframe and previous poor-quality crash repairs. 

With few replacement parts available off-the shelf, the team sourced a donor vehicle that was at the end of its life. As the specification of the T-Series evolved over the years, it was important that the donor should also be an early model. Every detail was discussed and pored over, right down to the correct (Rolls-Royce) logo on the seat belt buckles and the lack of wing mirrors. 

The T Series featured innovative vibration-deadening Vibrashock mounts and a two-circuit hydro-pneumatic ride height control, all of which were thoroughly overhauled. All hydraulic hoses were replaced, and unique components like the brake distribution valves were restored to full working condition. Rewiring and fitting the dashboard proved a major undertaking, requiring much time and perseverance. 

The paintwork was stripped, revealing poorly executed accident repair work and inconsistent panel gaps. One rear wing was corroded and had to be replaced, after which the entire vehicle was given multiple coats of 2k high-build primer, each coat being carefully sanded down once dry. 

“We spent a lot of time softening the panel edges, so they don’t look carved out of filler,” Dave Lowe explained. “And though we’re using modern two-pack finishes, we tried to do everything in the old Crewe way.” 

That process included a final sand down with 8000-grit abrasive, followed by machine polishing. Brightwork and bumpers were cleaned and polished, but not re-chromed, thus preserving the acquired patina. 

The T-Series has been reunited with its former press office registration number of 1900 TU as the latest addition to the Heritage Collection. Along with the 45 other cars in the Collection, the T-Series will live on Bentley’s campus in Crewe, England, on permanent display and kept in running, road legal condition to enable driving when needed. 

The Bentley T-Series History

In 1958, work began on designing the first monocoque Bentley and Rolls-Royce car series that was destined to replace coach-built bodies on separate chassis. Customer expectations and requirements were changing at a time where the coach-building trade was declining. Customers wanted their Bentleys to be externally smaller but maintain the space, luxury and comfort they had come to expect. 

The result was the car sold by Bentley as the T-Series and by Rolls-Royce as the Silver Shadow. 

By 1962, John Blatchley – famous for styling the R-Type Continental – had completed a new exterior design for a steel and aluminium monocoque body. The design improved on the passenger space of the preceding S3, but with the overall car now seven inches shorter, five inches lower and three and a half inches narrower. Overall cabin space was increased and a bigger boot provided more capacity for luggage. 

Using the freshly-developed 225bhp, 6.23-litre V8 engine, seven prototypes undertook significant testing, including endurance runs of over 100,000 miles. 

At the time, the engine achieved the highest specific output by weight of any production car in the world of 1.2 kg/hp. 

The engine was considered over-engineered at the time, but its inherent strength, reliability and development potential led to it becoming Bentley’s mainstay engine for the next 50 years. By the time the engine was retired in 2019, it was delivering more than double the amount of power and three times the original torque, while producing 99 percent fewer emissions. 

The T-Series design innovations included separate sub frames to carry the engine and transmission, suspension, steering and rear axle assemblies, with ‘Vibrashock’ rubber sub frame mounts to isolate road noise and vibration. 

The T-Series had an advanced chassis with independent suspension on all four wheels, with automatic height control according to loading. Pressure for the self-levelling suspension came from a triplicate hydraulic braking system which had disc brakes on all four wheels. The suspension comprised double wishbones and coil springs at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. 

The Bentley T-Series was hailed as an example of revolutionary engineering, given it was the first Bentley to move away from a separate chassis build, combined with relatively lightweight construction that gave impressive performance for a four-sedan in 1965: maximum speed of 115mph, with 0-62mph achieved in 10.9 seconds. 

Most production vehicles were standard four-door saloons and 1868 examples of the first-generation T-Series were produced, at a pre-tax list price of Stg£5425. A two-door version was released in 1966 and, a year later, a convertible version was launched, although production numbers were restricted to just 41 cars.

A second-generation car, known as the T2, was launched in 1977 and stayed in production until 1980. 

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