W.O. Bentley The Cars in My Life

With every justification, many people claim that W. 0. Bentley is Britain's most distinguished motor car designer. From 1912 to his post war designs for Lagonda, whose engine was perpetuated in that superlative sports car, the Aston Martin, Bentley has had a great influence on the trend of development of the high per¬formance motor, and his name has been associated with such memorable designs as the 3 litre Bentley and V12 Lagonda. In his widely popular autobiography ‘W.O.’ Bentley finally told the full story of the many exciting and controversial episodes which have occurred in an eventful life. Of ‘The Cars in my Life’ he writes, 'It is not an elaboration of the earlier one, nor is it (heaven forbid!) more personal in any sense of that term. It is, if you like, a book of theories and opinions, a hotch-potch of ideas on motor cars, motoring and the motor industry—and a few other things besides. I also say something about the cars I have known, some of the cars for which I have been responsible, and even some of the cars which never came to anything. Stirred into the stew as spice, are a few theories on the principle of motor car design and something about the people I have known in the world of motoring.' As Bentley writes in gastronomic terms, it is left only to say that the menu lives up delightfully to its promise.