To Spain in an S1 Bentley

Sir,

Reading Mr. Dexter’s letter in your November 1977 issue, prompts me to relate my own recent endurance and reliability test for “ageing machinery”, My 1956 St Bentley Outliner Continental, although two years younger than Mr. Dexter’s R-type, is 21 today!

Complete with wife, two children and attendant luggage, she completed a 2,954-mile return trip to Alicante, Spain, using 154 gallons of petrol at 19+ miles to the gallon (this may be very slightly optimistic as I am bad at litres). Seven pints of oil went into the engine and nothing into the gearbox. No water was necessary for either radiator or battery and I got fed up with the tyre pressures always being correct when checked incredible considering the air temperature changes involved. The brake pedal return spring came out of its location near Andorra and caused a stop lamp bulb to burn out. There were no other “problems” and my self-assembled “Continental Touring Pack” went unopened. The car is used every day and has done 154,207 miles without a rebuild (I know the history), except for a replacement gearbox.

May your excellent magazine similarly endure.

London, SE 11 DAVID J. ROLFE