Bentley Speed 8 – Collector's Edition

Motorsport Book of the Year Award 2023 (Royal Automobile Club)

Limited to 88 numbered copies, signed by Mark Blundell, David Brabham, Rinaldo Capello, Johnny Herbert, Tom Kristensen & Guy Smith

Exactly 20 years ago, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the sixth time. Just three years earlier, the project was born from within the brand. The later Bentley Motorsport Director Brian Gush secured the internal support of the corporate siblings VW and Audi and rolled out the Speed 8 project. There, where Bentley had established its motorsport heritage between 1924 and 1930, the aim was to revive the brand and make a clear statement. Already in the first year 2001 a small sensation was achieved with a podium finish, in 2003 the legendary double victory followed after intensive development and test work.

In this comprehensive book, former team members, engineers and drivers have their say and quite a few of them contributed their photos. Starting with wind tunnel tests, the construction of the eleven chassis, test drives and races, author Andrew Cotton covers the entire development and racing history of Bentley's Le Mans winner of the modern era. In the course of his research he had access to all e-mails, documents and drawings of the team and he interviewed all important contemporary witnesses who were involved in the project. This standard work on perhaps one of the most beautifully designed sports cars of the modern era is rounded off with the chassis history of every Bentley Speed 8 built.

Reviews

“(…) what better way to celebrate that victory’s 20th anniversary than the 300-plus beautifully designed and illustrated pages of this slipcased publication.” – Octane Issue 247