Facts only wanted for Classic high-speed saloons

Does anyone know the rear axle ratios, and any other concrete technical details, of both the '39 Bentley Corniche and '37 Eyston Chrysler speed saloons below? The Embiricos '38 Bentley included only as its specs are known, the car surviving. Supposedly, one '37 Eyston Chrysler saloon remains in the US, last in New Jersey, in the early '70s having just one carburetor, since then falling from the radar.

Given the increasing incursions of downhome disinformation on what was once a club devoted to celebrating select automotive refinement, this likely a fool's mission. Please, no need to weigh in with "i think....i believe....i heard....JimBob told me....the factory stock version used..." We know how to Google.

Meanwhile, is there any danger of seeing someone post something about their Riley or other forgotten CCCA Classics lost in the shuffle of '41 Cadillacs sharing every piece of sheet metal with '41 Pontiacs?

Many thanks!

1939 Bentley Corniche saloon, below, engine as above '38 Embiricos Bentley, except F-head, exhaust valves in block, with cylinder liners, akin to later rationalized B-40 (four cylinder), B-60, and in 1950, B-80, all sharing the same 3.5 x 4.6 b/s. The B-80 was used in 18 Phantom IVs sold only to heads of state on a 146-in wb, nine main bearings. Then used in Dennis firetrucks and various military vehicles.

I can't find anymore specs on the '39 Corniche prototype which was destroyed by German bombs on a French dock waiting to be shipped home. But one source suggests it, too, had a 2.87:1 final drive. Can anyone confirm this, and the shipping or curb weight? Same 126-inch wheelbase as Embiricos car.

<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>

[h=1]Bentley Corniche Prototype coachwork by Vanvooren 1939[/h] Just as Reid Railton lent his name for a more affordable replacement for the Invicta, based on stock Hudson straight eight mechanicals, so did Capt. G.E.T. Eyston build six 1937 Carlton aluminum-bodied saloons on the 121-inch wheelbase using the 323-ci Chrysler flathead inline eight with twin carbs, aluminum head, estimated 150 hp. Eyeston "....just managed to top 100mph at Brooklands in one in 1937."

"At the time of this car's pioneer c.i. records G. E. T. Eyston had an interesting association with Chrysler. He went to Detroit and designed for them a special saloon body with a flowing vertical front grille and a ridge along the roof, falling to a knife-edge tail. It was finished in the same red paint as "Speed of the Wind", with upholstery to match. Before the Olympia Show the Press were sent telegrams by G.E.T. inviting them to a Hunt breakfast, with the waiters in correct hunting garb, etc. They were convinced George was about to announce a new record car. But when the curtains were drawn back, there was the Eyston Chrysler saloon. It could have been a great success, if the war had not intervened. Good one Adolf."

CHRYSLER SUPER POWER EIGHT Sports saloon, drophead coupé.

Odd UK-only creature styled by Capt G.E.T. Eyston and bodied in teardrop style (non standard grille, rear fender skirts, divided rear window on saloons) by Carlton. Combines short 121ins wheelbase with Custom Imperial engine. Overdrive, free wheel and other British-market equipment standard, did nearly 100mph despite a 35cwt weight. One known to survive.

[h=2]Technical Specifications[/h]<DL><DT class=yiv1336048471first-term>Engine: <DD class=yiv1336048471first-def>5318cc (S8 SV) </DD><DT>Configuration: <DD>Front engine, rear-wheel drive </DD><DT>Production dates: <DD>1937 to 1937 </DD><DT>Number produced: <DD>6 approx </DD></DL>

For some bizarre reason, i'm unable to Google a single photo of the Eyston Chrysler sedan, tho' i have a brief piece from the March/April, 1971 Special Interest Autos.

It looks about like what you'd expect; partially

fared headlights, rear fender skirts, veed, modestly raked windshield, either metal or rubber runningboard mats painted body color.

Anyone know of other closed cars in the above

idiom, whether one-off or extremely limited-production?

Are the above Bentley gearboxes merely okay, good, superlative, on a scale of 1-10? Please, no hype, no Derby/Crewe Kool Aid. Just the facts, ma'am. Are they in the same league as the 1939-on Packard R-9 transmission?

How good are the ohv and F-head R-R/Bentley 260-ci inline sixes, and were/are their cylinder liners trouble? Candor, please.

Meanwhile, the above interesting for some of us owning warmed over '42 One-Sixty and One-Eighty Clippers. In fairness to the proceeding cars, our cars were on the drawingboard in late 1940, mine pictured below but some busybody removed it.

WJ, awesome Bentleys, obviously not English-bodied. The VanVooren is clearly continental, French in fact, despite its Dutch-sounding name. Did they also build that lovely Corniche coupe?

Please keep the spelling of Capt. George's surname consistent - it's Eyston. Here's an interesting story about his association with Chrysler - Captain George Eyston. The website doesn't include any images of the car he designed for them but here's how it's described:

"a special saloon body with a flowing vertical front grille and a ridge along the roof, falling to a knife-edge tail"

A Norwegian site I found, bilhistorie.no: juni 2012, appears to credit Eyston with the rather homely Chrysler below, if I'm guessing right at the translation. If so, the Captain was a better racer than designer. Mind you, the aerodynamic look meshes with what others were trying in the '30s.

Thank you, Monsignor McDonald, for unearthing the above. Now, if i can only find someone speaking fluent Norwegian. The short answer is that both the above one-off Bentley speed models are bodied by VanVooren.

The Eyston Chrysler speed saloon was no raving beauty, but as the photos in the brief March/April, 1971 Special Interest Autos showed, vastly more attractive than the frumpy illustration from our Norse friends suggests. Be interesting to know where the car is now, who owns it, as in '71, it was with an appreciative fellow in NJ, tho' with only one carburetor and conventional manifold, maybe for the same reason so many 1941-42 Buicks lost their "Compound Carburetion." Perhaps the present owner's in the CCCA?

Can't help with specs, but here's another image of the '37 Chrysler/Eyston Super Power Saloon.

Looks alot better from this angle, from a small blurb in a 1937 or '38 MoToR.

I'd get in touch with the folks at Beaulieu or another Brit archive for more info.

TG

Can't help with specs, but here's another image of the '37 Chrysler/Eyston Super Power Saloon.

Looks alot better from this angle

TG

That's an understatement. You'd never guess it was the same car. I'd like to see a real photo from the rear 3/4. I'm betting it would look a lot better than the rendering, too. Really nice looking car.

Thank you, gentlemen. Will have to check the photo of the car in the '71 March/April SIA, as it was a light/gray silver in the recent b & w photo, and don't recall it looking as fastbacky as the above. Wonder where it is now, who owns it? It was with a collector, in good shape, in NJ 42 years ago, so must be in someone's garage.

Meanwhile, with all the fawning over ridiculous never-neverland versions of monstrous Cad V-16 firetrucks never built in the day, it's a wonder someone doesn't faithfully recreate automobiles like the ill-fated '39 Bentley Corniche, or make some appreciative tributes to the above Eyston Chrysler speed saloon. The top Embiricos Bentley was duplicated in recent years, faithfully.

Obviously, we're all about preservation. But when none or only one exists, where's the harm? At 'tis, we've people fawning, as mentioned, over wood-veneered otherwise off-the-peg hohum '40s Chryslers.

There are soooo many wonderful full Classic cars ---not outsized trucks---but automobiles that have fallen from the radar. Can't recall the last time we saw a Riley, for example.

Ask and ye shall receive, West. Here's the rear view from our friends at Coachbuilt.com, in the Carlton Carriage (UK) section.

I saved the little MoToR blurb 'cause I thought the Super Power Saloon was a really sleek design, worthy of future research. I wonder how they could have got it so wrong in the rendering that Rob M found? (Hi Rob).

TG

While I couldn't care less if the Bentley Corniche prototype by VanVooren is ever reproduced (maybe it would look better without that hideous two-tone treatment), I'd love to see the Chrysler Super Power in my garage asap. We once had a PII Rolls-Royce sport saloon by Carlton, and it was quite striking, too... although in a early 1930s way as compared to the Super Power's late '30s design.

From the March/April, 1971 Special Interest Autos and i apologize my dismal

computer non-abilities can't render this larger, easier to read, tho' if you click insistently a coupla times it'll enlarge.