Too Fast for Owner?

A letter from Ian Metcalfe appeared in the Jan.-Feb. issue of the Sports Car, journal of the Sports Car Club of America. This enlightening letter, apart from explaining that Mr. Metcalfe is prepared to sell his 8-litre Bentley, which is reputed to have cost £30,000 to build and which he states is absolutely brand new, for £4,000, tells us that this car now does 150 m.p.h., with two-seater body and full road equipment, on “Pool” petrol, although, as a very slim single-seater (the Barnato-Hassan) the car, as the letter admits, only lapped Brooklands at 143.1 m.p.h. Be that as it may, Mr. Metcalfe is quite dogmatically certain that his 8-litre is “much faster in every way than Mr. Forrest Lycett’s 8-litre.” Mr. Metcalfe has now retired from racing.