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Car of the Month - June 2011
Bentley R-Type, 1954, #B77WG
Standard Steel Sports Saloon

TPerhaps one or the other of our readers might remember that this Bentley R-Type had been shown as Car of the Month 10 years ago. In addition to the details forwarded however this time a special feature of this particular car will be the theme: Safety Belts fitted to an elderly motor car. There is some truth in the statement that many classic cars are “Unsafe at any Speed” – to quote a title of a book by Ralph Nader. That aspect shouldn’t be neglected despite the certain charme of well-matured motor cars.

As long as a car is on exhibition at a museum and will do any tour e.g. to an exhibition only as a “Trailer Queen” that theme is obsolete. It is entirely different though when a car is driven in traffic. Whether the classic car is only driven at modest speed or on long-distance touring making full use of the engine's power doesn't matter. The truth is that no human being is strong enough to withstand the force from an impact e.g. resulting from a collision at ca. 20 mph. Driver and passengers are prone to hit windscreen and/or fascia with tremendous risk of serious injuries.

Almost any car from the 60ies onwards permits to arrange for seatbelts to be fitted even if such had not been standard. But that is a possible, too, for cars that had been during the early post-war period; indeed a considerable number of pre-war cars could be up-dated by such a safety feature installed. A task that isn’t to much for DIY job task and certainly no barrier for a workshop. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 1973 published a detailed description compiled by their Technical Service Department of how to install Safety Belts to Standard Steel Saloons prior to ‘S’-Series.

It might be considered to opt for seatbelts in a colour matching that of the interior and a trimmer could be asked to make leather-covers for the seatbelts mechanism.

 
All that can be topped by having a child's safety seat appropriately trimmed in leather – although within the realms of the Eupean Community nowadays that does clash with a magnitude of EC-regulations. In any case it is worth the effort to protect a kid by fitting a child’s safety seat. In a worst case scenario that will help to achieve the kid later to take over the parents’ classic car rather than to be pushed in a wheelchair.