Bentley recently gave a journalist a ride in one of its earliest Super Sports models, offering a glimpse of what passed for a supercar a century ago. The comparison came alongside the launch of the new Bentley Supersports, and highlighted just how far car performance has advanced since the 1920s, when most vehicles, including the ubiquitous Ford Model T, struggled to exceed 40 mph.

Bentley built only 18 examples of the original Super Sports between 1925 and 1927, based on the shortened, lightened 3 Litre model with a tuned engine and tapered radiator, and each was guaranteed to top 100 mph. The car featured, chassis YM 4037 (nicknamed "Smoky"), was built in 1926, later fitted with a 4.5-litre engine from Bentley's 1928 Le Mans winner, and went on to win seven races at Brooklands in the mid-1930s. Riding in it revealed a visceral, unassisted driving experience, no seatbelts, roll bars or conventional pedal layout, yet surprisingly strong cornering grip that still echoes qualities found in modern supercars.