hood fitted, though stowed. Once again, the ACO adjusted the Index target distances; although only by small margin. Example targets included the following: The Hors Course rule was relaxed considerably this year – with cars now only disqualified for completing insufficient distance at the 12-hour mark and not every six hours as before. That distance now only had to be 80% of the target distance and not the previous 85%. The track re-surfacing was completed along its whole length and reflectors were put on the corners for better awareness at night. Roadside picket fencing was put up at all the spectator access areas and the public address system now also covered all those areas. Entries After the previous year's short entry list, the ACO was gratified to have a far healthier entry list this year. No doubt motivated by the excitement of 1927, and a prize for an overall winner, there were more cars in the large-engine classes, although Ariès was still the only French manufacturer in that category. Indeed, foreign cars outnumbered French cars for the first time, including new entries from Lagonda, Alvis and Aston Martin from Great Britain, Alfa Romeo and Itala from Italy and Stutz from the USA. After the tough race the previous year, there were only six entries eligible for the 1927-28 Biennial Cup, with Salmson taking only one of its two available spots. Note: The first number is the number of entries, the second the number who started. Defending distance winners Bentley arrived with a four-car entry (one kept back for spare parts) and were strong favourites to win the inaugural distance prize. The cars were all 4½-litre tourers, two of them with racing chassis designed by Vanden Plas. The engine put out 130 bhp making them capable of a top speed of 165 kp/h (105 mph). Company director, and chief shareholder, Woolf Barnato drove with his wealthy Australian-born Grosvenor Square neighbour Bernard Rubin. They had the original 4½-litre (nicknamed “Old Mother Gun”) that had been mangled in the White House crash the previous year. The 1927 winner, Dudley Benjafield, was this time paired with 1924-winner Frank Clement. The third car was driven by another of the “Bentley Boys” debutantes, Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin, who was accompanied by the experienced Jean Chassagne, who had chased the team so hard in his Ariès the previous year. Automobiles Ariès again returned with its streamlined 3-litre