Bentley Mulliner is bringing the legendary Speed Six back to life with a new and highly exclusive Continuation Series of 12 cars, each mechanically and visually faithful to the Bentley racing cars that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930.
The cars have been created to honor the achievements of the original cars and to preserve and develop Mulliner's traditional craftsmanship. The new Speed Six cars are the second reissue of a pre-war car after the Blower - also made by Bentley Mulliner.
Milestone
As the most successful Bentley racing car of its era, the Speed Six is considered one of the most important Bentleys in history. Not only was it a further testament to the brand's outstanding performance, but it also proved the concept of the Grand Tourer - a fast car that is comfortable and luxurious and covers long distances with ease. Since then, every Bentley has followed the same maxim.
The 12-car special series has already been designed and is being developed and manufactured by the same team of Mulliner specialists who created the Blower Continuation Series - the world's first re-issue of a pre-war vehicle. This celebrated series of 12 new 4.5-liter 'Blower' Bentleys was based on the company's own 1929 "Team Car #2" - the world's most famous and valuable Bentley, which competed alongside the Speed Six in 1930 - and sold out immediately. The same applies to the new Speed Six edition. All 12 cars have already been reserved by a few lucky customers in various parts of the world.
Bentley's Chairman and Chief Executive Adrian Hallmark commented:
"With the team at Mulliner having built up remarkable expertise through the development of the Blower Continuation Series and customers responding so enthusiastically to these cars, this tribute to the Speed Six is a fantastic step in the right direction. Not only is it vital to protect, preserve and develop this important part of our rich history, but also the skills acquired while working on these classic Bentleys. The Speed Six is one of the most important Bentleys in our 103-year history. The 12 Continuation Series cars embody the same values as the original W.O. Bentley. All are hand-built with the same meticulous care, both in terms of engineering quality and passionate attention to detail. The lucky owners will be able to drive their Speed Six all over the world and feel like the legendary Bentley Boys."
The Mulliner team is once again supported by a competent team of automotive specialists from the United Kingdom. The result is components that are not only identical to the original components, but are often manufactured using the same methods as in the 1920s. This striving for one hundred percent authenticity is an important prerequisite for the success of such a complex project.
The Speed Six
As a powerful version of the 6.5-liter engine, the Speed Six developed into Bentley's most successful racing car. It won the Le Mans race in 1929 and 1930, driven by Woolf Barnato, Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin and Glen Kidston.
The Speed Six was an improved version of the 6.5-liter Bentley from 1926. Bentley was convinced that the safest way to increase power was to increase displacement, contrary to Tim Birkin's firm belief in turbocharging. He therefore developed a new, larger engine to replace the 4.5-liter engine. With a 100 mm bore and a stroke of 140 mm, this new six-cylinder in-line engine had a displacement of almost 6.6 liters. In its basic form with a single Smiths carburetor with five slides, two magneto ignition systems and a compression ratio of 4.4:1, the 6.5 liter engine delivered 150 hp at 3,500 rpm. The Bentley plant in Cricklewood, north London, produced 362 examples - with different chassis of different lengths, depending on the desired body style of the individual customer.
The chassis of the Speed Six was introduced in 1928 as a sportier version of the 6.5-liter vehicle. The engine was optimized to develop even more power - it received two SU carburetors, a higher compression ratio and a high-performance camshaft, which resulted in an increased output of 183 hp. Customers could order the Speed Six chassis with a wheelbase of 3,505 mm, 3,569 mm and 3,874 mm, with the short chassis being the most popular. A total of 182 Speed Six models were produced between 1928 and 1930.
The racing version of the Speed Six had a wheelbase of 3,353 mm and a further developed engine with a compression ratio of 6.1:1 and an output of 203 hp. Two victories at the Le Mans race in 1929 and 1930 cemented the Speed Six in Bentley's success story for all time. The outstanding victory in 1929 set completely new standards. With drivers Woolf Barnato and Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin, the field was led by a Speed Six from the first lap until the chequered flag waved, followed by three other Bentleys. Birkin set a new lap record of 7:21, beating the previous record by 46 seconds, at an average speed of 134 km/h. He covered 2,844 km and also set a distance record. Such a dominant performance by a single manufacturer would not be seen again at the Le Mans race for almost 30 years.
The re-creation of an icon
To create 12 new Speed Six models that faithfully recreate the design of the 1929 and 1930 race cars, the Mulliner team first created a complete, three-dimensional CAD model of the vehicle based on the original blueprints and a detailed analysis of the cars of the time. Two specific models were selected for this process.
"Old Number 3" was the third of three Speed Six models that competed in the 1930 Le Mans race for Bentley. Despite a challenging race, the car survived the rigors and has been preserved in perfect condition to this day. Old Number 3 is still road-legal and is still driven by its owner today. This Bentley served as a valuable resource for numerous design details and as a point of reference for the development of the new vehicles.
In addition to the Old Number 3 model, Bentley's own Speed Six (GU409) - a four-seater road car from 1929 and part of Bentley's growing Heritage Collection - has been restored with the same Vanden Plas bodywork as the original racing cars and faithfully to the original specifications. The GU409 provides key performance and handling data for the production of the continuation series, such as a full power and torque curve that the 12 new engines must match - or exceed.
The first new Speed Six in 92 years will be assembled in the second half of this year and will serve as the project's test and development vehicle. This "Speed Six Car Zero" will remain in Bentley's possession and join the "Blower Car Zero" - as the two parents of the newly created vehicle families whose creation they will accompany.
All twelve cars to be built are reserved, with a unit price of £ 1.5 million. Road approval is unlikely to be possible, at least in this country ...
