What's all this about?
Money and classic cars. Following on from the “huge success” of Bentley’s 12-car Blower Continuation Series, the Cheshire-based company has turned its attention to the Speed Six that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. In essence, the 12 new cars are handbuilt recreations of the cars that won those races, right down to the 6.5-litre straight-six engine and 125mph top speed.
I wasn’t born in 1929. What’s a Speed Six?
The Speed Six was basically a high-performance version of Bentley’s 1926 6½ Litre, and it won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930 with Woolf Barnato, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin and Glen Kidston at the wheel. It had a modified engine with about 180hp and a choice of different wheelbases. The shortest (138 inches or 3,505mm) was the most popular.
However, the racing version had a 132-inch (3,353mm) wheelbase and an extra 20hp or so, allowing it to take the chequered flag at Le Mans two years in a row. In 1929, the Speed Six held the lead from start to finish and set a new lap record of 7m21s – 46 seconds faster than the previous record.
Something of an icon, then. What’s this “recreation”?
It’s just that. Bentley’s in-house coachbuilder Mulliner scanned two cars and checked the blueprints to create a 3D model of the Speed Six. This will be used to hand-build another 12 perfect replicas of the car, which have been made available to customers. Theoretically, at least, they should be perfect in every detail.
You just used the past tense...
Ah, yes. All 12 examples have already been snapped up. But perhaps that’s no surprise when they cost £1.5 million – the real thing is worth significantly more. However, the cars will not be built until the second half of 2022.
£1.5 million for a replica?
Maybe it isn’t cheap. And no, these cars will never be originals, but Bentley says the Speed Sixes will be able to race around the world, just as the real cars did. And those who do exactly that can rest easy knowing they aren’t about to smash a real piece of automotive history.
James Fossdyke - 25 Jun 2022