LOT 58P
1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer Coachwork by in the style of Vanden Plas Chassis no. FR 2641 Engine no. FR 2644
Sold for US$750,000
Lot 58P
From the George Holman Collection
1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer
1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer
1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer
Coachwork by in the style of Vanden Plas
Chassis no. FR 2641
Engine no. FR 2644
Coachwork by in the style of Vanden Plas
Chassis no. FR 2641
Engine no. FR 2644
6,597cc SOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine - 4 Overhead Valves Per Cylinder
180bhp at 3,500rpm
4-Speed 'C' Gearbox
Front and Rear Leaf Spring Suspension
Four-Wheel Drum Brakes with Servo Assist.
*Matching drivetrain, chassis/engine numbers
*Fantastic car for international motoring events
*Offered from long term private ownership
*Considerable expense spent on recent maintenance
THE SPEED SIX BENTLEY
'It is extraordinarily difficult to explain in words or writing the exact fascination of a big, fast car of the type so ably represented by the big Bentley speed model.' The Autocar on the Bentley Speed Six, September 5th, 1930.
In name, presence and sheer looks the Le Mans Speed Six is unquestionably of the greatest cars of its era and was from day one. Although the 6½-Litre had been conceived as a touring car to compete with Rolls-Royce's New Phantom, in Speed Six form it proved admirably suited to competition: In 1929 Barnato/Birkin's Speed Six won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race ahead of a trio of 4½-Litre Bentleys, and Barnato/Kidston repeated the feat in the following year's Grand Prix d'Endurance at the Sarthe circuit ahead of similarly-mounted Clement/Watney. Small wonder then, that the fast yet refined 6½-Litre Speed Six was W O Bentley's favorite car.
Walter Owen Bentley established Bentley Motors in 1919 in the North London suburb of Cricklewood, though deliveries did not begin until 1921. The first model, a 3-litre car, was powered by a four-cylinder, single overhead camshaft engine with four valves per cylinder. It was a mechanical theme perpetuated in the greatly refined six-cylinder 6½-Litre model of 1926. The need for a larger car had resulted from Bentley's customers specifying bodies of a size not envisaged when the 3-Litre was conceived, a factor only partially addressed by the introduction of the Long Standard chassis in 1923. The 6½-Litre was produced for four years, during which time 544 chassis were completed, 182 of these to Speed Six specification. But the survival rate has not been good, and by the late 1990s only 185 of all types could be accounted for.
THE CAR OFFERED
This bold sporting car is an archetypal example of its genre and makes exactly the statement that one expects when one conjures the idea of a Vintage Bentley. Thanks to existence of the Cricklewood factory records and exhaustive work by historians, most notably Dr. Clare Hay, the histories of these iconic automobiles can be accurately researched and combining all knowledge of the car, we can chart almost all its history.
FR 2641 was built new as a Speed Six, on the more popular mid-length 11 ft 6-inch frame, of which only 118 of the full run of 540 plus 'Sixes' were delivered. Fitted with the powerplant it carries to this day FR 2644, it was supplied to Park Ward to be equipped with Saloon coachwork before arriving with the first owner, C.F. Tonge. Hay's notes record that the saloon was finished in black, with red wheels which matched its red leather interior, it carried Pyrene twin bar bumpers, and a Grebel spotlight as its owner's Alfa Romeo also wore. Inside the car, its original owner and passengers had the additional comfort of being seated on cushions with Moseley patent 'float-on-air' bases!
Subsequent ownerships listed in The Vintage Years 'bible' are F V Scrutton (1931), Dr. Rossdale (1932) and C P Smith (1936) prior to the outbreak of war. After the war it is known by then to have lost its coachwork and for some years wore another Park Ward body, a rakish two-seater which had been originally fitted to FR 2637, the car delivered just 4 cars earlier than it. After being owned by A J Cumming in 1952 and W J Bullied in 1956, in this form FR 2641 migrated to North America into the ownership of a quartet of Canadians. D M Nathan, JC & JR Turner and A H W Lardner are all listed as its custodians in 1963.
Ultimately, the 2-seater would be repatriated to FR 2637 and comprehensively restored to its original guise, at which point the decision was made to put 2641 into the iconic Le Mans Sports Touring form so popular among Vintage Bentley exponents. Acquired by George Holman in 1998, the Speed Six has been a well-known sight at a variety of North American Vintage Bentley Meets as well as being raced at Lime Rock and other venues. Throughout his tenure and with the benefit of his exceptional engineering prowess at hand the car has been progressively developed, improved and refined. Today, it remains ready to use and even on the briefest testing while being catalogued for the sale, was found to be easy to start, run and drive, the driving experience being totally 'dialed in' as one would expect with Mr. Holman's high standards.
Vintage Bentleys have their own individual character and a following of numerous enthusiasts around the globe who keep the spirit of the 'Roaring Twenties' Bentley Boys alive with racing and fast road tours, such as the North American Vintage Bentley club. For long-distance tours, a Speed Six with its effortless power and stable road manners and enduring presence is one of the most suitable rides, making this excellent car a perfect choice for such events.
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