An Iconic Return, The Speed Six Continuation Series, A Praise To The Novel Bentley Racers

Created to honour the triumphs of the original cars, while enduring to advance and preserve Mulliner’s legacy, Bentley to bring the iconic Speed Six back to life.

A new and highly exclusive Continuation Series of just 12 cars, each will be mechanically and aesthetically authentic to the Bentley racers that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. 

The new Speed Sixs will become the second pre-war continuation project in the world next to the Blower Continuation Series.

Outstandingly the most successful Bentley racing car of its era, the Speed Six is regarded as one of the most important Bentleys in history. 

Not only further propelling the marque’s world-beating performance credentials, but also a testament for the concept of the Grand Tourer.

Signifying it as a fast car, which remains comfortable and luxurious, and capable of covering huge distances with ease. Every Bentley since has followed the same ethos.

Among the rest, the Speed Six Continuation Series was one of the proclamations made at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed by Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Hallmark.

“After incredible levels of skill were acquired by the Mulliner team through the development of the Blower Continuation Series, and with the success of the cars with their customers, a chance to honour the Speed Six is a fantastic next step. It’s vital that we protect, preserve and develop not just this important part of our heritage, but also the knowledge we’ve gained through working with these classic Bentleys,” he expressed.

Currently, the 12-car series has been designed, and will be developed and built, by the same team of Bentley Mulliner specialists that have created the Blower Continuation Series.

This celebrated run of 12 new 4.5-litre ‘Blower’ Bentleys was based on the brand’s own 1929 team car number two.

Which is recognized as the most famous and valuable Bentley in the world that raced alongside the Speed Six in 1930 and sold out instantly. 

Remarkably, the same is true of the new Speed Six continuations, with all 12 cars already reserved by Bentley aficionados around the world.

For this endeavour, the Mulliner team will once again be supported by an incredible array of artisans from a number of automotive heritage specialists across the UK.

Notably, to deliver recreation parts that are not only physically identical, but in many cases are crafted using the same techniques used in the 1920s. 

To deliver 12 new Speed Sixs that are authentic to the design of the racers, the Mulliner team has first created a complete 3D CAD model of the car. 

Specifically, from both the blueprints and detailed analysis of the original car, of which, two builds have been referenced for this process.

First is the ‘Old Number 3’. The third of three Speed Sixs entered by Bentley into the Le Mans endurance race in 1930. 

Still fully road legal, actively raced and preserved by its owner today, ‘Old Number 3’ has been a valuable source of design details and reference points for the creation of the new cars.

Second is Bentley’s own Speed Six (GU409). It is a 1929 road car wearing the racer original and identical four-seat Vanden Plas body, with the same specifications restored.

GU409 will provide benchmark performance and handling data for the continuation cars, including a full power and torque curve for the 12 new engines to match, possibly beat.

Having said all that, the first new Speed Six in 92 years will be assembled in the second half of this year, and become the engineering test and development car for the project. 

Whereas, Speed Six Car Zero will be retained by Bentley, accompanying Blower Car Zero as the lineages of the families they helped to build.

Hallmark concluded, “The Speed Six is one of the most important Bentleys in our 103-year history, and the 12 cars of the Continuation Series will embody the same values as W.O. Bentley’s originals, crafted by hand with the same meticulous attention both to engineering quality and attention to detail. The lucky owners will be able to race their cars around the world, and truly relive the exploits of the original Bentley Boys.”