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 |  | View more photos Sport Coupe Designer: Surbiton Carriage Company Chassis Num: TW2713 Engine Num: TW2716 |
The three liter Bentley's were renowned for their excellent power-to-weight ratio. Sales were stimulated by impressive victories of these champion cars but adorned with luxury and class, a task that custom coachbuilder's were more than happy to undertake. The coach bodies were often heavy and robbed the vehicles of their performance. The short chassis were also a problem as they were not very accommodating to coachwork, so the chassis were extended which deprived the vehicle further of performance. What was needed was more power.
Bentley began development on a new engine that could continue their reputation for excellent power-to-weight. The three-liter four-cylinder was modified with the addition of two extra cylinders. The bore was enlarged and the end result was the 4 1/2 liter Bentleys. The 8-main bearing, six-cylinder engine proved to be what was needed to compete in the luxury car segment. They were quiet, smooth, and more refined. The increase in horsepower gracefully carried the large and luxurious vehicles in an elegant and refined manner.
The larger engine and larger chassis meant the rest of the vehicle's mechanical components required updating. The brakes were enlarged and used finned drums for better cooling.
A rolling chassis was shown at the 1925 Olympic Show and a completed version was ready by March of 1926.
To retain the reputation for being England's sporty marque, more development and refinement was required. By boring the cylinders to 100 mm and keeping the stroke unchanged, the vehicle displaced 6597cc, resulting in the 6 1/2 Liter Bentley's.
At the 1926 Olympia Show Bentley proudly displayed their latest 6 1/2 Liter creations.
TW2713
Mr. S.E. Parks of the United Kingdom received delivery of the vehicle in April of 1927. The sporty coachwork was created by The Surbiton Coach and Motor Works, known as Surbico. It was built to 6.5 Liter specifications but later updated to Speed Six configuration.
The vehicle was housed for many years in the Manx Motor Museum on the Isle of Man. During the early 1980's it was exported to the United States where the new owner used it in various driving events. It was later acquired in the early 1990's by an Australian collector who commissioned a full mechanical and chassis restoration. A cosmetic restoration was undertaken which carefully recovered and restored the car to its original condition.
This one-off design was auctioned at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, CA where it was expected to fetch between $900,000-$1,000,000. There was no reserve on the vehicle which suited the buyer rather well, who purchased the car with a winning bid of $781,000.
The Bentley 6.5 Litre was a continuation of the Litre series Walter Owen Bentley had created. The four-cylinder 4.5-liter unit used in the 4½ Litre was used for the 6½ Litre Bentley but the 6½ Litre Bentley had two extra cylinders. The Bentley stright-6 had a cast-iron block and head with an overhead camshaft having four-valves per cylinder. There were two spark-plugs per cylinder. The 100 mm bore and 140 mm stroke resulted in a displacement size of 6597. Horsepower was in the neighborhood of 180 - 200.
The design was based on the Bentley 3Litre but inspired by the Rolls-Royce Phantom I. There were a variety of chassis sizes available that ranged from 132 inches to 152.5 inches.
In 1928 Bentley introduced the Speed Six which would, in time, become the most successful Bentley racer. Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin, and Glen Kidston drove the Speed Six to victories at the 1929 and 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In total there were 363 examples of the Bentley 6½ L and 182 examples of the Speed Six.
The design was based on the Bentley 3Litre but inspired by the Rolls-Royce Phantom I. There were a variety of chassis sizes available that ranged from 132 inches to 152.5 inches.
In 1928 Bentley introduced the Speed Six which would, in time, become the most successful Bentley racer. Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin, and Glen Kidston drove the Speed Six to victories at the 1929 and 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In total there were 363 examples of the Bentley 6½ L and 182 examples of the Speed Six.
The Bentley Company was created by Walter Owen and Henry Bentley in 1919. Within a few years they had their first 24 Hours of LeMans victory. The company prospered for a number of years before going into receivership in 1931. The company had created a total of 3033 cars and had won victories at LeMans five times.
The litre series engines began in 1919 with the four-cylinder 3-litre unit. For its day, it was very technically advanced, thanks, in part, to the technical abilities of WO Bentley. The engine had dry sump lubrication and an overhead camshaft which operated four valves per cylinder. The use of aluminum pistons was also ahead of its time. In an effort to reduce gasket leaks the entire cylinder block was cast as one piece. The displacement size was increased during the early 1920s culminating to the 6-litre Bentleys. This new model, announced in 1925, had a displacement size of nearly 6.6 liters from the new six-cylinder engine. It drew inspiration from the 3-litre units that had brought many victories to the company. During 1925 and 1926 the Six-Litre Bentley's had mild success on the racing circuit as these seasons were plagued with bad luck for Bentley. In response, Bentley began work on a performance version.
The new special model was ready by 1928 and dubbed the Bentley 6 1/2 Litre Speed Model, also known as the Speed Six. The true potential of the Speed Six was experienced during the 1929 and 1930 LeMans race where the Bentley Speed Six models dominated the race. The drivers and co-drivers who piloted the machines to victory were Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin, and Glen Kidston.
Success at LeMans was due to many factors including expericne, knowledge, and a durable 200 horsepower engine. The company looked poised to be a strong competitor at LeMans in 1931 but financial difficulties kept them from competition.
The Bentley Company was later bought by Rolls Royce and the proud and historic racing program was discarded.
The litre series engines began in 1919 with the four-cylinder 3-litre unit. For its day, it was very technically advanced, thanks, in part, to the technical abilities of WO Bentley. The engine had dry sump lubrication and an overhead camshaft which operated four valves per cylinder. The use of aluminum pistons was also ahead of its time. In an effort to reduce gasket leaks the entire cylinder block was cast as one piece. The displacement size was increased during the early 1920s culminating to the 6-litre Bentleys. This new model, announced in 1925, had a displacement size of nearly 6.6 liters from the new six-cylinder engine. It drew inspiration from the 3-litre units that had brought many victories to the company. During 1925 and 1926 the Six-Litre Bentley's had mild success on the racing circuit as these seasons were plagued with bad luck for Bentley. In response, Bentley began work on a performance version.
The new special model was ready by 1928 and dubbed the Bentley 6 1/2 Litre Speed Model, also known as the Speed Six. The true potential of the Speed Six was experienced during the 1929 and 1930 LeMans race where the Bentley Speed Six models dominated the race. The drivers and co-drivers who piloted the machines to victory were Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin, and Glen Kidston.
Success at LeMans was due to many factors including expericne, knowledge, and a durable 200 horsepower engine. The company looked poised to be a strong competitor at LeMans in 1931 but financial difficulties kept them from competition.
The Bentley Company was later bought by Rolls Royce and the proud and historic racing program was discarded.
1927 Bentley Speed Six Surbico |
|
| Year | 1927 |
| Make | Bentley |
| Model | Speed Six Surbico |
| Body Style | Sport Coupe |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Production Years for Series | 1926 - 1930 |
| Body Designer | Surbiton Carriage Company |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown | |
| Chassis Number | TW2713 |
| Engine Number | TW2716 |
| Performance | |
| Top Speed | 125 mph | 201.1 km/h Similar top speeds |
| Engine | |
| Engine Configuration | I |
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 6597.00 cc | 402.6 cu in. | 6.6 L. |
| Valves | 24 valves. 4 valves per cylinder. |
| Valvetrain | OHC |
| Horsepower | 180.00 BHP (132.5 KW) |
| HP / Liter | 27.3 BHP / Liter |
| Main Bearings | 8 |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline - Petrol |
| Ignition System | Twin ignition via Bosch magneto and Delco coil |
| Standard Transmission | |
| Gears | 4 |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Synchromesh | |
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| Speed Six Markham |
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