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|  | View more photos Chassis Num: GC 3661 |
Kidston was one of the famed 'Bentley Boys' having co-driven the Works team car with Woolf Barnato to 2nd place for Bentley at LeMans in 1929 and winning in 1930, again with co-driver Barnato.
 |  | View more photos Tourer Coachwork: Hooper |
Hooper was founded in 1805 with the purpose of creating coachwork for upper-class horse-drawn carriages. Their list of clients included Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. As the world switched from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles, so did Hooper. Their clientele continued to be the upper class in society and the social elite.
When the First World War broke out, they turned their craft towards the creation of aircrafts and other military materials. When war time was over, the reverted back to automobile production. They made it through The Great Depression and in 1938, the took over their competitors, Barker, who had entered into receivership.
The Hooper Company continued building bodies for cars for many years. Eventually, as the coach-building business slowed in the post World War II era, they turned their talents to sales and service. In 1970, they became a Rolls-Royce distributor.
 |  | View more photos Old Number 2 Coachwork: Vanden Plas Chassis Num: HM2868 |
With the introduction of the Speed Six, the company went one stage further in providing customers with a serious contender for motor sports events. The main difference to the standard model was the fitting of twin carburettors. Usually the Bentley Speed Six was built with wheel bases of 138 inches. There are also a small number of Speed Sixes with a wheelbase of 152 1/2 inches. A change of the front springs and depending on the redesign of the front axle fixing, led to the abandonment of the version with the 138 inch wheelbase.Only the 140 inch variant remaining. For participation in the 24 hour race at Le Mans one chassis was built with a wheelbase of 132 inches
The Bentley 6.5 Litre was a continueation 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 neightborhood 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.
1930 Bentley Speed Six |
|
| Year | 1930 |
| Make | Bentley |
| Model | Speed Six |
| Body Style | Weyman Sportsman Coupe |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Production Years for Series | 1928 - 1930 |
| Coach Work | Gurney Nutting, Hooper, Vanden Plas |
| Price | $10,952.00 |
| Weight | 4700 lbs | 2131.9 kg |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown | |
| Chassis Number | GC 3661 |
| Chassis Number | HM2868 |
| Chassis Number | LR2799 |
| Engine | |
| Engine Configuration | S |
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 6.50 L | 396.6 cu in. | 6500.3 cc. |
| Horsepower | 160.00 BHP (117.8 KW) @ 3500.00 RPM |
| HP to Weight Ratio | 29.4 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio) |
| HP / Liter | 24.6 BHP / Liter |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline - Petrol |
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| View Specifications |
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