1930 Bentley Speed Six Saloon

W.O. Bentley described the Speed Six as 'the most successful sporting car we made.' Introduced in October 1928 at the Olympia Motor Show, the Speed Six would enjoy back-to-back Le Mans victories in 1929 and 1930. Its use extended beyond the track, and in road-going guise, the Speed Six delivered comfort and reliability.

This Sports Saloon with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner retains its original chassis, engine, and coachwork. Instead of being built for a customer, this Bentley was built for Bentley stock. The construction of the body employed Weymann's body construction patents with a framework designed to flex to reduce body creaks and vibrations. The roof section above the waistline is covered in fabric, while the lower portion is formed from aluminum.

Upon completion, the Bentley was sent to London dealer Jack Barclay and sold by Duff Morgan Ltd. in October 1930 to its first owner, Sawai Man Singh II, Maharaja of Jaipur, India. The Maharaja originally fitted the car with a Lalique glass cockerel mascot – the Coq Nain - that was illuminated with a blue electric light, signaling the Maharaja's presence wherever he traveled.

Dennis Becker of London acquired the Bentley in 1937 and, upon arriving in the UK, was assigned registration number DUU618. Since the Maharaja retained the original mascot, a new dolphin mascot was fitted to the car by Mr. Becker.

Ownership of the car passed to Mr. Becker's son, Simon, in 1951. It remained with the Becker family until 1974 when Ian Finlator acquired the car. It remained with Mr. Finlator for nearly three decades, during which a restoration was entrusted to Tony Townshend. While in his care, the Bentley participated in the 1985 Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique and the 1994 opening of the English Channel Tunnel, with the Bentley serving as the British automotive representative.

William Ainscough of Wrightington, UK, acquired the Speed Six in 2002. The current caretaker purchased the Bentley in 2010 and embarked on an exhaustive, cost-no-object restoration. Using period photographs, the car was returned to its as-new configuration. The work was performed by vintage Bentley specialist Graham Moss of R.C. Moss, who corrected earlier modifications to the roofline, windshield, cowl, running boards, and trunk.

Upon completion, the Bentley Speed Six made its post-restoration debut at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and was selected to participate in a featured class honoring cars of the maharajas. Chassis LR2778 was honored with three awards, including a Second in Class win, the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy for the most significant British car on the field, and the J.B. & Dorothy Nethercutt Most Elegant Closed Car award.

A month after its Pebble Beach debut, the Bentley returned to the United Kingdom for the Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance. In 2019, it received Best in Class honors at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

This Bentley has a 140.5-inch wheelbase chassis, a rear-mounted spare tire, a trunk with a complete set of tools, and a grille guard topped by a Lalique Coq Nain radiator mascot. The interior is upholstered in rich, oxblood leather, and the rear rear-interior roof quarters house his-and-hers vanity cabinets fitted with smoking and cosmetic accessories. A sunroof provides the option of open-air motoring.

The 6,597cc SOHC 24-valve inline 6-cylinder engine has twin SU carburetors and delivers 180 horsepower at 3,500 RPM. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel mechanical drum brakes, a solid front axle and a live rear axle. The chassis is suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023

Originally built for Bentley stock, this Speed Six is fitted with a striking Sportsman Saloon body by Mulliner. Through Jack Barclay and Duff Morgan Ltd., it was sold to the Maharajah of Jaipur (Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II) in October of 1930. The Maharaja ruled the state of Jaipur between 1922 and 1949. This very original vintage Bentley is one of only a handful of two-door coupes that survive, and one of about thirty Speed Sixes that are known to retain their original coachwork. The H.J. Mulliner coachworks, which built the body on this Speed Six, was based in West London, and the company can trace its history back to 1760. The Speed Six was W.O. Bentley's favorite of all the cars he built, and it was successful on the race track, notably at Brooklands, as well as being a luxuriously fast touring car.

During this car's spell in India, it was maintained by Barker, who subsequently repatriated the Bentley in 1937. It was acquired by Dennis Becker and his family would own and use the car extensively on the road through to 1973. During this period, it served as the family's daily driver and was used on road trips with regular visits to the German Autobahns. The next custodian would also own the Speed Six for three decades during which it was exhibited as a representative of the British automobile at the opening of the channel tunnel in 1994. It changed hands again in 2004 and then in 2010. It was subsequently comprehensively restored.

This Bentley is powered by a 6-cylinder engine developing 180 horsepower.