1929 Bentley 6½-Liter Grafton Coupe

This Bentley Speed Six is believed to be one of just five Speed Sixes with original coachwork - and the only Grafton Coupe left in the world. It was actually the second Grafton Coupe bought by textile manufacturer Henry Turner, who was one of W.O.'s best customers, ordering seven Bentleys between 1928 and 1930. The fashionable Freestone & Webb coachwork is strikingly handsome with its close-coupled body and helmeted fenders accentuating the car's sporting style. ('Close-coupled' means the footwells in the rear extend under the front seats.) It was restored in England a few years ago and prepared for use as a long-distance touring car. The interior was carefully preserved, proudly displaying the marvelous patina acquired from over 90 years of driving. Its current owner bought the car in 2013 and drove it on the Bentley tour of California in 2018.

The Bentley Speed Six was confidently extolled by the factory as the 'World's Greatest Sporting Car,' which was engraved on a silver plaque affixed to the front cover of the sales brochure. The Speed Six brought W.O. Bentley his most significant victories and won the company many hard-fought fights. It was a quality product that delivered great performance without sacrificing comfort. It remained impressively fast and agile even with the most luxurious of coachwork. The Speed Six was both a popular motorcar and an exclusive purchase; they were a statement of taste and stature.

In total, just 182 examples were built, with the number of unique bodies nearly identical. Some examples were given sporting open coachwork, while others received formal closed saloon bodies. One of the most popular body style on the Speed Six was the coupe. It offered comfort for the driver and passengers while allowing coachbuilders to implement weight-saving techniques. Woolf Barnato and Glen Kidston, both were Le Mans winners and integral Bentley Boys, had Speed Six Coupes specially ordered as their personal cars.

Chassis number FR2630
This coupe is known as the Grafton Coupe built by Freestone & Webb of London. They were one of London's finest coachbuilders and clothed nearly 20 examples of the Speed Six. Just two of these chassis were given the Grafton Coupe. Another Grafton Coupe was built on a Blower chassis, which was displayed at the Olympia Motor Show.

The sister car to this example is BA2591. The body was rexine fabric over an ash frame, which saved weight. The body sat low and covered the chassis rails. In the front and rear were helmeted fenders with a trunk and a rear spare fitted in the back. There is a small rear-quarter window, accentuated by faux landau irons.

Inside was quartered veneering on the dash and door panels. The Grafton Coupe includes a fold-down ashtray for the rear right-hand seat. When folded up has a metal liner and chute allowing for ash to drop out by the back wheel.

Invoiced to Anglo-Scottish Textiles Ltd., the car was intended for the firm's director, Henry C. Turner. Part of the purchase included a trade-in of a Victor Broom-bodied 4.5 Litre. This was the second of two Grafton Coupes bought in mid-1929 by Turner, the first of which, chassis BA2591, no longer exists.

Mr. Turner kept the car for only a short time before selling it to Dr. Joseph Le Fleming Burrow in September of 1930. At the time, the car had just under 12,000 miles. Service records indicate the replacement of the cylinder block in December of 1930 and minimal repair after a minor accident in June of 1932. In October of 1934, the Grafton Coupe was fitted with Lucas P100 headlamps, which are still with the car in modern times. The car was also fitted with a reconditioned front axle bed, which also remains on the car.

Dr. Le Fleming Burrow retained the car until 1949 if not longer. By 1974 the Speed Six was in the ownership of Sir Jack Stewart Clark. In 1984, the Grafton Coupe passed to Mervyn Frankel. The car changed hands more recently, coming into the care of its current caretaker.

This Speed Six is the only Grafton coupe extant, and one of just five original-bodied, matching-numbers Speed Six Coupes. It is one of approximately 25 cars that make that claim.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2013