1926 Bentley 6.5 Litre Open Two Seater

In order to compete with Rolls-Royce, W.O. Bentley designed a large capacity, 6-cylinder engine for a longer chassis and more luxurious coachwork than his five-year-old 3 Litre cars. But he was short on cash, and it was expensive to produce so, in 1926, W.O. persuaded one of his most loyal customers, gold and diamond mining heir Woolf Barnato, to finance the project. The first 6.5 Litre engine appeared in a bare chassis at London's Olympia Motor Show in 1925, but it would take over a year to launch the finished car. This Standard 'Bix Six' is the fifth built and the earliest surviving 6-cylinder Bentley in the world. A total of 363 Standard 6.5 Litre cars were built on three different chassis lengths for formal coachwork, but this Big Six is one of just a few with sporting coachwork by H.J. Mulliner. In addition to its original body, this car also has its original engine - a rare combination. It appeared in the 1936 Ealing Studios film The House of the Spaniard, shot on location in and around Liverpool. The car eventually found its way to the United States, where it was discovered in 1977 by George Schuetz and was later restored.