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1927 Bentley 6 ½-Litre

The company bearing W.O. Bentley's name won five 24 Hours of Le Mans victories in the Pre-War era, including an unbroken four-year streak from 1927 through 1930. The first 3-Liter car was introduced in 1919 and would prove themselves in events such as the Tourist Trophy, and at Indianapolis where a single car competed in 1922. Ambitions for glory soon shifted to the 'Grand Prix d'Endurance' at LeMans. In 1923, a 4th place was earned followed by an outright win the following year.

The Bentley 3 Liter had proven itself as a capable machine but to stay competitive, more was needed. Additionally, the large and stately coachwork that many customers selected required a more refined and suitable engine for comfortable motoring. A chance encounter with the prototype Rolls-Royce 'New Phantom' in France convinced W.O. that 4½-liters was not enough; so two more were added. The behemoth power unit was fitted to a high-quality chassis with a sturdy transmission and axles. Production continued from 1926 through to the introduction of the success, the 8 Liter, in 1930. Among its accolades were LeMans wins in 1929 and 1930.

The 6½-Litre Bentley had a 6,597cc engine with a single Smith's five-jet carburetor and twin ignition magnetos. With a 4.4:1 compression ratio, the engine offered 147 horsepower at 3500 revolutions per minute. There were four-wheel mechanical drum brakes with Dewandre servo assist and a synchro-less gearbox. A total of 544 examples were built but only 10-percent received open touring bodies (362 were 6½ Litre and 182 were Speed Six models). Wheelbase sizes ranged from 132 to 152.5 inches, with the 150-inch platform being the most popular.

The high-performance Speed Six chassis was introduced in 1928. It had a compression ratio of 5.3:1, a high-performance camshaft, a single-port block, two SU carburetors, and 180 horsepower at 3500 RPM. Wheelbase sizes included 138-, 140.5-, and 152.5-inches. The most popular was the short and sporty 138 inch. The racing versions had a wheelbase of 132 inches with an engine with a compression ratio of 6.1:1 that offered 200 horsepower.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Coupe
Chassis number: TW2713
Engine number: 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.

In 2010, this Bentley was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for the sum of $726,000, inclusive of buyer's reserve.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Coupe
Chassis number: BX 2419
Engine number: BX 2412

Along with an unbroken four-year streak from 1927 through 1930, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times in the pre-war era. Despite its success, the company was taken over by Rolls-Royce during the early 1930s.

The 6 1/2 Litre Bentley was produced from 1926 to 1930, with 544 examples built. Its engine had a 3.9-linch bore and 5.5-inch stroke for a total displacement size of 6,597cc. The straight-6 engine had overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and a single-piece engine block and cylinder head cast in iron. With a compression of 4.4:1 and a single Smiths 5-jet carburetor, the engine delivered 147 horsepower at 3,500 RPM.

This particular Bentley 6 1/2 Litre Sports Tourer wears coachwork in the style of Vanden Plas. Its restoration was the work of David Ayre, who utilized the major components, including the chassis, axles, steering box, and gearbox from a complete 6 1/2 Litre open four-seater, originally bodied by Motor Bodies Ltd., that had been disassembled for restoration in the early 1950s. L.J. Budgen had purchased the project in 1963, and his widow later sold it to Mr. Ayre.

The original frame of BX 2419 was shortened to 11 feet, 2 inches. The axles from the original car were restored and installed, and the front axle is an unnumbered period unit that was installed following damage sustained in 1928. The original steering box was rebuilt and modified to Le Mans specs. The brakes were upgraded to Speed Six type, and a new bulkhead (also to the Speed Six design) was fitted as well. The 7,982cc single overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine (built from an eight-liter engine block) has three SU HV5 carburetors and delivers approximately 225 horsepower at 3,500 RPM. There is a front beam axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Hartford friction dampers. At the back is a live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Hartford friction dampers.

The touring coachwork is covered in fabric and has stout cycle fenders. There is a high-capacity Le Mans-style fuel tank, a pair of Carl Zeiss headlamps ahead of a Speed Six-profiled radiator shell, and a triple windscreen setup. It wears a dark green exterior with a green leather interior.

Since 2005, this car has been driven over 12,000 miles, many of those miles accumulated during long-distance tours and family outings.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: BX 2421
Engine number: DH 2201

W.O. Bentley introduced the new 6½ liter model in October 1925 at the Olympia Motor Exhibition. The straight six engine powering the vehicle actually displaced 6597cc and the chassis was very similar to the earlier Bentley's, though the braking had been enhanced to cope with the extra power. There was also a more substantial differential and a plate clutch. This new model would be the basis for the company's future campaigns at Le Mans up to 1930 when they retired from racing.

Chassis number BX 2421 has a documented history from new. The original owner was E. Bullivant of Mortimer House, Egerton Gardens. The vehicle carried a guarantee date of March 1927, and was fitted with the later pattern push-on brakes and a 26 gallon tank, features which would only become standard the following year. It had a long steering column and a 3 liter exhaust fishtail. The Sports Tourer coachwork was crafted by Vanden Plas. The body was paneled rather than fabric and it was designed with an armrest for the driver. There were side lockers, a trunk at its rear and a double spare wheel carrier. Full weather protection was required and it had pockets to all the doors. Accessories included Zeiss headlamps. The total cost of the body alone was nearly twice that of a standard Vanden Plas body.

During Bullivant's first year of ownership, the car was upgrade with a new radiator and crankshaft driven dynamo, camshaft damper and 'new type carb.' In 1929, the car was traded at Jack Barclay for a newer model. the next owner was R. Winloe who kept the car maintained by the factory, and continued updates with high speed oil pump gears, a sprung steering wheel, rear hydraulic shock absorbers to the rear and a Spicer shaft, as well as converting it to a C type 'box with the help of Birkin & Coupers of Welwyn.

In 1936, it was purchased by C. Burrage-Moulton. By 1988, it had gone through 10 different owners and was now in the care of C. Pettit. In this period it carburetion was uprated with the fitment of early Speed Six pattern twin SU units. A short time later, the car was offered for sale at auction by Bonhams. Ownership passed to a private British collection, emerging recently for it sale.

In 2011, it returned to a Bonhams auction, this time at the Quail Lodge in California. It would leave the auction unsold after bidding failed to satisfy the vehicle's reserve.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: BX2416
Engine number: BX 2421

Bentley enjoyed an unbroken LeMans winning streak from 1927 through 1930, firmly cementing their cars performance and reputation in the history books. Prior to the company's eventual takeover by Rolls-Royce in 1931, they introduced the mighty 6 1/2 Litre.

This particular example has been restored as a Le Mans Sports Tourer in the style of Vanden Plas. It has a known provenance from new, with its first owner taking possession of the car in April of 1927. It originally wore saloon coachwork by Gurney Nutting in the Weymann style. After the war years, it was converted into a lightweight racing special by Major Jack Bailey, with a lightweight two-seat racing body fitted to the shortened original chassis. In the mid-1970s, it was given a touring-style body. In 2008, it came into the care of David Ayre, and then to Ron Rezek the same year. Mr. Rezek commissioned Ayre to restore the chassis and mechanical components into its current 1930 LeMans-style tourer configuration. The work was completed in July of 2010. Soon after it was completed, it was awarded Best Restoration honors at the Bentley Club Concours d'Elegance in 2010. It has since been on several long-distance tours, including two editions of the Colorado Grand. In May 2014, it was on a European tour with the Bentley Drivers Club, which traversed 3,000 miles from London to Paris, Italy, Monaco, and back.

During its eight decades of existence, it has retained its original chassis (BX 2416), engine (numbered BX 2421), steering box (numbered BX 2416), and rear axle (also numbered BX 2416).

by Dan Vaughan

All Weather Touring by T.H. Gill & Son
Chassis number: PR2310
Engine number: PR2308

This Standard Six Bentley began life wearing a Gurney Nutting 'Weymann' four-door saloon body. It was the same design that J. Gurney Nutting had chosen for his own personal car, with front hinged doors and helmet wings with platform steps. The car was order by dealers Gaffikin Wilkinson & Co. of Hanover Square in London and fitted on the 12-foot, 6-inch wheelbase. It was built to 1928 specifications which included the C-Type gearbox and camshaft damper. It was sold in October of 1927 to Philip Worthington of Berkeley Square; reportedly, this was his third Bentley. The car was shown at the Olympia Motor Exhibition where it rested on the Gurney Nutting stand. It was awarded First Place in its division, 'Section 4 – Novelty Bodies including fabric-covered and flexible type.'

During the first two years of ownership, the car accrued more than 35,000 miles. During this time, service work included decarbonization, new connecting rods, and a new type of carburetor. A replacement engine was fitted, removed from chassis PR2317, and re-stamped with the number of the original unit, PR2308.

Around this time, the car was sold to Alfred Zeitlin of Piccadilly and by May of 1931, it had become the property of Captain R.A. Abercromby of Eaton Terrace. It was involved in an accident in early 1932 and in May 1932 it was sent to the factory for an overhaul. Damage included to the chassis frame, radiator, and steering components. The Bentley factory restored these items before being fitted with a new all-weather body by T.H. Gill & Son. The engine was also upgraded by Bentley with a Speed Six multi-port pattern inlet manifold and twin SU HVG5 carburetors in June 1932.

The body was either built for Abercromby or its next owner, Hugh Curling Hunter, who took delivery in the middle of 1932. After Mr. Hunter's ownership, it was owned by a Lady H.G. Walston of Newton Hall in Cambridgeshire, the last documented pre-war owner. The car later re-appeared in the West Country region of the U.K. with another titled gentleman, Major W. Enderby of Luxborough, in Somerset. The history is unknown from this point until coming into the ownership of Daniel B Schwartzkopf of Stowe, Massachusetts. In the 1980s, it went to a London auction under the gavel of Bonhams Malcolm Barber, and entered a Vintage Bentley collection. It was given a thorough restoration at Scott Moncrieff. A succession of owners has followed.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: KD2111
Engine number: KD2115

Ordered new by Captain John Wanamaker Jr., of the Wanamaker department store family, this Standard 'Bix Six' 6.5 Litre is believed to be one of the earliest Bentleys to be imported to the United States. It was delivered in July 1927, fitted with a unique 4-seat Sports Tourer body by Vanden Plas built on the mid-size, 12-foot chassis. The close-coupled, Rexine-covered coachwork features an extended scuttle that, with its long sweeping wings and raked windscreen, gives the car an unusually long appearance. The car's original brown leather interior is complemented by a solid German nickel dashboard and silver-plated interior hardware. This is one of the finest Vintage Bentleys to survive today, still retaining much of its original interior and original fabric body.

Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: BX2416
Engine number: BX 2421

This Bentley 6½-Litre currently wears Vanden Plas–style Le Mans fabric tourer coachwork. It began life with a Weymann saloon body by J. Gurney Nutting and rested on a 150-inch wheelbase platform. The car was supplied new to Dr. Rudolph de Trafford of London. The next known owner was C. Willis of Basingstroke who acquired it in 1932. After World War II, it is believed that the car was purchased by Major Jack Bailey and rebuilt as a special resting on a shortened 124 wheelbase. The radiator was lowered and it received a rudimentary two-seater body. After the modifications were complete, it was used extensively for regional touring and racing.

The next definite owner was R.G.S. Burnett who registered it with the Bentley Club in 1962. In the 1980s it was given its current Vanden-Plas-style coachwork. In 2008, David Ayres acquired the car from Burnett and soon sold it to Ron Rezek of Ashland, Oregon.

At the time of Mr. Rezek's purchase, the car retained much of its original chassis frame, the original engine, rear axle, and steering box. A restoration was soon commissioned with the goal of transforming it to 1930 Le Mans team-car specification with many Speed Six features. The engine was modified to full competition specification, with twin HV5 carburetors and 8-liter float chambers. It was given a large-capacity oil pump, an 8-liter water pump, and special oil feed to the camshaft. It has a LeMans-style 40-gallon fuel tank, a 132-inch chassis, Andre Hartford friction shock absorbers, 3:1 gears, and all-new brake drums and spindles. The Rexine-covered body was dressed with Zeiss headlamps in Le Mans-style frames.

Since the work was completed, it was exhibited at the Bentley Club Concours d'Elegance in 2010 where it won Best Restoration. It was driven on two editions of the Colorado Grand and a 3,000-mile tour of Europe with the Bentley Drivers Club.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Coupe
Chassis number: BX 2419
Engine number: BX 2412

The six-cylinder, 6.5-liter Big Six, introduced in 1926, was W.O. Bentley's first chassis to compete with the larger horsepower premium cars of the day.

Chassis number BX2419 languished and laid dismantled in England for over 60 years. The current owner commissioned vintage Bentley expert David Ayre to being the painstaking two year restoration, which was completed in late 2006.

With speeds in excess of 80 mph, BX2419 is capable of long distance motoring in style and comfort. Covering thousands of miles encompassing the United States and abroad, this vintage Bentley made its Concours debut at the 2010 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

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.

by Dan Vaughan

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.

by Dan Vaughan