This man has six Bentleys and the last one he built himself
It is more unique than rare, created to be identical to the original 1930s racing car.
Owning a Bentley is a luxury. To own six or seven is a dream. For some, it is a reality. In the UK, one wealthy client, whom Bentley declines to name for obvious privacy reasons, owns a first-generation Continental GT, a motorsport-inspired Continental GT3R, a second-generation Continental Supersports, a Bentayga First Edition, a Continuation Series Blower 4½ Litre Supercharged and, most recently, a Continuation Series Speed Six.
What exactly is it? A more than unique specimen, created with painstaking attention to detail to be identical in every way to the original 1930s racing car. On top of that, this passionate collector helped to hand-assemble it himself, spending a day with the Mulliner team.
Born to be driven
Both the Continuation Series Speed Six and the Continuation Series Blower are the third of twelve in their series to be created by Bentley. The Speed Six bears the number 3 because it has special significance for the owner, who played semi-professional rugby as a right wing and wore the number 3 jersey.
Both the Blower and the Speed Six are finished in the same shade of green specially blended to be somewhere between the light green of the owner's scale model and the traditional British Racing Green. This 'unique' shade has been christened 'Embelo Green' after the first letters of the customer's three daughters.
Like the owner's scale model Bentley, the interior of the Speed Six Continuation Series is finished in red.
Bentley Continuation Series Speed Six
Despite being such a special example, the Speed Six, like all this owner's Bentleys, is driven regularly. As a result, the Mulliner team were asked to provide two exhaust systems for the Speed Six: one without silencer, as per the original Speed Six specification, and the other with silencer for circuits where noise restrictions are required.
Finishing touches include a white patch on the front edge of the passenger-side front wing for easy identification when entering the pits, and a hand-painted Union Jack on the driver's side.
The Bentley Continuation Series Speed Six has two exhaust systems
The legendary Speed Six
For those unfamiliar with it, the Speed Six was introduced in 1928 as a sportier version of the Bentley 6½ Litre. The engine was modified to produce more power with twin SU carburettors, a higher compression ratio and a high-performance camshaft.
Between 1928 and 1930, 182 Speed Sixes were built and two victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1929 and 1930 cemented the car's pre-eminent place in Bentley racing history.
For the Continuation Series Speed Six, Mulliner Classic modelled two original Speed Sixes: the company's own Speed Six, GU409, and 'Old Number 3', an official Speed Six driven by Sammy Davis and Clive Dunfee in the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours. The latter was generously loaned by its owner and provided the Mulliner team with vital data on dimensions, materials and components.
The Mulliner Classic team is also indebted to the WO Bentley Memorial Foundation, which provided 80 per cent of the original drawings and notes used by the team.
More from Bentley:
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Bentley Dealers Want An Off-Road Bentayga: ‘Bring It To Market'
Man Gets His Car Back From the BMW Dealership. Then He Realizes They Unplugged His Dash Cam: 'This Is Not a Good Sign'
Are Bentley Buyers Ready For An EV SUV? 8 Out of 10 Say Yes
Porsche Is Bringing Back The Iconic Apple Livery—And It Looks Perfect
Bentley's New SUV Might Already Have A Name
‘Never Knew This Was A Thing’: Woman Scrolls Through Apple CarPlay. Then She Realizes A Hidden Feature Lets You Order A Dr. Pepper
Bentley Has Been Profitable For Seven Years In A Row