Bentley 6½ Litre / Speed Six
1926–1930 · Bentley 6½ Litre / Speed Six — Grand Tourer, Inline-6, designed by W.O. Bentley.
The Story
If the 3 Litre made Bentley famous, the Speed Six made it a champion. Introduced in 1928 as the sporting evolution of the 6½ Litre, it became the most successful racing Bentley of the pre-war era: ‘Old Number One’ won the 24 Hours of Le Mans two years running, in 1929 and 1930, in the hands of Woolf Barnato and his fellow Bentley Boys.
It also starred in the marque’s most romantic legend. In March 1930, on a £100 bet, Barnato raced a Speed Six against Le Train Bleu from Cannes to London — and reached his London club before the train even arrived in Calais. (History notes the actual car was his Mulliner saloon, not the famous Gurney Nutting coupé, which arrived a month later.) The French authorities, unamused, fined him.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
W.O. Bentley
Walter Owen Bentley founded Bentley Motors in 1919; his OHC 4-valve engines and the ‘Bentley Boys’ won Le Mans five times (1924, 1927–30). After Rolls-Royce bought Bentley in 1931 he moved to Lagonda, designing its V12.
Studio Motors POV
The pre-war Bentley grail — racing pedigree, the Blue Train legend and Le Mans glory in a single car. A genuine Speed Six is a museum piece you can drive, and provenance multiplies everything.
The Engine
W.O. Bentley Vintage Six
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 6½ Litre / Speed Six
Worth Knowing About the 6½ Litre / Speed Six
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. Barnato's legendary 1930 'Blue Train' race — Cannes to London faster than Le Train Bleu reached Calais — was won in a Speed Six on a £100 bet; the French fined him for it.
- 2. The car actually used in the Blue Train run was Barnato's 1929 H.J. Mulliner saloon, not the famous Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupé (delivered a month later).
- 3. 'Old Number One' won Le Mans two years running (1929 and 1930) — the most successful pre-war racing Bentley.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 6½ Litre (1926) → sporting Speed Six (1928); 6,597 cc OHC six, up to 180 hp.
- 2. Le Mans winner 1929 & 1930 ('Old Number One').
- 3. Woolf Barnato won Le Mans on all three of his entries — a 100% record.
- 4. ~545 built, including 182 Speed Sixes.
- 5. Top speed ~120 mph — exceptional for its era and size.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Woolf Barnato — chairman and ‘king of the Bentley Boys,’ drove ‘Old Number One’ to back-to-back Le Mans wins (1929–30) and ran the Blue Train race in his Speed Six. (Documented; Wikipedia / Motor Sport / Robb Report.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
A Speed Six over a base 6½ Litre; works, Barnato or Le Mans provenance is multi-million blue-chip. Matching numbers and coachwork history are essential — recreations exist, so authenticate rigorously.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley 6½ Litre / Speed Six
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1926–1930
- Units built
- ~545 total 6½ Litre (incl. 182 Speed Six)
- Variants
- Speed Six (1928, twin-carb sporting version); ‘Old Number One’ works racer
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- W.O. Bentley Vintage Six
- Displacement
- 6,597 cc (6.6 L)
- Power
- 180 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 120 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 80 hp/tonne · 27.6 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 4960 lb
Questions
6½ Litre / Speed Six FAQ
How many Le Mans victories did the Bentley Speed Six win?
The Bentley Speed Six won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in consecutive years, 1929 and 1930, making it Bentley’s most successful pre-war racing car. The 1930 winner was known as ‘Old Number One.’
Did Woolf Barnato really race the Blue Train in a Bentley Speed Six?
Yes. In March 1930, Barnato bet £100 that his Speed Six could reach his London club before the Blue Train arrived in Calais from Cannes. He won by four minutes, but French authorities fined him far more than his winnings for racing on public roads, and Bentley was excluded from the 1930 Paris Salon.
How fast is the Bentley Speed Six?
The Bentley Speed Six produces approximately 180 horsepower from its 6,597 cc overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine and reaches a top speed of around 120 mph, exceptional performance for a large grand-touring car of the late 1920s.
Can you lease a Bentley Speed Six?
Yes, specialty lenders structure collector-car leases regardless of model year.
What is the difference between the Bentley 6½ Litre and the Speed Six?
The Speed Six is the sporting evolution of the standard 6½ Litre, sharing the same 6,597 cc overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine but with twin carburettors and a higher state of tune producing approximately 180 horsepower versus the base 6½ Litre’s roughly 147 horsepower.
The Bentley Lineup
Explore every Bentley
3 Litre ’216½ Litre / Speed Six ’264½ Litre ’27Blower 4½ Litre ’29
R-Type Continental ’52S1 Continental ’55S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) ’55S2/S3 Continental ’59
Mulsanne (1980) ’80Turbo R ’85
Continental R ’91Azure ’95Arnage ’98
Continental GT (1st gen) ’03Continental Flying Spur ’05Azure (2nd gen) ’06Brooklands (Coupé) ’08
Mulsanne (2010) ’10Continental GT (2nd gen) ’11Flying Spur (2nd gen) ’13Bentayga ’15Continental GT (3rd gen) ’18Flying Spur (3rd gen) ’19
Buy, sell, source or lease this 6½ Litre / Speed Six.
Studio Motors operates outside the dealership model — nationwide and off-market sourcing, custom lease structures, trade-in coordination. Tell us what you’re chasing.
