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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
As has been proven ever since, success on the track begets success in the salesroom. The sporting reputation of the three liter chassis lead to commissions for rather more luxurious coachwork on the chassis, and Bentley agents were only too happy to comply.
The results were mixed, at best. Enclosed coachwork proved substantially heavier, and corresponding performance suffered. In addition, the short chassis could not accommodate the demand for the kind of coachwork Bentley’s new clientele were demanding. A longer chassis addressed the latter concern, but aggravated the performance issue.
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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
Clearly, a larger, more powerful chassis was required if Bentley was to cater to this new clientele while maintaining the firm’s reputation as a sporting marque. As a result, W.O. set about designing a new engine; in essence, it was a standard three liter four with two extra cylinders grafted on, displacing 4 1/4 liters. The most noteworthy design change was the replacement of the vertical shaft camshaft drive by a unique system whereby a crank driven bevel gear turned a small triple-throw crankshaft, which drove a similar crankshaft on the cam, connected by a set of three connecting rods. Although unusual, the new system worked well, and would remain in service through the later eight liter cars.
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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
A prototype car wearing a Weymann saloon body was constructed, and taken on a European tour by W.O. Bentley himself. In an interesting anecdote taken from his autobiography, he relates the story of an interesting coincidence that would directly lead to the 6 1/2 liter cars. It seems W.O. was driving at speed on a French road along one leg approaching a “Y” intersection when he noticed another car paralleling him on the other leg, also driving at speed.
Both cars accelerated and reached the deserted country intersection at the same time. Each took his side of the road, running flat out and side by side. Bentley realized that his opponent was an engineer driving the prototype Rolls-Royce Phantom I. At the same time, the Rolls driver recognized Bentley, and the race was on. For a considerable distance, the cars ran hard, with neither able to gain a clear advantage. In the end, the Rolls driver’s hat blew off and he broke off the race and returned to retrieve it.
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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
It was this episode that convinced Bentley that more performance was required. This he did, by the simple expedient of increasing the engine’s displacement from 4 1/4 liters to 6 1/2. The new car, introduced in 1925, proved quite successful, attracting the carriage trade business that was Bentley’s original objective.
Although intended as luxury transportation, the engineer in W.O. Bentley could not resist developing a competition version. The three liter had been supplanted by the four, but by the late 1920s, it was clear that international success at the top levels was going to require more power.
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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
Several months of development lead to the completion of the first demonstration chassis in late 1928. The first delivery took place in May of 1929 to Capt. Woolf Barnato. The new cars were similar to the standard models, but benefited from a host of performance oriented upgrades, the most visible of which was the fitment of a pair of S.U. carburetors on a new square section intake manifold. Horsepower was up by 20bhp to 180, and would ultimately reach 200bhp in the Le Mans spec racers.
Bentley’s success at Le Mans was well known, but 1929 marked the first appearance of the new Speed Six, in the hands of Barnato and Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin. It was accompanied by three four 4 1/2 liter cars, one of which retired early. The remaining four Bentleys lead most of the race, with the Birkin/Barnato Speed Six in the lead. In fact, they were so far ahead of the rest of the field that the team instructed them to reduce to touring speed for the last few hours to save the cars.
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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
The Bentley juggernaut continued to dominate at various events during the following 12 months, before returning to Le Mans in 1930. This time three cars were entered: Barnato and Kidston, driving car #4, Clement and Watney driving car #2, and Davis and Dunfee driving #3. Dunfee crashed fairly early, ending the race for #3. Meanwhile, a heated battle had developed between the two remaining Speed Sixes and the legendary Caracciola, driving his supercharged Mercedes-Benz. Although he lead for a time, the Bentleys kept the pressure on Caracciola, forcing him to use his supercharger extensively, and finally he was forced to retire on the 83rd lap. Once again, Bentley ordered his leaders to drop back to a fast touring speed, and in the end, it was Barnato and Kidston in first place, followed by Clement and Watney in second.
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| Bentley Speed Six LeMans Tourer 1930 |
It was Bentley’s fourth consecutive victory at Le Mans, an achievement that would forever elevate the marque to legendary status among enthusiasts everywhere – even those whose primary allegiances lay elsewhere. While four victories in a row is certainly remarkable, it was the degree of superiority they demonstrated that impresses most of all.
Not only did Bentley win these races, they won while literally touring around the track at the end. As a result, no one ever knew what average speeds and lap times might have resulted had they run flat out for the entire race. In particular, the strategy meant that Bentley’s competitors always seemed to underestimate his cars – no matter how hard they were pushed, they had more in reserve.
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