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Bentley's best years were had in the post war 1920s when they built around 3000 cars and were one of world's most important car companies. They rivaled home competitors Daimler and Rolls-Royce and the Speed 6 was the more definitive models that put them on the top.

Bentley gained much respect after proving their endurance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and winning many English races including the Tourist Trophy and Brookland's Double 12. Infact, Bentley was at the very first 24 Hours held in 1923, and won the event in 1924, 27, 28, 29 and 30. These later victories were achieved with specially fitted Speed Sixes which was one of Walter Owen Bentley's favorite cars.

The basis for all of Bentley's cars was an engine which in many respects was ahead of its time. Drawing upon experience gained from working at the Great Northern Railway and designing airplane engines, Walter Owen Bentley included such characteristics as aluminum pistons, dry-sump lubrication, twin spark ignition and an advanced valve train in his engines. Early models featured four cylinders and after 1925, Bentley released a straight six which would become his highlight work, and provide necessary power for heavy coachwork and grand touring.

By 1928, Bentley was selling many cars to be raced by private entrants including the 4.5 liter blower Bentleys, as raced by Tim Birkin, and high performance six cylinder cars called the Speed 6. Of the nearly 200 Speed Sixes made, some received the most extravagant English coachwork, while others were sold as private competition cars. For the 1928 season, Bentley decided to prepare a works version of the Speed 6 to enter the major races that year. Speed 6 became Bentley's definitive race car.

Since Speed Sixes were in regular series production, and Vanden Plas made many Le Mans-type bodies for customers, distinguishing the works cars from the customer cars is a hard task, especially given that some of the changes remained confidential. However we can say the Works car received lighter bodies, 25 gallon gas tanks, Bentley & Draper double front hydraulic shock absorbers, hotter camshafts, heavy front axle beams with integral jacking pads, special headlamp support bracket castings with bearings for the Perrot shafts, and sometimes a central Marchal headlight for night runs. However, the most important characteristic of the Speed 6 was its ability to run flawlessly all day and night.

Works Speed 6s on the Track

The first car, LB 2332, named in period and known in perpetuity as 'Old Number One' debuted at Brooklands for the first ever 24 hour endurance race at the circuit, in May 1929. In what was to be an inauspicious start to this famous car's racing career it was forced to retire after the failing of a dynamo drive coupling. However, the opening stages of the race had given some evidence of the racing capability of the model and a month later at Le Mans, the Speed Six proved its mettle by winning infront of three customer 4.5 blowers, giving Bentley a 1-2-3-4 finish.

A year later, at the end of Speed Six production two further racing 11 foot chassis, this car HM 2868 and sister HM 2869 were allocated to the Racing Department for Works preparation for the 1930 Season.

Owing to its popularity in 1929, the Junior Car Club repeated its Double Twelve race, and again assembled a wholly representative grouping of 59 International sports racing cars. As the perfect pre-cursor to Le Mans, Bentley brought both of the newly completed Works Speed Sixes prepared in Le Mans trim, notably with larger than required headlamps, as well as hydraulic shock absorbers. Barnato's car was set up to be the faster of the two. Alongside these Birkin entered three Supercharged 4 Litres.

Throughout the race, Barnato and Clement in HM2868 and Davis and Clive Dunfee in the sister car dominated, and they would be recorded on the finishing straight at 112mph. It was the Speed Sixes' race, by 8pm on the Saturday night, Barnato and Clement had covered 2080.24 miles at an average speed of 86.68 mph. With this they were winners outright.

W.O. Bentley's proven victorious Double Twelve Team pairing of Speed Sixes, were his entry for Le Mans joined with last year's winner 'Old No.1'. For this race HM 2868 again wore the Works 'No.2', but was piloted by Frank Clement and Richard Watney. Separate from these was Dorothy Paget's team of Birkin's Blower Bentleys, and owing to the limited entry that year, Bentleys accounted for nearly a third of the 19 entrants.

In the closing stages of the race, both Speed Sixes let up speed to form a convoy One-Two finish for No.4 and No.2 in time-honoured team fashion. W.O. Bentley's faith in the reliability of his cars was again proven, his legendary success in endurance racing being extended to a remarkable Fifth Le Mans win and fourth consecutively. Clement and Watney's second place in HM 2868 (No. 2) was the result of having covered 2,832 kilometers over 24 hours, an average of 73.08 miles per hour.

Christies Sale of HM 2868 (No. 2)

HM 2868 is universally regarded as the finest and most important surviving Works Bentley. It has by far the best racing pedigree, concise chain of ownership and finest state of preservation. It should also be remembered that whilst raced by significant drivers of their time, a 'Blower' Bentley was never a Works car, nor were they successful at Le Mans. As the definitive Bentley Works Racer, one of only two cars to place at Le Mans and in The Double Twelve, quite simply, there cannot be a more important Vintage Motor Car. Christie's is was deeply honoured to auction HM 2868 at their sale for the 2004 LeMans Classic. The car had an estimate sale price of 2 200 000 to 2 500 000 euros but sold at a record-breaking 4 188 250 euros. At that price the sale beat the Record for any car sold in Europe at Auction and a World record for a Bentley sold at Auction.

Story by Richard Owen & Christies Inc