Bentley is building 12 new examples of its 1929 Speed Six

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Bentley is bringing the 1929 Le Mans-winning Speed Six back to life, with 12 exclusive models that Bentley’s Mulliner coachworks division will construct, each pinned to a 1.5-million-euro (CDN$2.04-million) price tag.

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The new Speed Six models will serve as the second pre-war-car continuation project in the Bentley 12-car Blower Continuation Series. The testing prototype, to be built in the latter half of 2022, has been dubbed Speed Six Car Zero, and will join Blower Car Zero in the automaker’s collection. The program started in 2020.

“The Speed Six is one of the most important Bentleys in our 103-year history, and the 12 cars of the Continuation Series will embody the same values as W. O. Bentley’s originals, crafted by hand with the same meticulous attention both to engineering quality and to fanatical attention to detail,” Bentley’s chairman and chief executive Adrian Hallmark said in a statement.

“The lucky owners will be able to race their cars around the world and truly relive the exploits of the original Bentley Boys.”

Designed to replicate versions of the cars that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930, these new Bentley classics will be powered by 6.5-litre inline-six engines with about 200 hp. Each will have a top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).

The iconic car, from the chassis to its straight-six engine to the design of its historic bodywork, will be built from scratch, developed from the original blueprints and 3D analysis of the original cars. Additionally, the parts used to build and manufacture the Speed Six cars will be produced similarly to the 1920s model.

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In 1928, these cars boasted an evolved version of the Bentley’s 6.5-litre mill, with twin SU carburetors, a higher compression ratio, and a high-performance camshaft that stole hearts back in the day. Now, as then, we can also expect a shorter wheelbase to deliver high performance on the track.

“After incredible levels of skill were acquired by the Mulliner team through the development of the Blower Continuation Series, and with the success of the cars with their customers, a chance to honour the Speed Six is a fantastic next step,” Hallmark said in a statement. “It’s vital that we protect, preserve, and develop not just this important part of our heritage, but also the knowledge we’ve gained through working with these classic Bentleys.”