The 69th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, August 2019.

Photographs were taken at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 2019

Retromobile, February 2017

Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance, September 2016
Bentley Speed Six old number 1 debuted as a factory racing car in May 1929 and in June of that year won Le Mans in the hands of Woolfe “Babe” Barnato and Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin. For the 1930 season Bentley produced two more cars known as old number 2 and old number 3 to the same winning design. Old number 2 shown here was driven to victory by Barnato and Frank Clement in the Brooklands Double Twelve covering a distance of 2080 miles at an average speed of 86.68 mph. Later in the year Old number 2 finished second in the hands of Clements and Richard Watney in the Le Mans race having covered a distance of 1760 miles at an average speed of 73.08 mph; the race winner was old number 1 driven by Barnato and Glen Kidston. Careful conservation has insured that old number 2 is exactly as she finished the 24 hours.

Councours of Elegance
Bentley Speed Six 'Old No 2', chassis number HM2868, is one of the finest and most original Works Bentleys in existence today, having finished second at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours race, just behind Speed Six 'Old No 1'.

Goodwood Festival of Speed, June 2014

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, August 2009

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2008. Photo by G. Kilminster.

These photographs were taken at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2008.

Car appears in advertisement for R. C. Moss Restorations in Nov. 2007 after car placed 1st in class at Pebble Beach.

These photographs were taken at the Brooklands 100th Anniversary in June 2007.

Vintage Bentleys celebrate Brooklands Track Centenary on June 15th 2007.

Read article here.

New Bentley Brooklands coupe celebrates circuit’s centenary
June 2007

"This week, as the Brooklands track celebrates its centenary, the most famous of the vintage Bentley racing cars are reunited at the circuit for the first time in the company of the very latest Bentley Brooklands coupe.

Bentley’s proud sporting pedigree, forged by the exploits of the immortal Bentley Boys on this famous racetrack in the 1920s and 30s, was the inspiration for the new Bentley Brooklands coupe, capturing all the style, power and splendour of that era.

During this period, Brooklands was the scene of some of Bentley’s greatest triumphs, as the Bentley Boys raced their machines on the treacherous Members’ Banking.

Two of the most successful Bentley racers at Brooklands were Speed Six models with special Vanden Plas bodies, known affectionately as ‘Old Number Two’ and ’Old Number Three’. These were the only cars created by Bentley specifically for competition purposes.

‘Old Number Two’ was victorious in its first outing, winning the 1930 Brooklands Double Twelve (a 24-hour race run over two days), driven by Bentley Boys Frank Clement and Woolf Barnato at an average speed of over 85 mph. ‘Old Number Three’, driven by Sammy Davis and Jack Dunfee, came second. Old Number Two went on that year to take second place at Le Mans behind another famous Bentley, ‘Old Number One’."

Photographs show car in 2006 after a complete restoration by R. C. Moss.

From 'Manchester News' - 23rd July 2004

Explorer's Bentley in uncharted territory
By Andrew Knott

Gentleman landowner Sir Philip Brocklehurst knew how to travel. Whether venturing to the most inaccessible places on earth or roaming his estates in Cheshire, he did it in style.

The last survivor of the 1907 Sir Ernest Shackleton expedition to the Antarctic, he cut a dash in Swythamley Park, Macclesfield, in his 6.5-litre Bentley. Bought in 1935 for about €200, the Works No 2 Speed Six Tourer, one of only three ever made and still in mint condition, was today going under the hammer - for an expected €1.5m, a record for a Bentley.

Auctioneers Christie's described it as the "best vintage car to survive from the 1920s and the most important to have been offered for sale for many years".

The car was built for the 1930 Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in France, in which the team of Frank Clement and Richard Watney finished a creditable second. Later it went one better, storming to victory in the British equivalent race, the Double Twelve.

Sir Philip and the machine parted company when he sold it to a wealthy merchant based in Carlisle, and immediately after the Second World War it was sold to a collector in the United States.

The car returned to Britain when it was bought privately in 1984 and that owner, who wants to remain anonymous, was selling it today at a special auction being staged at Le Mans.

~~

July 26, 2004:
LE MANS (AFP) "A 1930 Bentley Speed Six has fetched a world record price for a car of 3.8 million euros at an auction, the organiser of the Le-Mans Classic race in France said."

Photograph shows car in 2004 before being restored.

This car "...has the distinction of not only being the Clement and Watney Works Car that finished 2nd overall at LeMans — behind its sister No. 4 car — but also winning outright that year's Brooklands "Double Twelve" (in LeMans trim but before the French classic) at an average speed of 86.68 mph. This time Clement was paired with Barnato."

This Bentley 6½ Litre Speed Six placed second in the 1930 race.

1930 Bentley Speed Six
Christie’s believe that 'There cannot be a more important Vintage Motor Car’. Registered GF 8507, chassis HM2868 has the distinction of not only being the Clement and Watney Works Car that finished 2nd overall at Le Mans - behind its sister No.4 car - but also winning outright that year’s Brooklands ‘Double Twelve’ (in Le Mans trim but before the French classic) at an average speed of 86.68 mph. This time Clement was paired with Barnato. Just two weeks after the 1 - 2 at Le Mans the company announced its retirement from racing - and didn’t return until 2001.

The Old No. 2 appears to be undergoing restoration in the above photograph. This was a Bentley Motors works team car.

Le Mans - for French Television 1980
On the right, Rivers with the No. 2 Le Mans Speed Six GF 8507. On the left the late Bill Lake (who had been the owner of GF 8507) with his 4½ litre Bottail Bentley YW 2557.

Photograph was taken during Pebble Beach Concours in 1979.

"From the Swythamley Historical Society Archives (courtesy of a private collection). We have no specific information on date or location but it will have been when it was in the possession of Sir Philip Brocklehurst probably in the 1930s." - Alan Weeks

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In dating this photograph, I noticed it has an MOT badge on the car (just above the spare tire). The MOT badges were not issued until 1960. Therefore the photos is 1960 or later.
("1960: MOT test introduced for vehicles over 10 years old covering brakes, lights and steering" - Source: UKMOT.com)

Robert McLellan - VintageBentleys.org

GF 8507 at Maquoketa Iowa Car show 1955

J. D . Percy's "Speed Six" is, today, as hale and hearty as when, one of the "works" team, it finished first at Le Mans nineteen years ago.

Photographs show Dick Watney during the 1930 LeMans Race and interior of the car.

Photograph was taken during 1930 LeMans Race.

Frank Clement and Woolf Barnato in winning car at Brooklands in 1930 in above photos.