|
1930 Bentley 6½
Litre Le Mans team car evocation
- H&H Classics
- 04-Dec-2013
- The Chateau Impney Auction
- Venue: Chateau Impney, Droitwich
Spa, Worcestershire, WR9 0BN
- Year: 1930
- Engine size: 6500
- Transmission: Manual
- RHD
- Registration No.: GF 8818
- Chassis No.: KR2679
- Engine No.: FR2634
- £ 575,000 - 675,000 Estimate
Constructed by renowned marque specialist
David Ayre during 2003, 'GF 8818'
successfully mimics the look and feel
of the Speed Six Team Cars that Bentley
fielded for the Le Mans 24-hours in
1929 and 1930.
Brimming with authentic detail and
boasting a host of genuine W.O. Bentley
components (chassis, engine, gearbox
etc), it is well suited to long distance
historic rallying or more gentle touring.
In Team Car guise,
the Bentley Speed Six has quite some
claim to being the greatest British
sports car of the Vintage era. As
well as winning the 1929 and 1930
Le Mans 24-hours (besting Rudolf Carraciola's
supercharged Mercedes-Benz SS 7.1
Litre on the latter occasion), the
model distinguished itself at Brooklands
with victories in the Double Twelve
and 500-Mile races. Based on an 11-ft
2.5-in wheelbase and fabric bodied
by Vanden Plas, the Team Cars were
altogether lighter, nimbler and more
powerful than their production siblings.
Remarkably, the Works were only ever
forced to retire a Speed Six due to
mechanical failure on one occasion.
The most original of the surviving
Team Cars - `Old Number 2' - is perhaps
the world's most valuable W.O. Bentley.
Little wonder then that these competition-forged
Speed Sixes have inspired a host of
imitators. Although, few are as authentically
detailed as `GF 8818'.
The veteran of numerous
Speed Six restorations - one of which
netted a class win at the internationally
renowned Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
- David Ayre created the car on offer
during the early 2000s. An avid long
distance rally competitor, he knows
more than most about engineering a
W.O. Bentley to last. Mr Ayre has
told us the basis of the project was
a heavily damaged 1930 6.5 Litre chassis
(number KR 2679) which was supplied
new to Dr J. MacNaughton Christie
of Regent's Park, London. He also
informs us that the car boasts a genuine
Bentley Motors 6.5 Litre engine block
(including crankshaft / conrods),
flywheel and clutch. H&H are indebted
to well-respected W.O. Bentley broker
Tim Houlding who inspected `GF 8818'
at first hand on November 1st 2013
and reported as follows:
CHASSIS FRAME: The
chassis frame is of the 11-ft 2.5-in
wheelbase. It is my belief that the
cross members and side-rails are reproduction.
FRONT AXLE: The front-axle
bed is clearly stamped VA 4090 and
the stub-axles appear to be genuine
Bentley Motors components. VA 4090
was a 1932 Bentley 4 Litre that is
thought to have been dismantled many
years ago.
BRAKES: The front
braking system has been built to the
1929/1930 Works Speed Six racing pattern,
with pull-on brake-rods. The rear
brakes are standard and correct. The
hand-brake has been carefully crafted
with the special Le Mans-type adjuster.
SUSPENSION: The road-springs
are original Jonas Woodhead forged-eye
type. The twinned shock-absorbers
are reproduction Hartford type.
REAR AXLE: The rear
axle casing and aluminium differential
casing are un-numbered reproductions.
STEERING COLUMN:
The steering column is, I believe,
a reproduction built to correct 6.5
litre specification. The steering-wheel
appears to be original.
GEARBOX: The gearbox
is a reproduction D type gearbox,
fitted with a speedometer-drive.
ENGINE: The crankcase
carries the stamping FR 2634 but I
believe that it is of modern manufacture
as are the sump, valve chest and valve
chest-cover. The inlet manifold is
a genuine early Speed-Six Bentley
item and the twin SU HVG 5 carburettors
are genuine and numbered. The nearside
Bosch GF6 magneto is genuine and very
rare. The offside Delco-Remy distributor
is genuine. The starter-motor is a
correct and original Smiths type.
SUPERSTRUCTURE: The
bulkhead is an aluminium reproduction.
The Smiths cut-out and Bosch fuse-boxes
appear to be genuine. The radiator
is a reproduction Speed Six type,
well-crafted in nickel-silver, with
integral stoneguard. The fuel tank
is an exact recreation of the type
used by Bentley Motors Ltd on their
1929 and 1930 Le Mans Speed Sixes
with good detailing of petrol and
air taps. The headlights are original
11-in pillar-mounted Zeiss of the
type used by the Company for their
racing Speed Sixes during 1930. The
twin short-trumpet Klaxon horns, mounted
on the front chassis X-tube, are original
items and correct for a Le Mans-style
Speed Six.
COACHWORK: The coachwork
is crafted as an exact evocation of
the Works Speed Six Le Mans racing
cars. The dashboard has been modelled
to reproduce the layout of the Bentley
Works racing cars. The Jaeger 0-120mph
speedometer is correct and original.
The clock is a genuine and very rare
Jaeger Chronographe, with minutes-total
window and sweep second-hand.
COSMETIC APPEARANCE:
The vehicle presents extremely well
and has been very diligently crafted
as an accurate evocation of the Bentley
Works 1930 Le Mans Speed Six.
DRIVING EXPERIENCE:
The vehicle started immediately from
cold with satisfactory oil-pressure.
Several runs confirmed that the cooling
system is efficient. The engine revved
freely and enthusiastically and was
very quiet in operation. The gearbox
changed well, although slight adjustment
of the clutch-stop is recommended.
The road-holding was good. The steering
was somewhat heavy at slow speeds
but very acceptable at higher speeds. |
