Found on Fiskens website on March 10, 2017

1930 Bentley Speed Six
- A magnificent matching numbers original Speed Six offered after 30 years of fastidious ownership
- Prepared for long-distance rallying – campaigned and proven across Canada, USA, Jordon, South Africa and Australasia
- Exhaustive history file and recent inspection by Bentley authority, Clare Hay

Chassis number: NH2731
Picture a scene of London society in the Roaring Twenties; the age of flapper girls, glamour, art deco, thrilling gossip in magazines such as The Tatler & Harpers & Queen and the all-new jazz music. It was, undoubtedly, an intoxicating era and it was on this dazzling stage that the Cricklewood Bentley was born. Soon the preserve of aristocrats, film stars, foreign dignitaries and socialites, Bentley quickly found its automobiles to be de rigour.

The Speed Six was introduced to this heady climate at the Olympia Motor Show in October 1928 as a sports version of the 6.5 litre Standard Six road car. The Standard Six was never intended as a sporting chassis but the on-track results from the 1928 racing season made it very apparent that the 4.5 litre engine was rapidly becoming underpowered in comparison to the competition. Given this, proprietor, W.O. Bentley, allocated an early Standard Six chassis to the company’s racing shop so that it could be developed for the 1929 season. Le Mans rules required that cars raced must be production catalogue models. This ensured that the Speed Six was quickly introduced for sale to general public. Out of 544 6½-litre examples made in Cricklewood, just 182 were to Speed Six specification.

Differences between the speed and standard versions include an uprated engine - complete with twin SU HVG5 carburettors - providing an increase in power from 147 to 160bhp. Visually, a new radiator shape and bulkhead with parallel sides rather than the tapered radiator of the Standard Six was fitted. On the race track, the Speed Sixes were phenomenally successful with Barnato and Birkin winning the 24 Heures Du Mans in 1929 and Barnato and Kidston taking the honours at the Grand Prix d’Endurance in La Sarthe in 1930. The 1930 success was the fourth in succession at Le Mans; quite some feat. So proud was W.O. Bentley of the Speed Six that he declared it his favourite car.

This example, NH2731, was sent from the Crickwood factory to Barker and Company coachbuilders on 1st November 1929, its body built to order for its first customer, with a price tag to match. Some three months later, in January 1930, the car was delivered to Lt Cm, King-Landale of Royal Navy, via Bentley agent Gaffkin Wilkinson, one of the biggest London Bentley dealers of the age. In 1932, it was acquired by the Honourable Arthur Gore, then E Everard Gates of Grosvenor Square, eventually being purchased by Gilbert and Susan Frankau of Knightsbridge; Gilbert being a successful and well-known novelist of the time. Frankau had the four-seater Barker body removed and replaced with a contemporary two-seater drophead coupé body by the R.E.A.L. Carriage Works Limited, which had the couple’s initials monogrammed on its doors.

By 1938, NH2731 was owned by Derek Hawkins of the de Haviland Aircraft Company, based in Hatfield. This is the last entry for NH2731 in the Bentley service record as all unfortunately ended in 1940 when Rolls Royce shut down the old Bentley Service Department. Hawkins kept the Bentley until 1948, when it was sold to the Honourable H.J.N Vane. By 1959, had been bought by J.A Barnfather and in 1962 he offered the R.E.A.L. body for sale. By 1970, NH2731 had been rebodied with a period ‘Lagonda’ four-seater example, the coachwork that is still fitted today. After changing hands just one more time, the Speed Six was bought by its most recent owner in 1984. In his hands, the car was overhauled and prepared for long-distance rallying by vintage Bentley specialists, McKenzie Guppy, for some 25 years. NH2731 has retained all of its original ‘matching numbers’ parts, with the exception of a replacement front axle beam, which was fitted following a brake lock-on problem. An ex-Rolls Royce engineer, the previous owner was fastidious about the upkeep of the Speed Six, a fact that was in no way insignificant in its success at global long distance rally events, being campaigned and proven across Canada, USA, South America, Jordan and Australasia.

The exhaustive history files that accompanies the Speed Six includes a Fiskens-commissioned thirty page in-depth report by renowned Speed Six authority, Clare Hay.

In Hays’ book, the Bentley Speed Six, she speaks of the contemporary allure of the Bentley, particularly the Speed Six, noting that ‘It is little wonder that a contemporary motoring journalist described the chauffeur of a Bentley as a man to be envied!’ A truly rare opportunity to acquire a genuine, ‘matching numbers’ Speed Six, this twenties siren is just waiting to be enjoyed. An ideal companion for all the best international rallies and concours, along with the prestigious Goodwood events, its new owner will find themselves in very good company indeed.

This car is for sale as of March 10, 2017.

Salon Rétromobile - Paris, February 2017

Rétromobile, February 9, 2017

1930 6½-Litre Vintage Bentley chassis no. NH2731 at BDC Silverstone 2016

Bentley Drivers Club Silverstone, August 2016

East India Club Rally, October 2014

Bentley Drivers Club at Silverstone - Saturday 2nd August 2014

BDC Run Victoria, Canada, 2013

1930 Speed 6, Reg No: UW 5535, Engine No: NH2738, Chassis No: NH2731

"Our Speed Six UW 5535 was originally delivered in early 1930 to a Lt Commander King-Landale of HMS Nelson as a Barker Sports Saloon; it is an interesting measure of changing times and social conditions that today we neither have glorious battleships like the Nelson or many Naval Commanders who buy new Bentleys!

At some time, probably in the sixties the car was fitted with the present touring body and had been owned by a drummer in the Led Zeppelin group with whom I had several incomprehensible telephone calls. We bought the car from Stanley Mann when he still ran a butcher's shop in North London who, in reply to my question as to spares to be carried replied "all you need is a smile and a screwdriver". In the absence of the former in times of stress we now rely on a rather more comprehensive tool kit and spares pack which of course includes one off of all the bits and pieces that we have subsequently collected over time.

During our ownership we have completely rebuilt the car from the bare chassis upwards and it has rewarded us with outstanding performance in Europe, the United States and recently Australia as well of course in dear old Blighty - not for nothing was the Speed Six WO's favourite car. We love it dearly.

Whilst the car under our ownership has been progressively rejuvenated, the same does not apply to its owner - the photo therefore regrettably is not of me behind the wheel, but our son Simon." - Owner, Bob Hickman