Bentley Speed Six

Blue Train Special

entley enjoyed a brief, brilliant tenure as a manufacturer

of topflight performance automobiles, but it is this period

of time that continues to anchor the allure of the Bentley

brand today. This period of glory lasted just over a decade,

from when the first Bentley automobiles were produced in

1919 until the firm entered receivership in 1931 and Rolls

Royce purchased its assets. During that time, Bentley’s brawny

and reliable machines managed to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans

five times.

Besides its founders Walter Owen and Henry Bentley, the

South African mining millionaire Joel Woolf Barnato brought

much-needed cash to the fledgling car company, and became

one of Bentley’s most important figureheads. Barnato also

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