Art of the Classic Car

showed his prowess behind the wheel, winning three of those
Le Mans victories from 1928 through 1930.
Understandably, Barnato had a great deal of confidence in
himself and his Bentleys. In March 1930, at a party in Cannes,
France, Barnato bragged that his Speed Six could get him to his
club in London faster than the famed Blue Train express could
travel between Cannes and Calais. One hundred pounds sterling
was put on the line and Barnato took the challenge.
The next afternoon, Barnato and his friend, Dale Bourne,
left Cannes just as the Blue Train left Cannes station. Despite a
rainstorm, a blown tire, dark and unfamiliar French roads, and the
necessity of a cross-Channel ferry ride, Barnato and Bourne arrived
at the Conservative Club in London by 3:30 p.m. the next day. The
Blue Train arrived in Calais exactly four minutes later.
The car seen here is not generally believed to be the car that beat
the Blue Train. Rather, most believe it was delivered to Barnato
two months after the race, whereupon he dubbed it “the Blue
Train Special” to commemorate his recent cross-country victory
(Barnato’s daughter, for one, claimed that this car was in fact the
one driven in the race).
In any case, this custom-bodied Speed Six Bentley is worthy
of any and all the recognition it receives. Its body was built by