Bentley Is Recreating Its Iconic 1930 Speed Six

British luxury car maker Bentley is traveling back in time this year with one of its most memorable vehicles: the 1930 Speed Six.

Bentley did extensive research to ensure the Speed Six continuations are as close to the originals as possible. The manufacturer will use the same materials, design drawings (80 percent of the original prints were recovered via the WO Bentley Memorial Foundation), and building methods to recreate the model, making it a proper blast from the past rather than a replica.

The company is creating 12 hand-crafted models of the Speed Six—and all have already been pre-sold for $2 million each to car collectors. Building the first car is slated to begin in October 2024. Every vehicle will take 10 months to complete; Bentley estimates the whole lot should be done by the end of 2025. 

Buyers will get to discuss their preferences in personal commissioning meetings over the coming months—they get a say regarding customization options, such as period-correct materials and finishes. Customers can even get a personal fitting service in a development car, the Speed Six Factory Works, to ensure their model matches their needs.

The Speed Six has a remarkable history to brag about. It boasts victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans races in 1929 and 1930, with drivers Woolf Barnato, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, and Glen Kidston at the wheel.

Barnato and Dale Bourne celebrated a massive win with the vehicle in 1930 when they smoked the Blue Train in a race from Cannes to Calais. The drivers won and even had time to load the Speed Six on a ferry, sail across the English Channel, and drive to London before the Blue Train arrived. The car reached a whopping 43.43 mph and covered 570 miles in their journey across France. 

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