Bentley Brings 1930 Car Into Current Day By Following Original Drawings Exactly

By Mikelle Leow, 15 Oct 2024

Bentley is bringing the past back to life with its painstaking recreation of the iconic 1930 Speed Six. For fans of vintage luxury cars, this is not just a trip down memory lane—it’s truly a drive straight into history. Relying original design drawings and materials from nearly a century ago, the automaker has created a faithful reproduction of its Le Mans-winning Speed Six.

Image via Bentley

Only 12 of these continuation models will be made for customers, along with one test model, aptly named Car Zero. Each of these hand-built masterpieces would set buyers back a cool US$2 million.

Image via Bentley

Car Zero, like its 1930 ancestor, is powered by a 6.5-liter straight-six engine that delivers around 205 horsepower. While that might sound modest in today’s world of supercars, it was top-tier performance back in the roaring ’20s. This was the engine that helped Bentley win the 1929 and 1930 Le Mans races, proving not only its speed but also its endurance on the world stage. The Speed Six was a legend, and now it’s back to claim its place on the road once more.

Image via Bentley

More than just replicas, the continuation vehicles are built using the exact same techniques and designs that were used almost 100 years ago. Bentley’s bespoke division, Mulliner, drew on original design documents and even mechanic’s notes from the 1929 and 1930 Le Mans races and crank up the model’s authenticity. Further, more than 600 new parts were required to recreate the car’s six-cylinder race engine, which has been finely tuned to deliver nearly the same power output as the original.

Image via Bentley

Needless to say, the undertaking involved extensive research, with Bentley’s team digging through archives, consulting the Bentley Heritage Collection, and even examining an original 1930 Le Mans racer, known as Old Number 3. Testing for the car was equally rigorous, including a six-hour race simulation and a top-speed run that clocked in at 115 mph. Every aspect of this car has been hand-crafted to a T, from the engine to the tan leather interior, resulting in a vehicle that honors the company’s rich racing history.