Bentley Speed Six

A little history

Bentley’s very first model had been the 3-litre, but in 1926 two new cars, even more ambitious, followed. They were the 4½-litre, which promised high performance, and the huge 6½-litre, which put Bentley in the same league as Rolls-Royce, no less. Both raced, and made Bentley the company to beat during the Twenties, should it be at Brooklands or at Le Mans. This brought a performance-oriented variant to each of them: for the 6½-litre, it was called the Speed Six and appeared in 1928, while the 4½-litre saw a Supercharged version (the famous Bentley “Blower”) introduced during the following year.

Racing also created the legend of the Bentley Boys, a group of young and rich gentlemen-drivers who were so dedicated to the brand that when it felt in dire straits, they all dipped into their personal fortunes in order to save it. But ultimately even the most deeply involved of the Bentley Boys, Woolf Barnato, didn’t succeed in avoiding Bentley’s bankruptcy despite the huge amounts he poured into its coffers. In 1931, Bentley was sold to Rolls-Royce, and for almost seventy years thereafter lost most of its autonomy and retired from racing.

About the models

Model: Bentley Speed Six Sportsman Coupé, body by Gurney Nutting
Year: 1930
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.8 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2006, in Souillac, France

Often erroneously called the “Blue Train Special”, this spectacular one-off automobile has been wonderfully reproduced by Ixo. Praises should be given to Altaya to have proposed the great series of pre-war classics of which this model is a part. My rating is 15/20.







Model: Bentley Speed Six “Old Number 1”
Year: 1930
Event: 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Woolf Barnato and Glen Kidston (overall winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.31 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

In 1930, Bentley closed a series of four straight wins at Le Mans with this car, while another Speed Six finished second ahead of two Talbots – a British triumph! Ixo’s model is good enough, though it’s unclear what the Chinese brand wanted to do regarding the car’s headlights. Correct enough though to be awarded a 12/20.

Bentley EXP Speed 8

A little history

Following its takeover by Volkswagen, Bentley returned to motor racing. The old company had left any direct involvement in endurance in 1928, and had won its last Le Mans 24 hours two years later. Though being known as the dominating force in sportscar racing during the Twenties, this experience could hardly help… Therefore the Bentley effort was heavily based on the R8 raced by sister company Audi. The British car, the EXP Speed 8 (the name was voluntary reminiscent of its famous ancestors), was designed by Peter Elleray and built by RTN, a company linked to the VAG group, which had already constructed the short-lived and rather unsuccessful Audi R8C coupe. Bentley chose to run a coupe in LMGTP class, the only of its kind among a field of open cars. Power came from the 3.6-litre twin turbo V8 lent by Audi. Bentley's goal was to win Le Mans once again, and a three-year program was set up to fulfil this aspiration. The Sarthe race being the only objective for the British company, the Audi R8 would be left without competitor in all the other events of the season.

Bentley’s first (modern) try at Le Mans took place in 2001. Two cars were entered, but the Audi R8 proved too serious a competition. Though one EXP Speed 8 retired after being destroyed by a fire, its companion finished 3rd, obviously winning its class as the only entrant. For 2002, Bentley decided to compensate its disadvantage by enlarging its car's V8 to 4.0 litres. Nonetheless the team felt it still had a lot to learn, and entered only one car at Le Mans in order to concentrate on the last scheduled attempt of its program. This lone racer finished 4th.

The EXP Speed 8 was much improved for 2003, emerging simply as the Speed 8. Two cars were unexpectedly entered at Sebring to prepare for their big rendezvous with Le Mans. They finished the Florida event as 3rd and 4th. The VAG management, which wanted a Bentley victory in the Sarthe for publicity reasons, did everything it could to let the British team win. Works Audis were a no-show, while both Joest Racing and Audi's star driver Tom Kristensen threw their precious help behind Bentley. Without much challenge, the two British cars finished 1-2. Mission accomplished, though gallantry somewhat left to be desired…

About the models

Model: Bentley EXP Speed 8 - Audi
Year: 2001
Event: 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Andy Wallace, Butch Leitzinger and Eric Van de Poele (finished 3rd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.4 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Excellent when compared to other models of the first Le Mans press series released by Altaya. Decoration is superb, details well done. My rating is 14/20.







Model: Bentley Speed 8
Year: 2003
Event: 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Guy Smith (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.21 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

Great model considering the price. Quality of this newer Altaya series is virtually on a par with genuine Ixo models, so there isn't any reason not to give a 15/20 to this fine die-cast.