If it weren't for Bentley's continuation project, the last Speed Six roadster would've rolled out off the factory floor 93 years ago. The company, however, has set upon the path of building a handful of its historic models as brand-new cars, constructed in the UK using original processes and materials.
It started with a dozen of the classic 4.5-liter "Blower' Bentleys, completed last year, now the automaker is recreating the same amount of 6.5-liter Speed Six models. The process requires tens of craftsmen still familiar with classic techniques to construct the cars as they would have in the pre-war period.
Before you search for the millions buried in your couch cushions, all of the new Speed Six continuation cars are pre-sold. Bentley doesn't name a price, anyway. That would be ghastly.
In order to make these cars, the automaker has assembled a team of artisans and engineers tasked with recreating every single part of the reborn automobiles, but not from scratch. Bentley still has a few Speed Sixes in its inventory used as a blueprint for new components. This makes the process easier, but the parts still have to be cast, machined, bolted, stretched, and sewn. Bentley claims it has had to manufacture over 600 new bespoke parts just for the engine of the new cars, which are currently testing on the dyno.
The first prototype car is already done, undergoing durability testing to ensure all of the new parts will hold up. The 205-horsepower engine ran for 40 hours on the dyno, the car was driven over 6,000 miles, and it was taken up to 112 miles per hour, just like the originals.
A total of 182 Speed Sixes were made between 1928 and 1930. By the end of 2025, there will be 194.
