With five 24 Hours of Le Mans wins, including an unbroken four-year streak from 1927 through 1930, the company bearing W.O. Bentley’s name continues to evoke images of racing glory, mighty performance, and the romance of the open road. While all Bentleys are revered by true driving enthusiasts and collectors today, the 6 1/2 Litre marks the apogee of the company prior to its eventual takeover by Rolls-Royce. Restored to its present glory, this 1927 6 1/2 Litre Sports Tourer, chassis BX 2419, recalls the Bentley Boys who built the legend.

As with all great W.O.-era cars, the legendary 6 1/2 Litre owes its existence to the original three-litre design. Racing success, including the 1924 and 1927 Le Mans wins, quickly drove sales, with buyers soon demanding evermore luxurious and heavy custom coachwork, resulting in the more powerful 4 1/2 Litre, which in modified form earned Bentley’s third Le Mans win in 1928. While Tim Birkin famously created the supercharged 4 1/2 Litre Blower Bentley, the works’ own uprated 6 1/2 Litre Speed Six cars closed out Bentley’s early glory days with wins at Le Mans in 1929 and 1930 – Bentley’s last until 2003.

While winning is everything in motor sports, it is the degree of Bentley’s superiority to the competition that is perhaps even more impressive. Today, a Le Mans-specification 6 1/2 Litre Speed Six is arguably the most desirable of all Vintage Bentleys. As expected, considering their Le Mans-winning cachet, technical brilliance, muscular presence, and sheer rarity, the collector demand has long outstripped available supply.

The remarkable Bentley presented here was restored to its present sporting form by the highly regarded specialist David Ayre, restorer of early Bentley and Lagonda cars. BX 2419 utilized the major components, including the chassis, axles, steering box, and gearbox from a complete 6 1/2 Litre open four-seater, originally bodied by Motor Bodies Ltd., that had been disassembled for restoration in the early 1950s. Mr. Ayre acquired the long-stored 6 1/2 from the widow of L.J. Budgen, who had bought the project in 1963, and restored it for the consignor, yielding spectacular results, both visually and mechanically.

The original frame of BX 2419 was shortened to the sporting 11' 2" length, and built for long-distance touring with high-speed capability, per the owner’s request, including the use of an eight-litre engine block with a new, high-capacity sump and specific cam grind coupled with a slightly higher-than-stock compression ratio. A free-flowing exhaust header and three SU carburetors also contribute to the formidable powerplant. The axles from the original car were restored and installed; the differential’s nosepiece bears the stamping BX 2419 with a 3.0:1 ratio, while the front axle is an unnumbered period unit that was installed following damage sustained in 1928. The D-type gearbox is numbered 5136 D, and the original steering box, numbered BX 2419, was rebuilt and modified to Le Mans specs with a long drop arm, and the leaf springs were similarly brought to team car specs. The brakes were upgraded to Speed Six type, and a new bulkhead, also to the Speed Six design, was fitted as well.

The new, low-slung touring coachwork is covered in fabric and is complemented by stout cycle fenders, a high-capacity Le Mans-style fuel tank, and a proper pair of Carl Zeiss headlamps ahead of a Speed Six-profiled radiator shell. The triple windscreen setup includes a full-width hinged unit, individual Brooklands-style, and a mesh rock screen. Dramatically finished in an extremely dark green with a green leather interior, the full complement of gauges, including the expected “big tach,” stands out prominently behind the cord-wrapped steering wheel. All of these details came together beautifully – with the quality of assembly, finish, and tuning for which David Ayre is so renowned – and easily met the very high standards of the consignor.

Most importantly, this eight-litre powered, Speed Six-upgraded, 6 1/2 Le Mans-style Sports Tourer provides a fantastic driving experience. The owner, who has logged tour mileage in the best offerings from Duesenberg, Rolls-Royce, and other Vintage Bentleys, regards this car as the finest and most enjoyable he has piloted, able to keep pace with the mighty Model J, but also handle corners with alacrity and predictability. Since 2005, he has logged over 12,000 miles in comfort, both on rigorous long-distance tours as well as family outings. As offered, this amazing Bentley combines the best aspects of W.O.’s creations, and is ready to take its next owner on thrilling adventures, most anywhere in the world.