The classic ‘Blue Train’ makes a return this year at Rétromobile 2015 in a long-awaited celebration of its 85th anniversary
Followers of Bentley Motor Cars will know there’s always a story behind a Bentley, and the 1930 Speed Six is no exception. Eight five years ago, original Bentley Boy and Chairman of Bentley Motors, Captain Woolf Barnato, set a £100 wager with a friend that would later define the Speed Six. As a three-times winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Barnato bet that he could not only trounce the Calais-Mediterranée Express’ time from Cannes to Calais, but he could be at his club, across the Channel in London, before the train even reached Calais station.
The train later departed at 17:54, Barnato finished his drink at the Carlton and soon took to the roads, with golfing friend Dale Bourn. Racing through the night, with several scheduled fuel stops and only one puncture near Paris, he arrived later the next day at the St James’s Street Conservative Club in London at 15:30, managing to fit a celebratory drink in four minutes before the train was to arrive in Calais.
As you can imagine, the Automotive Club de France weren’t best pleased with the trend of “Blue Train Races” that followed and promptly fined £200 Barnato for promoting an unauthorised race.
The iconic car is now owned by heritage collectors Bruce and Jolene McCaw, who have courteously lent the Speed Six to Bentley this week.
“We are most grateful to Bruce McCaw for the loan of his legendary Bentley Speed Six,” said Richard Charlesworth, Head of Bentley Heritage Collection. “There are many exciting plans for the car to mark its 85th anniversary, including a recreation of the original run from Cannes to London.”
Vehicle specification
– 6.5 litre engine
– 180bhp
– 92mph top speed
– rear-wheel drive
– sdp clutch
– 4-speed C-Type gearbox
– right-hand change
Rétromobile Paris runs until 8 February 2015
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