Bentley Speed Six: charity begins at home

By Simon Hucknall

| 1 Aug 2025

Classic & Sports Car – Bentley Speed Six: charity begins at home

At the height of the Great Depression in New York City, the sight of a Bentley – any Bentley – cutting a casual swathe along Fifth Avenue, vying with the workaday Chevrolets and Oldsmobiles, would have been worthy of note.

But one resplendent with such grandiose bodywork as that worn by this Model Speed Six would have doubtless stopped New York’s pedestrians in their tracks.

It so clearly was a Bentley from the design of its upright grille and long, nickel-plated bonnet, but its more flamboyant form had about it the flavour of Cadillac rather than Cricklewood.

This one-off Bentley Speed Six was created by American coachbuilder Schutte for philanthropist Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly

No wonder, because this Bentley was and remains unique, being the only Speed Six ever to acquire American coachwork from new – in this case created by the Charles Schutte Body Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Adding to the car’s aura was its first owner, who so daringly commissioned Schutte to carry out the work: Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly, great-granddaughter of famed US railway magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the richest Americans in history.

While details are scarce about how the stylish Bentley was used during its decade-long tenure with Ruth Twombly between 1930 and ’40, you can imagine it being a constant companion to the middle-aged philanthropist, who was devoted to her work.

This Bentley Speed Six’s front legroom is compromised somewhat in order to maximise space for passengers in the back

This was summarised by her 1954 obituary in The New York Times: ‘Never one to seek the limelight, she worked hard and diligently over the years, serving on numerous committees that were concerned chiefly with improving health conditions among New York families.’

Many hundreds of miles would have been racked up travelling between her residences on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan; in Newport, Rhode Island; and at the Florham Estate in New Jersey, where she lived with her mother, Florence.

And it was possibly Florence from whom Ruth inherited her interest in British cars, with the Florham Estate’s 15-strong motor fleet already containing six maroon Rolls-Royces.

A view inside the unique Bentley Speed Six’s less opulent driver’s quarters

Twombly favoured a sporting car, though, which led her to a Speed Six, rather than the standard 6½ Litre that would have been the more obvious choice of chassis for Schutte’s formal bodywork.

It also explains why chassis HM2854 was one of only 24, out of a total Speed Six production of 182, built with the longest, 12ft 8½in wheelbase.

In reality, the Speed Six was something of a ‘homologation special’ before the term existed.

The Bentley Speed Six c1945, when owned by Carl Mueller and still with its original red-and-black paintwork

The four-cylinder Bentley 4½ Litre that preceded it had increasingly lost ground to its rivals in the competition arena, which was so crucial to Bentley’s reputation.

‘WO’ needed a viable racer for 1929, so evolving the 6½ Litre into the more potent Speed Six was a logical and cost-effective solution.

To satisfy Le Mans regulations, however, the car needed to be available as part of Bentley’s roadgoing range.

That car was launched at the Olympia show in 1928.

The Bentley Speed Six’s long wheelbase means bends must be approached with caution

Replacing the standard car’s single Smiths 50BVS carburettor with twin SU HVG5 carbs for the Bentley Speed Six had raised the maximum output from 147bhp to 160bhp, trouncing that of the outgoing 4½ Litre’s 110bhp and even the 130bhp of the competition 4½s.

(That difference became greater in 1929 when the Speed Six’s power was increased to 180bhp, thanks to a new inlet manifold.)

Externally, the new Speed Six was mainly identifiable by a revised radiator design, with parallel sides versus the standard 6½ Litre’s tapered frame.

Bentley’s 6½-litre engine was uprated to Speed Six specification with twin SU carburettors

Initially the model was only available sitting on an 11ft 6in wheelbase, the 6½ Litre still being promoted to carry formal bodywork on its 12in-longer wheelbase until it was ultimately replaced by the Bentley 8 Litre.

But it soon became clear that there was a demand – albeit quite limited – for the new Speed Six to be specified with larger saloon bodies, and HM2854 would have likely been one of the last of those produced by Bentley’s Cricklewood works.

It was completed on 18 June 1930.

Bentley’s service records were destroyed by Rolls-Royce after it bought the company in 1931, but it appears that chassis HM2854 was delivered to Rootes Ltd, Bentley’s sole international exporter, on 20 July 1930, and issued with its five-year guarantee.

The Bentley Speed Six’s whitewall tyres evoke 1930s USA

Specified with Bentley & Draper friction shock absorbers at the front and hydraulic items at the rear (later replaced at both ends by lever-arm units), the chassis was fitted with non-standard high-tensile bolts to its front crossmember, perhaps due to the more demanding terrain the car would encounter in the USA.

The four-wheel braking system was mechanical and, as we shall see, it remains a standout feature today.

Finned, 400mm pressed-steel drums were used all round, assisted by a Dewandre-pattern servo motor generating enough braking pressure to necessitate reinforcement of the front axle beam to cater for the extra loading.

The brake pedal was positioned centrally, with the accelerator to the right, and all the pedal apertures had felt seals to minimise heat from the engine seeping through to the cabin.

The Bentley Speed Six’s luggage is secured to the rear with ornate fixings

As was common in period, HM2854’s steering was by worm and sector, with the steering box cast from lightweight Elektron magnesium alloy.

But it was the Speed Six’s drivetrain that put Bentley in a league apart from contemporary rivals.

The 6597cc ‘six’ sported a single-port cylinder block, with two spark plugs and four valves per cylinder, and a single overhead camshaft – a specification that wouldn’t look out of place when describing a relatively modern engine, let alone something from the vintage era.

Aluminium pistons were used, with the unit taking lubrication from a huge, five-gallon sump.

The Bentley Speed Six motors along effortlessly, and its braking performance is impressive

Power – now up to 180bhp as a late-model Speed Six – was delivered to the rear axle via Bentley’s venerable C-type four-speed gearbox, which had already seen service in the 3 and later 4½ Litre models, as well as most 6½ Litres.

As with the steering box, its casing would have been cast from Elektron to save weight.

HM2854’s differential, like those on all Speed Sixes, was a far more substantial offering compared to the less durable units that had been used in the 3 and 4½ Litres, and it ran the non-standard ratio of 4.166:1 that was reserved for cars with heavier bodywork.

The Bentley Speed Six’s finely crafted running board

After being passed to Rootes, HM2854 was shipped to New York, with its first ‘owner’ listed as a Mr Burdon – more than likely Twombly’s agent.

The chassis was then sent to Schutte in Pennsylvania with an order for a four-door, four-light, semi-formal limousine body with sliding division and occasional seats.

How Schutte’s craftsmen would have regarded their first and only Bentley chassis we’ll never know, but the automobile that was finally delivered to its wealthy keeper – finished in dark red (perhaps to match the family’s Rolls-Royces) with black wings and a leather top, its cabin trimmed in whipcord upholstery – would have been guaranteed to turn heads among even the most gilded company.

The Bentley Speed Six by Schutte has occasional rear seats

The Speed Six continued to be in esteemed ownership when in 1940 it was acquired by Richard Gardiner Casey, the first Australian ambassador to the USA and a key figure in Australian-American relations on the lead-up to the US entry into WW2.

Casey kept the car for a brief spell before gifting it to a member of his staff – possibly Lt Robert Thomas Abel of the Australian Legation in Washington, DC.

HM2854 then went into long-term ownership with one Carl Mueller of Wisconsin, who purchased it for $600 in 1945 but appears to have made little use of the car during his 31-year tenure.

Mueller passed away in 1976, and his widow, Ginnie, sold the Bentley on to Fred L Berndt of Milwaukee.

The Bentley Speed Six’s sumptuous, cloth-trimmed bench

Berndt undertook a largely cosmetic restoration, changing the colour combination to its current silver over blue, and had its cabin retrimmed in leather up front and cloth to the rear.

At the same time the original Lucas P100 headlights were swapped for Marchal units, while the stylised bumpers were changed for less ornate affairs front and rear.

Perhaps reflecting the mid-’70s era in which Berndt ‘upgraded’ his new acquisition, whitewall tyres were added, which to my eyes now define the car’s American heritage more than any other styling cue.

HM2854 then fell into its final family ownership in 1981, when it returned to the UK and was bought by Layton Roberts, whose son still has the car today.

‘The automobile that was finally delivered would have turned heads among even the most gilded company’

Amusingly, I have a picture on my phone of photographer Jack’s Suzuki Swift parked behind the Bentley; if the Cricklewood car had a rear opening, I’m fairly sure the Swift could be swallowed whole.

There is no record of the car’s dimensions wearing the Schutte body, but Bentley quoted an overall length for the chassis alone as 16ft 7in, with its width measuring 5ft 8½in, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a 17ft by 6ft car overall.

Despite this, the Schutte body has a slightly truncated rear when viewed in profile, thanks to its lack of boot stowage, and only a low rear deck equipped with chromium luggage fixings between the rear wheelarches.

Nonetheless, this Schutte-flavoured Speed Six is an imposing automobile from the outside, and one that would have announced the importance of its first owner long before she stepped from its opulent rear cabin.

The Bentley Speed Six’s Autovac draws fuel from the rear-mounted tank

The design of that interior is typical of (mainly) chauffeur-driven cars from the era, and thereafter, with back-seat passengers sitting well aft of the rear side windows, ensconced on a sumptuously padded, cloth-trimmed rear bench.

A sliding glass partition separates chauffeur from employer, with an intercom device clipped to the inside of the C-pillar for communication.

There are two occasional jump-seats, which fold down from within the central partition, and the floor is plainly carpeted, affording abundant legroom.

A clock is perched high on the partition, with small courtesy lights, chrome window-winders and a small recess containing two vials of perfume (now empty), the only other ornamentation.

The Bentley’s ‘B’-stamped oil filler; the big sump holds five gallons

The chauffeur’s quarters, as you would expect, are far busier.

A 20in Bluemel’s steering wheel with four sprung spokes dominates the driving area, its three stainless-steel levers for advance/retard, fuel mixture and hand throttle sprouting from the large hub.

The mahogany dash houses six clocks, for oil pressure, coolant temperature, revs (to 4000rpm), charge, time and speed (to 120mph).

Randomly positioned knobs and buttons for lights, ignition and what-have-you mingle with the instruments, and the thermometer-style fuel gauge for the Bentley’s 25-gallon tank is positioned directly before the driver.

The Bentley Speed Six’s switchgear is set into a mahogany dashboard

The view ahead is daunting, such is the length of the bonnet, ending with a rather beautiful – but non-standard – flying ‘B’ mascot atop the radiator cap, its wings spread to the side rather than flowing behind.

Rotate the knurled knob past ‘mag’ and ‘coil’, retard the ignition, adjust the fuel mixture and thumb the large starter button, and the Bentley Speed Six fires first time, quickly settling to an almost imperceptible hum; you really do have to check the dials to make sure you haven’t stalled during low-speed manoeuvres.

With a ‘normal’ pedal layout there’s no need to acclimatise, although the regular H-pattern, four-speed ’shift next to my right knee caught me out after I tried to replicate the reverse-H selection in a more familiar (to me) Vauxhall 30-98.

The Bentley Speed Six’s stylish clock is fitted to the partition that separates driver and passengers

Either way, the gearchange is heavy and deliberate, as you would expect, but will shift cleanly between ratios providing you leave enough time for the engine revs to drop as you double-declutch.

You change up early – 2000rpm or slightly less feels optimum, given the straight-six’s copious torque – and before you know it this pre-war leviathan is gliding smartly down the road with an oil-tanker’s gait.

It’s quite unnerving initially, because the hush of the engine and your high driving position insulate you from how hard the chassis is really working.

The view through the Schutte-bodied Bentley Speed Six’s glass partition

The steering is relentlessly hefty, but because you sit so close to the wheel (chauffeur comfort was sacrificed to maximise the rear legroom), it at least means you can put your weight behind it through tighter corners.

You need to check your speed carefully on the approach to bends, too: even at low velocities, the car’s bus-like wheelbase and sheer mass have its whitewalls scrabbling for grip and (I’m told) protesting audibly to bystanders, although cocooned inside you’re never aware.

But synchronise with this Speed Six limo’s natural rhythm and it is a delight to drive, despite the car being intended for the broad thoroughfares of 1930s New York City, rather than the sinuous B-roads of rural Essex.

This Bentley Speed Six’s long-wheelbase chassis was strengthened from new

All of the main controls – throttle, clutch, gears and steering – have a well-oiled and beautifully engineered feel to them.

And the brakes are superb for a car of this vintage: hugely powerful and progressive, and it is clear to see why reinforcing the front axle’s location was so critical, given the loads imposed upon it.

Sitting in glorious isolation at the rear of this Schutte-bodied Bentley Speed Six, though, I daresay its first owner wouldn’t have troubled herself with such technicalities.

Yet Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly clearly did appreciate a quality automobile, and one that allowed her to pursue her charitable activities with the style and panache befitting her family’s heritage.

Thanks to: Fiskens, where the Bentley is for sale; Stewart Parkes, Parkes Restorations; Clare Hay

Images: Jack Harrison

Factfile

Bentley Speed Six

Sold/number built 1930/one (by Schutte)
Construction aluminium body, separate steel lattice chassis
Engine iron monobloc, Elektron crankcase, ohc 6597cc ‘six’, with four valves per cylinder and twin SU HVG5 carburettors
Max power 180bhp @ 3500rpm
Max torque n/a
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front semi-elliptic leaf springs, friction dampers rear live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, hydraulic dampers
Steering worm and sector
Brakes self-wrapping drums, with Dewandre-pattern servo
Length 16ft 7in (4380mm, chassis)
Width 5ft 8½in (1740mm, chassis)
Height n/a
Wheelbase 12ft 8½in (3300mm)
Weight n/a
0-60mph n/a
Top speed 90mph (est)
Mpg n/a
Price new £1450 (chassis only)
Price now £800-900,000*