Four Bentleys Prepare for Le Mans Classic, Recreating an Iconic Bentley Boys Photo

Passion for history and competition converge at Bentley. Four modern vehicles from the Bentley Mulliner Continuation Series, meticulously prepared for racing, will make their debut in their category at the Le Mans Classic, taking place from July 3 to 6.

This team, consisting of three Blower Continuation Series and one Speed Six Continuation Series, marks a milestone for the brand as the largest factory lineup to compete at the legendary La Sarthe circuit since 1930.

To celebrate this event, the owners of the four vehicles and their impressive machines gathered in London to recreate an iconic photograph taken in 1929.

The original image, taken on Mount Street, Mayfair, immortalised the famous Bentley Boys alongside the four most successful cars of Bentley Motors' first decade: the Le Mans-winning 3 Litres from 1924 and 1927, the 4½ Litre that triumphed in 1928, and the Speed Six victorious in 1929. The legendary Frank Clement, Sammy Davis, Dudley Benjafield, Bernard Rubin, Woolf Barnato, and Tim Birkin were the protagonists of that historic snapshot.

The 2025 recreation features the four drivers of this year's race, alongside Ben Linde, head of special projects at Mulliner, who looks forward to the race weekend with optimism.

Preparation for the Le Mans Classic has been exhaustive. The four Bentleys have been fine-tuned by the Mulliner Classic team, and each driver will have the support of a dedicated Bentley engineer and mechanic. Race direction is led by Dave Argent, an expert with a solid track record, including several seasons as technical director of the successful Bentley Motorsport Continental GT3 team.

"Through our classic racing programme, we provide owners of our Continuation Series products the opportunity to compete as part of an official team, just as the original cars did in the 1920s," explains Ben Linde, head of special projects at Mulliner. "This not only creates a new generation of pre-war Bentley Boys and Girls but also allows our customers to explore the full potential of their machines, which, of course, were designed and built to race."

As part of their preparation, the three Blowers and the Speed Six participated in the "Mad Jack" Trophy for pre-war sports cars at the Donington Classic in early May. This event served as an invaluable opportunity for the drivers to push the cars to their limits under race conditions. "I've driven an authentic 1930 Bentley in a race. Not many people can say that," remarked Mark M., owner and driver of the Speed Six Continuation Series, summarising the uniqueness of the experience.

Among the participants is Jack Boyd Smith Jr., a world authority on rare pre-war cars and acclaimed collector, who has flown from the United States to support his Blower Continuation Series. Smith Jr., whose first experience with a Blower in racing nearly secured him a podium at Le Mans Classic 2023, hopes driver Stuart Morley will step onto the podium this July. "I love its look. But most of all, I got involved because Bentley was doing it. It's authentic. There are only twelve of these machines in the world, and owning one makes you part of a special community of true enthusiasts," commented Smith Jr. on his decision to acquire a Continuation model.

The 2025 factory team hopes to revive the glory of 1929, when the original Bentley team achieved a dominant victory with a first, second, third, and fourth place at Le Mans. The excitement and anticipation are palpable for this recreation of history at the La Sarthe circuit.