Snazzy Fabric Body on a Bentley
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1929 Bentley 6½-Liter (Speed 6) Grafton Coupe. This Grafton Coupe was built by Freestone & Webb of London. They were one of London’s finest coachbuilders and clothed nearly 20 examples of the Speed Six. Just two of these chassis were given the Grafton Coupe. Another Grafton Coupe was built on a Blower chassis, which was displayed at the Olympia Motor Show.
The Bentley Speed Six was confidently extolled by the factory as the ‘World’s Greatest Sporting Car,’ which was engraved on a silver plaque affixed to the front cover of the sales brochure. The Speed Six brought W.O. Bentley his most significant victories and won the company many hard-fought fights. It was a quality product that delivered great performance without sacrificing comfort. It remained impressively fast and agile even with the most luxurious of coachwork. The Speed Six was both a popular motorcar and an exclusive purchase; they were a statement of taste and stature.
The body was rexine fabric over an ash frame, which saved significant weight, important in a sporting car expecting to travel and corner at high speeds. The body sat low and covered the chassis rails. In the front and rear were helmeted fenders with a trunk and a rear spare fitted in the back. There is a small rear-quarter window, accentuated by faux landau irons. Inside was quartered veneering on the dash and door panels. The Grafton Coupe includes a fold-down ashtray for the rear right-hand seat. When folded up has a metal liner and chute allowing for ash to drop out by the back wheel.
This car, the only remaining Grafton Coupe, sold for ,860,000 at auction in 2013.
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