1929 | Bentley 6 1/2 Litre

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Cliveden House event, 8 July 2025.
Offered Without Reserve | £300,000 - £400,000 GBP

• One of the centrepieces of The Boland Collection since 1970
• A well-loved example, utilised in numerous long-distance rallies
• Documented in Clare Hay’s Bentley: The Vintage Years
• Accompanied by its period “buff” logbook
• An eminently usable 6 ½-Litre Tourer that would be a stand-out attraction at any classic car event

Please note this car is offered without registration papers, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction.


Like its future corporate stablemate Rolls-Royce, Bentley Motors in the W.O. era practised steady evolution of a proven design. The original 3-Litre was followed by the 6½-Litre in 1926. The overhead-cam six-cylinder design, with four valves per cylinder plus a single-piece iron engine block and cylinder head, resulted in impressive power (147 horsepower in standard tune), massive torque, and robust strength. Its chassis was upgraded with a dry-plate clutch and power-assisted four-wheel brakes with finned drums.

While originally designed for touring use—to carry heavier coachwork while maintaining Bentley’s level of performance—it was the 6½-Litre that propelled Bentley to its competition zenith. In Speed Six form, it returned the Bentley team victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. It grew the legends of the men who piloted it: Barnato, Birkin, and Kidston—known now as the “Bentley Boys”.

The 6½-Litre Bentley offered here, chassis number WT2272, was delivered in February 1929 to Graham K Cox via the prominent London Bentley dealer Gaffikin Wilkinson. It later passed in 1930 to Reginald Straker, then in 1931 to one D C Morrison. Like many of its ilk, its wartime history has been lost yet it has since led a rather colourful existence. Around 1945, its original Gurney Nutting saloon body was replaced by a shooting brake, in which form it is pictured in Clare Hay’s Bentley: The Vintage Years. It was later acquired by Edward Henry Glaisyer of Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire then in 1966 by Allens Autos Ltd of Cheltenham, whose proprietor was a Mr B Allen.

In 1970 the car was sold by Mr Allen to the late Jim Boland. It has now resided in the collection for 55 years, carrying a handsome Vanden Plas-style fabric-paneled tourer crafted by the Oxford Carriage Company, with black paneling and a red leather interior that exhibits the thorough but gentle use that one expects from a good, well-kept vintage Bentley. On inspection, it appears to retain its original chassis frame, with the same stamps appearing on the front crossmember as well as the steering box and bonnet. The engine is stamped in some locations with the original engine number, but appears to have also been rebuilt with some components from KF2377, with the most prominent numbering location at the top of the bearer arm.

The dashboard is complete with Bentley-badged and Jaeger gauges, and the car carries an imposing set of Marchal headlamps and driving lamp, Lucas lamps, and a truly charming Irish Veteran and Vintage Car Club radiator mascot. Many stickers and plaques on the windscreen commemorate some of the numerous rallies which Mr Boland undertook—and completed—in his trusted Bentley during the span of his ownership. Please note, following a period of static display in more recent years, it is recommended that the car is inspected by a mechanic prior to being driven. Once readied to return to the road, its next owner will hopefully continue its storied event attendance in the spirit of its devoted long-term keeper.

Please note this lot has entered the UK on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the UK on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the UK.


To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/ch25/.