- Bentley Boys
The Bentley Boys were a group of gentlemen racers who drove Bentley
sports car s to victory in the 1920s. In 1925, as themarque foundered, Bentley BoyWoolf Barnato bought the company, leading to the creation of the famoussupercharged Bentley Blower car.The Bentley Boys included:
* Woolf "Babe" Barnato, heir to Kimberley diamond magnateBarney Barnato
* Dr. J. Dudley "Benjy" Benjafield
* Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin
*Dale Bourne
* Frank Clement
*S. C. H. "Sammy" Davis , automotive journalist, Sports Editor of "The Autocar"
*John Duff
*George Duller , steeplechaser
*Clive Dunfee
*Jack Dunfee
*Baron d’Erlanger , playboy
*Clive Gallop , engineer
*Glen Kidston ,aviator
*Bertie Kensington Moir
*Bernard Rubin , pearl fishery magnateAt one point, on a bet, Barnato raced "Le Train Bleu" from
Cannes toCalais , then by ferry toDover and finallyLondon , travelling on public highways with normal traffic, and won; the special-bodied 6.5 L car became known as the "Blue Train Bentley ".Thanks to the dedication of this group to serious racing, the company, located at Cricklewood, north
London , was noted for its four consecutive victories at the24 hours of Le Mans from 24hLM|1927 to 24hLM|1930. Their greatest competitor at the time,Ettore Bugatti , whose lightweight, elegant, but fragile creations contrasted with the Bentley's rugged reliability and durability, referred to them as "the world's fastest lorries".A great deal of Barnato's fortune went to keeping Bentley afloat after he became chairman in 1925; but the
Great Depression destroyed demand for the company's expensive products, and it was finally sold off to Rolls-Royce in 1931.
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