THE ROARING TWENTIES

As the works Bentley (affectionately named ‘Old Mother Gun’) crossed the finish line of the 1929 Le Mans 24 Heures, the winners (unknowingly) ushered in the end of an era. The Bentley Boys era, the rise of the stock market and global political stability were about to come to a grinding halt. One more victory awaited the Bentley Boys at Le Mans the following year, but only at the expense of camaraderie and sacrifice. The bon vivant esprit de corps that had so typified their exploits had been torn apart by W.O. Bentley’s implacable resistance to change. But on that June day in 1929, when Bentley filled the first four places, the car driven by the two quintessential Bentley Boys — Woolf Barnato and Tim Birkin — took first, ingraining themselves in the national consciousness. Arguably a large part of what we see as the glamour and excitement of motor racing can be traced back to the achievements and exploits of a set of privileged and wealthy gentlemen who raced Bentley cars, lived in quasi-debauchment in Mayfair, and celebrated in eccentric and lavish style at The Savoy or Barnato’s country house. Although the drivers did not necessarily care for the title, they were nevertheless known as ‘the Bentley Boys’.

Barnato ushered in a rakish swagger to the racing team. Everything Gatsby wanted to be, Barnato was.

Early days

While Bentley Motors enjoyed racing success in other events, it was the annual jaunt to the west of France at the Circuit de la Sarthe in June that provided cars and drivers with their racing and racy reputations. Initially, W.O. Bentley (founder of Bentley Motor Cars) thought that running a race car for 24 hours was “crazy”. He initially predicted that no car would finish, but a private Bentley entered by John Duff and Frank Clement came