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The Blue Train Special Speed Six is the disreputable ancestor of the modern supercar. It was derived from the 1925 6 1/2-Litre, which was designed to offer class and comfort, but hid a rather more naughty and malicious demeanour beneath its ahead-of-its-time swooping coupe shell. Twin carbs pumped the power up to 180bhp - a dangerous and exciting figure, with those sort of brakes - and it started a line of thinking that continues into the Bentleys of today: ample torque, rather than high revs. So, why ' Blue Train Special'? Well, it all started in the Carlton Bar in Cannes... Woolf Barnato, then chairman of Bentley, made a little wager. To prove the prowess of this sporty little number, he announced to all present that he could easily drive all the way back to London's RAC Club before Le Train Bleu (aka the Calais-Mediterranée Express, which linked the northern French coast to the Riviera) could make it to Calais. And you know what? Woolf had a gin & tonic in his hand in the RAC Club bar four minutes before the Blue Train reached the coast. Halcyon days. This is an apocryphal tale. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
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Graham
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,282
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Stunning
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Maximum signature image height: 80 pixels
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,784
Club RR Member Number: 34
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i like that, it looks very good, especially from the rear three-quarter view. i especially like the way the roof looks serverly chopped, and the peaked/flared/cut down/look of the wheelarches. like a real deco period hot-rod, which ticks a lot of boxes for me
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There's a place local to me that's built a replica, and plan to build more. I've seen one on the road, sadly no pics as I didn't have a camera with me. www.vintageracinggreen.com/16201.html
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Last Edit: May 5, 2011 13:29:12 GMT by moggyman
1953 Minor (Long term project) PT Cruiser
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RA40tony
Europe
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
Posts: 768
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Wow, as Dez says, looks chopped from the factory.
Nice!!!
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1979 Toyota Celica GT. Currently Gone.
1975 Toyota Celica ST. 13x7 Allycats, "the stick" applied. 100kW 4AGE... Sold
1963 Karmann Ghia - Lo & Slo, Sold.
1965 VW Fastback - cruising
1953 Oval Ragtop, work in progress...
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Love it, would absolutely love it own it.
It was for sale in the back of octane mag a few months back, no price tho.
When I saw the one pic in octane, I instantly loved it! Want it even more now. Always wondered what the story behind the name was. Thanks for posting.
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Remember the days when sex was safe and motorsport was dangerous. Vintage bling always attracts pussy.
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I was broken down on the A5 in N Wales yesterday, one of these went past, my jaw is still dropped, bloody magnificent, never seen one before and probably never will again..
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Bicycle x1 Alfa Giulietta (now wife's) Alfa 156 BMW 630i Honda rc36
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IDY
Part of things
Posts: 893
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I love the detail of the rear view mirrors strapped on to the top of the spares.
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I will get round to finishing it at some point
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And a single rear seat - sideways facing.
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Oooh, mummy!! That is wonderful.
As an aside, does anyone know if the "adequate" / "more than adequate" performance 'statement' for the Turbo R is true?
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bazzateer
Posted a lot
Imping along sans Vogue
Posts: 3,653
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Pretty sure RR/Bentley used that ^^^ long before the Turbo R was ever thought about.
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1968 Singer Chamois Sport 1972 Sunbeam Imp Sport 1976 Datsun 260Z 2+2 1998 Peugeot Boxer Pilote motorhome 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Club SE (daily) 2006 MG ZT 190+ (another daily) 2007 BMW 530d Touring M Sport (tow car)
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