The Bentley 'Blue Train' Mystery Solved: The Real Car Revealed

The Original 'Blue Train' Bet

• 💡 In late 1929, Wolf Barnado bet £200 (approx. $25,000 today) that he could beat the 'Blue Train' from Calais to the Royal Automobile Club in London.
• 🎯 Barnado successfully beat the train in his Speed Six Bentley, a feat that became legendary.

The Misidentified 'Blue Train' Car

• 📌 The car widely believed to be the one that beat the train is a Gurney Nutting fastback coupe, known for its exceptionally sleek and low design.
• ⚠️ Researcher Dr. Clare Haye discovered that this iconic coupe was not even built at the time of Barnado's bet, proving it couldn't have been the car used.
• 🧩 The fastback coupe, though not the 'Blue Train' car, is a historically significant one-of-one specially built for Barnado and is highly valuable due to its design and provenance.

Unraveling the True 'Blue Train'

• 🔍 The actual car that Barnado used to beat the train is a standard, rather pedestrian-looking saloon.
• 🧩 This true 'Blue Train' car had lost its original body, which was later reunited with its original chassis after being purchased by a collector.
• 🔑 The collector who owned the fastback coupe also acquired the chassis with the original 'Blue Train' body, reuniting the two components.

Preservation and Value

• 🛠️ The Gurney Nutting coupe, despite not being the 'Blue Train' car, was saved from dereliction after WWII by Hugh Harbin, who restored it, preserving its historical significance.
• 💰 While the fastback coupe is estimated to be worth $15-25 million due to its design and ownership, the actual 'Blue Train' car is considered to have a great caretaker and is enjoyed by its current owners.
• ✨ The legend of the 'Blue Train' was largely fueled by the striking appearance of the fastback coupe, overshadowing the more modest reality of the actual race-winning car.