Chassis No.: B-362-BH

Engine No.: B-181-B

Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania

$24,200 USD | Sold

Est. 125 hp, 4,257 cc F-head inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, coil spring and wishbone front suspension, semi-elliptic springs with adjustable shock absorbers at rear, and hydraulic front and mechanical rear drum brakes. Wheelbase: 120 in.

• Rolls-Royce Foundation documentation

• Recent body-on restoration, including new paint, chrome, and brightwork

• Coachbuilt body by James Young, Ltd.

Introduced in 1946, the Bentley Mark VI was the first post-war Bentley of Rolls-Royce design. Rolls-Royce survived the war in somewhat good health, as it produced aero engines for the Royal Air Force along with other engines for military vehicles. The first Bentley Mark VI was delivered to its owner in September 1946, 16 months after VE Day. It was powered by a new 4.3-liter F-head six-cylinder engine featuring overhead intake, side-mounted exhaust valves, and an aluminum alloy cylinder head.

The Mark VI was also the first Bentley with standard factory-designed bodywork built by the Pressed Steel Company, of Oxford, with ex-Gurney Nutting Chief Designer John Blatchley applying the refined detailing. The bodies were fitted to the chassis and trimmed and painted to a standard that rivaled the best coachbuilders. Custom coachwork, like that on this car, remained available at the buyer’s discretion. This was quite a change in philosophy by Bentley’s parent company, yet it reflected the reality that standardized bodies could be built in greater numbers at its new factory in Crewe, England. Through 1952, there were 4,949 examples of the Mark VI produced.

Both a lovely and stately automobile, Mark VIs boasted of a separate chassis featuring coil-spring independent front suspension, quite an engineering advance in its day.

Sporting handsome aluminum coachwork by James Young, Ltd., considered by many to be the builder of the most handsome bodies to be worn by Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, chassis number B362BH carries body number 1915 and design C11 from the London coachbuilder. Its first owner was E.W. Garland, which was arranged via Telnick Imports, Ltd, with the Rolls-Royce Foundation’s supporting documentation available upon request. Wearing a crimson exterior over burgundy hides, it features a recent body-on restoration, including new paint, chrome, and brightwork. Welcome at Rolls-Royce Owners Club and Bentley Driving Club events, this right-hand drive Bentley offers a perfect foray into the world of coachbuilt British automobiles.

https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf12/lots/r225-1947-bentley-mark-vi-sports-saloon-by-james-young/