Descended from the Bentley Mk V, production of which had ceased after only a few had been completed due to the outbreak of the second world war, the Mk VI and the 40/50 Silver Ghost, are arguably, the two most important models built by Rolls-Royce.
The Bentley Mk VI is an important model for many reasons, the major one being that the company’s first post WWII product was a complete car – the Bentley and Rolls-Royce works in Manchester, Derby and Cricklewood only having built chassis hitherto, the bespoke coachwork being provided exclusively by outside coachbuilders.
Designed in-house, what we now refer to as the standard steel sports saloon, the contract to build was awarded to Pressed Steel at Cowley in Oxfordshire much to the disappointment of one coachbuilder who had offered an alternative design. The close co-operation between North London based Vanden Plas and the chassis maker, went back to vintage days and continued throughout the 1930s, producing large numbers of tourer, drophead coupe and saloon bodies for “Bentley – The Silent Sports Car”. Also known as the “Rolls-Bentley” both within the works and by the public at large, they were designed and built at Derby by Rolls-Royce, following their take-over of the ailing Bentley company in 1931.
5,208 of the model were built over a six year period with the first few deliveries being made in the closing months of 1946 and the last in October 1952. No fewer than 4,190 cars left the new Rolls-Royce car production plant at Crewe in Cheshire with the standard steel body; shareholders would have been well pleased with this result as the profit margin on the complete car was far higher than on a chassis alone. Nevertheless, 1,018 customers opted for coachwork by one of the dwindling number of independent coachbuilders and the work of 39 of them graced the Mk VI chassis. Perhaps as a consolation prize, even Vanden Plas were specified as the coachbuilder for 21 Mk VIs – mainly sold by the London dealer, Jack Barclay.
Probably due to the poor quality steel available here immediately after the war, many cars have subsequently been re-bodied as specials, often on shortened chassis. Nearly 400 examples have been recorded to date and illustrations of a few of the more interesting are included in the book.
Like all the books in the Complete Classics series, within CC9, every car is listed with delivery date, engine number, original colour scheme (in the case of the standard steel cars), customer name, country of delivery, details of where the cars are now and information on previously published photographs of the individual cars. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs of just about every design that appeared on the Mk VI chassis, many from the personal collection of Professor Bradford Powers in the United States.
Published January 2008. Price: £34.95 plus p&p
CC9, Updated 270219, new/amended reg’n/chassis cross-index
Note |
Reg’n | Model | Remarks |
001 | 1BDM | Illustrated SoE/26, BLR/62: 1951 standard steel saloon | |
002 | 9KGC | Illustrated BS1/253: special built by J. Philip Evans on a Syd Lawrence converted chassis/Robert Ford made body; to AUS ‘87 | |
003 | 52CZI | Special advised by Ray Roberts | |
004 | 66GXH | Illustrated TCFC/41: Franay drophead coupé; sold by Frank Dale 1970s | |
005 | 117YNY | Standard steel saloon; offered on eBay in USA | |
006 | 173PMB | No further information | |
007 | 369DEL | 4¼ | Early standard steel saloon; later owned by John A. Murch but sold via Rob Pollock Garage, Downton, Hampshire ca1982 probably to Scandinavia |
008 | 407CJB | 4½ | Noted GBR.66/R. J. Moore, Hampton, Middx (BDC ’66 but no longer member ’70) |
009 | 520JGC | Standard steel saloon, noted on the road by Stuart King, Queen Street, London ‘77 | |
010 | 577HWR | Re-bodied tourer outside the Birley Arms public house, Warton, Lancashire; photograph in the R-REC collection | |
011 | 600KYJ | Reported worn by a Mallalieu special when sold GBR ‘96 | |
012 | 633EXK | Standard steel saloon; photographed London street May ’64; Andy Hurfurt photograph collection | |
013 | 713XUX | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; offered by dealer Ivor Bleaney Oct ’10; chassis number is B—2EY |
014 | 719MUY | Standard steel saloon; black/shell grey; pictures on internet | |
015 | 732UXU | Standard steel saloon; noted Twickenham May ’11; chassis number is B—4CF | |
016 | 741HYY | Standard steel saloon, Tudor/shell greys; Frank Dale stock; photograph R-REC collection | |
017 | 795TKX | 4½ | Noted GBR.63 when owned by R. G. Wormald, Darlington, Co. Durham (BDC member but subsequently not listed in Wormald’s ownership) |
018 | 872HRY | In USA | |
019 | 890ANV | 4½ | Standard steel saloon; illustrated Sch/233 |
020 | 909YBF | Standard steel saloon, noted on the road by Stuart King, Congleton, Cheshire ‘97 | |
021 | 1317PP | 4½ | Noted GBR 1976 when owned by R. H. Drayton, Cookham, Berks. (BDC ’76 but no longer member ’82) |
022 | 2485PL | Standard steel saloon painted silver; appeared in GBR TV series “Danger Man” in episode “The Professionals” aired May ’65; Scott-Moncrieff sales list; R-R grille | |
023 | 5799D | 1951 standard steel saloon; offered eBay Carmel CA Oct ‘04 | |
024 | 6681PK | Standard steel saloon, noted on the road by Stuart King, Old Street, London ‘83 | |
025 | A562ALA | GBR 1987 when owned by Grenville-Mathers (BDC ’87 but not listed to him 1991-94) | |
026 | AHA1J | Reg’n reported worn by a Mallalieu special | |
027 | AHS311 | Standard steel saloon; two-tone colour scheme; two photographs in the R-REC collection | |
028 | AJK573? | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; possibly reg’d AKJ573; in USA.74 |
029 | AJN569A | Reg’n later reported on a Bentley S3 Continental 1995 – James Young saloon coachwork | |
030 | ALA562A | Special reported owned by Grenville-Mathers in GBR ’85; thought to be an error – see ALA461A – B384CF and ALA642A = B290MD | |
031 | BJL600 | Mk VI owned by Kenneth Mitchell of Sheffield solicitor Irwin, Mitchell at some time | |
032 | BLC44B | Standard steel saloon; British Army Occupation of the Rhine reg’n; illustrated B152/28 | |
033 | BSV966 | Noted at BDC Concours Hatfield House ‘93; 2. Overton 2-seat special designated type SR.5 | |
034 | CEA333 | Reported to have been illustrated in un-named car magazine | |
035 | CJD660 | Reg’n reportedly worn by a Halse special on a Mk VI chassis – refer BS2/671, picture B268/128 | |
036 | CON600 | Reported to have been worn by a Bentley Mk VI In GBR | |
037 | DEA535 | 4¼ | 1948 standard steel saloon; reported in GBR ‘74; possibly refers to DEA536 = B74CF |
038 | FBC181 | 4¼ | Issued Leicester Dec ’47 to Jun ’48; standard steel saloon appeared in the Fairey Rotodyne brochure showing the revolutionary transport’s cargo carrying capability |
039 | FPV144 | Noted GBR.60 | |
040 | GAW515 | Some parts of this unknown Mk VI held by Mike Papworth in Coventry | |
041 | GBY789 | John Bird special; HH King of Morocco; Roberts book; poss actually GBY343/B184BH | |
042 | GG65 | Standard steel saloon painted ivory; offered on eBay in USA; possibly a corruption of GGB5=B332DA | |
043 | GRS942 | 4½ | Noted GBR ’63 when with G. R. Sandwith, Bracknell, Berks. (BDC member ’63); personal reg’n on his S1Cont BC19GN by ’66 |
044 | GSV409 | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; GBR.92/Fleming |
045 | HBO864 | Owned by Captain Kelley May ’52 to May ’53; see R-Type chassis number B461SP | |
046 | HC4 | 4½ | Noted GBR ‘59 when owned by W. H. Cooper, Hagley, Worcs. (BDC ’59 – reg’n transferred to his Bentley S1 B222DB by ’63) |
047 | HF63 | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; in GBR but no further information |
048 | HKA836 | 4½ | Liverpool CBC reg’n allocated Jul ’46 so presumably transferred from another vehicle; reported owned by M. P. Thomas of Liverpool ’70 (BDC ’70 but no longer member ’76) |
049 | IM1846 | Noted IRE.82/Morrissy; Kilmatead Restorations special; see BS1/299 | |
050 | JB1 | 4¼ | James Young design C10BM photographed London’s Belgrave Square wearing Jack Barclay’s personal registration shown Benn1/64 |
051 | JDB495 | No further information but reg’n has also appeared on Bentley S1 B138AN in ’63 when owned by C. E. Owen, Heald Green, Cheshire | |
052 | JFS200 | No further information | |
053 | JHY276 | 4¼ | 1946 standard steel saloon; a car with this reg’n received a second standard steel saloon body moved ex a “GT” series chassis |
054 | JLK495 | 4¼ | 1948 standard steel saloon; owned by Philip D. Proctor, West Hagley at one stage |
055 | JLN44 | Reg’n listed but possibly actually refers to JLN54 = B299BG owned GBR.81/Wardell, GBR.09/Stimpson | |
056 | JML29 | 4¼ | Noted GBR ’49 when owned by W. David Porter, Bishops Frome, Worcs. (BDC member ’50 but not listed for Porter ’55); reg’n later on Derby Bentleys B82GA/B171LE |
057 | JT45 | Apparently a standard steel saloon with probably unique two wing mounted spare wheels; photograph appeared in GBR newspaper Daily Telegraph showing a London traffic warden issuing a parking ticket to the Bentley | |
058 | JVR705 | No further information | |
059 | JYU608 | Noted BDC membership listing ’76 when owned by Peter J. Agg, Betchworth, Surrey; possibly a handwriting misread and actually refers to Radford Countryman MkI reg’d JYV608 = B204CF | |
060 | JYV915 | Reported GBR ’94 but possibly actually refers to JYV945 = B120DA | |
061 | KFW888 | Noted GBR ’79 when owned by Sutherland | |
062 | KLT236 | 4¼ | 1950 standard steel saloon; in GBR; possibly refers to KLT234 which was B17GT |
063 | KLU683? | Noted in GBR | |
064 | KUC713 | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; reported in GBR; possibly an error for KUC731 which is B368EY |
065 | KUD474 | Standard steel saloon owned by Burns/GBR and in storage for 40 years; advised by Steve Plimmer Nov ‘09 | |
066 | LFG828 | No further information | |
067 | LFX666G | Picture BDR126/325, BS1/236: GBR.70-87/Shoosmith, GBR.89-97/Palmer; turbocharged special; chassis B/HR02; eng BSD302; sold Cheffins auction 13th Oct ’02; owner now Peter Kingston | |
068 | LGC5 | 4¼ | Freestone & Webb 4d6l saloon appears early 1950 Swain Group brochure; probably B45EW |
069 | LHL1 | No further information when this reg’n was on a Mk VI; listed GBR.97/Hind as Bentley S3 Continental chassis BC6XD | |
070 | LMR230? | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; possibly refers to LMR320 reported in GBR ‘74 |
071 | LXY698 | Illustrated TCFC/56: 1951 Radford “Countryman” | |
072 | MAN547 | 4½ | 1952 standard steel saloon; Carter auction 21st May ’79; note, this Isle of Man registration was also used on Graber drophead coupé chassis B190MD |
073 | MC2 | Illustrated BDR207/23; standard steel saloon | |
074 | MLG228 | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; noted GBR 1976 owned by M. R. B. Way, Warrington, Lancs. (BDC member ’76 but not listed for Way 1982-97) |
075 | MLR897 | 1951 standard steel saloon; in GBR; possibly refers to MLP987 which is B217MB | |
076 | MMC12 | Build date said to be 1976!; noted GBR.92/Burnett | |
077 | MPE412 | Owned by E. C. Cochrane of Beckenham, Kent Dec ’69 when work carried out by James Young | |
078 | MYX666 | 4½ | 1952 standard steel saloon; noted GBR.92/Broad |
079 | NCG4T | Attended R-REC event when possibly owned by F. Connor | |
080 | NGB4 | Reg’n reportedly worn by a Halse special on a Mk VI chassis – refer BS2/671 | |
081 | “NTU173” | 4¼ | Bentley Motors trials car; dark colour; probably in the “LH” series; perhaps put on purely for photo shoot as reg’n actually fitted to Silver Wraith 42EX/LWME30; photograph at Hunt House |
082 | NWP224 | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon finished in black with tan upholstery; offered by Robbins Gar. Sep ‘79 |
083 | NYF567 | Noted GBR.69; possibly refers to R-Type NYF576 = B119SP, owned GBR.66/Taylor | |
084 | OAU956 | Park Ward design 99 drophead coupé; Scott-Moncrieff sales list | |
085 | OFF638 | Gurney Nutting fixed head coupé (Blue Train style); images on Racing Green website | |
086 | OZ1918 | 4¼ | Offered by John Croall & Sons, “The Autocar” 8th May 1953/77 |
087 | PAS820 | Special with vintage Bentley style replica tourer body; builder at Beaulieu Sep ’03; reg’n now reported on a Morgan 3-wheeler Jul ‘18 | |
088 | PTN217 | 4½ | Standard steel saloon; photograph at R-REC |
089 | QJ4402 | Illustrated in colour TCFC/31+; Park Ward drophead coupé des 65 –finished in maroon with tan hood | |
090 | SCU615 | 4¼ | 1949 standard steel saloon; noted GBR ’92 when owned by Powell |
091 | SFF120 | Barons Auction advertisement Jun ‘02 | |
092 | SSV717 | Black/gold car attended air display Woodchurch, Kent Jul ’04; chassis is known to be B??6PV | |
093 | TGF164 | Standard steel saloon painted black/maroon, re-reg’d as London reg’n Jul ’56, car possibly now in SAF | |
094 | ULH95 | Halse special, mentioned BS1/251 | |
095 | UZ2778 | 4¼ | Special, built ’60, advised by Ray Roberts; car advertised Classic Cars Nov ’89 by owner Stephen Wheeler |
096 | VB9415 | 4¼ | Park Ward drophead coupé des 100; see BDR228/179 ref personal reg’n of later owner, Maj. A. E. de Vere Barker of Connies Ltd; a theatrical agent who represented actor Ralph Richardson |
097 | WJJ96 | No further information; but also see WTJ96 – possibly the same car | |
098 | WPD538 | No further information | |
099 | WSJ211 | Noted by the author on wedding duty Dunstable, Bedfordshire Jul ‘04 | |
100 | WTJ96 | 4¼ | 1950 standard steel saloon; Scott-Moncrieff sales list Mar ’66; also see WJJ96 above which could be the same car |
101 | WUL525? | No further information | |
102 | WVS742 | Standard steel saloon, attended R-REC Annual Concours d’Elegance Towcester Jun ‘00 | |
103 | XFK514 | 4½ | 1952 standard steel saloon; 1959 Worcestershire reg’n; photograph in BDC collection |
104 | XYJ481 | Noted in GBR ‘94; no further information | |
105 | YXC115K | Standard steel saloon; offered eBay USA ‘00 | |
106 | ZV712 | Noted in IRE ‘95; no further information | |
107 | ZV36813 | 4½ | 1952 H. J. Mulliner “Lightweight” saloon des 7243 finished in maroon; operated by Cassidy Chauffeurs, Dublin for wedding hire |