1952 Bentley Mk. VI Four-Door Lightweight Saloon by H. J. Mulliner
No Reserve – Entered from the Alyth Collection

Registration No: BGR 981
Chassis No: B287MB
MOT: Exempt

• One of just 41 bodied to design number 7243 by H.J. Mulliner
• Entered from the Alyth Collection, a collection of motor cars kept in storage in Scotland for over 30 years
• Supplied new to R. R. Nelson in March, 1952
• A worthwhile and rewarding project

Introduced in 1946, Bentley's Mk. VI was the first vehicle ever offered by the company with factory-designed coachwork, and the first to be assembled in Rolls-Royce's Crewe factory rather than the old Derby premises. Aimed at the emerging 'owner-driver' luxury car market, the newcomer was closely based on the 1939 Mk. V (of which only fifteen were produced). Built around a massive cruciform-braced chassis with independent front suspension and a leaf-sprung 'live' rear axle, it was fitted with a freshly developed 4,257cc OISE (overhead inlet, side exhaust valve) straight-six engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Capable of over 100mph when clad in the factory's understated 'standard steel saloon' coachwork, the Mk. VI quickly developed a reputation for being a refined yet responsive drive.

Maintaining a very regal silhouette in spite of its somewhat decayed condition, this rare coachbuilt Mk. VI will make a very worthwhile project for an enthusiastic restorer. Equipped with H. J. Mulliner’s Design No. 7243 Saloon body, chassis B287MB was originally registered ‘BGR 981’ in Sunderland, and supplied new to R. R. Nelson. Its later history is slightly unusual. It appears to have been re-entered on the D.V.L.A. database in October, 1980, (when it was apparently painted Silver) but there is no subsequent record of it being taxed for the road. It appears to have remained idle until October, 1990, when it was acquired for the Alyth Collection of predominantly Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.

While clearly in need of extensive restoration, the metalwork does not appear to have suffered from any severe deterioration, and some of the parts which have been removed, such as the grille, are stored with the car and included in the sale. For a skilled restorer, there should be no insurmountable obstacles to putting this Mk. VI back on the road, and the Rolls-Royce and Bentley world will certainly be pleased to see such a rare variant live again.

There is no paperwork with this lot.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430