Bentley Mark VI Special

This is a Bentley Mark VI Special: a Le Mans-style open tourer built on the bones of a 1952 Mark VI saloon. The donor car was reportedly beyond economical restoration, with heavy body corrosion and a failed engine. DLB Engineering of Northamptonshire built the new car around it roughly ten years ago.

The chassis was extended by about 16 inches at the front and shortened by the same amount at the rear to take a rebuilt 6.7-litre Rolls-Royce B81 straight-eight with four SU carburettors. It is paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and a Salisbury 4HA rear axle with Jensen Interceptor gearing. The brakes have been upgraded with vacuum assistance, using a Jaguar Mk VII servo. The cruciform chassis construction is retained.

The hand-built aluminium coachwork has cycle wings, a long louvred bonnet, twin external exhausts and wire wheels. The cockpit is trimmed in red leather with a wood-rim steering wheel. The page lists 97,900 miles and five previous owners. The page shows both 1952 and 1953 as dates, and the listing is headed 1953.