1951 Bentley Mark VI Saloon
Handsomely restored example with desirable big-bore engine, extensive history and a well-documented body-off restoration

Registration – LRU 100

Chassis No. – B143-MB

M.O.T. – Exempt

Odometer – 61,548 miles

Introduced in 1946, the Bentley Mark VI represented an important new chapter for Bentley as the marque’s first post-war production model and the first Bentley to be offered from the factory with a standard all-steel body. Combining traditional Bentley craftsmanship with effortless performance and genuine four-door practicality, the Mark VI remains one of the most usable ways into post-war Bentley ownership.

This handsome 1951 example, ‘LRU 100’, is particularly interesting thanks to its desirable 4.6-litre ‘big-bore’ engine and the substantial body-off restoration it has received. Presented in an elegant two-tone combination of silver and blue-grey, its restrained exterior is complemented by extensive brightwork, traditional Bentley wheel trims and the unmistakable upright radiator grille and Flying B mascot.

The restoration is particularly well documented. According to the accompanying records, the car had previously been stored in a barn for some 26 years before the restoration commenced. The documented process records a mileage of 54,950 miles at the outset and details the car being comprehensively stripped, with the engine and gearbox removed and the engine sent away for rebuilding. The chassis was shot-blasted and powder-coated, while the body shell underwent welding and treatment before itself being shot-blasted and subsequently protected with zinc paint and primer. The car was then progressively rebuilt and refinished.

The vendor informs us that expenditure associated with the restoration is believed to have exceeded £50,000. Importantly, this is not simply an undocumented claim: the car is accompanied by an extensive collection of paperwork relating to its maintenance and restoration, including numerous invoices and records.

Its history stretches considerably further back. Among the paperwork is the original-style buff registration book recording previous keepers, together with period maintenance material. Particularly charming is a Castrol job card dated 16 November 1966, recording the Bentley at 34,853 miles and detailing routine servicing work. Such surviving period documentation adds considerably to the character and provenance of a motor car of this age.

The interior presents in suitably traditional fashion, with light grey leather seating accompanied by beautifully figured timber extending across the dashboard, door cappings and cabin. The large three-spoke steering wheel, period instrumentation and column-mounted controls retain the wonderful sense of occasion associated with these early post-war Bentleys.

Now displaying 61,548 miles, ‘LRU 100’ combines the appeal of the more powerful big-bore specification with the reassurance of a substantial documented restoration and an unusually interesting history file. With its handsome presentation, imposing road presence and wonderfully traditional cabin, this is an appealing example of one of Bentley’s most significant post-war models and one that should prove equally at home on the show field or being enjoyed as its makers intended.

• Desirable 4.6-litre ‘big-bore’ engine
• Comprehensive body-off restoration, with expenditure believed to have exceeded £50,000
• Impressive history file including its original buff registration book, period servicing records, restoration documentation and invoices