1952 Bentley Mk VI

Finished in Tudor Grey with an Oxblood leather interior, the seller describes ‘NPO 999’ as “a motor-car that’s been driven rather than participated in concours d’élégance.”

And it drives rather well thanks to a combination of fastidious curation and a carefully chosen modifications that include a Norman Geeson high-ratio rear axle, a down-to-the-split-pins rebuilt of the 4.9-litre S1 Continental-specification engine, twin two-inch SU carburettors that send fuel to the engine via a Big Valve head, and modifications to the cooling system.

The result is a MK VI that can reach a little over 110mph, at which point the engine is turning over at a leisurely 4,000rpm. Perhaps more usefully, it is happy to cruise at 80mph all day, every day, something that presumably leaves drivers of modern cars dumbfounded. 

He’s a man who takes pride in doing things properly and insists on being able to drive his cars without having to make any allowance for their age. No wonder he’s been happy to keep it for the past 22 years, during which time he’s toured the north of Scotland including the Outer Hebrides, the Swiss and Italian Alps, and WWI battlefields and cemeteries. 

The past two-and-a-bit decades have also accumulated a LOT of paperwork; our photographs of the history file run to almost 150 pages but please do set aside the time to browse through them to fully appreciate what an incredible specimen this is.

Our Man spent a lot of time examining the Tudor Grey coachwork, which has resprayed in the seller’s time in the same shade it left the factory in, before walking off grumbling: “Yeah, it’s been done to a very high standard.”

He’s not kidding: The Tudor Grey paintwork is immaculate with no obvious flaws like runs or orange peel, and a helluva shine. 

The shutlines might have been drawn on with a fine-tipped Sharpie too, and the combination of colour, alignment, and the four sweeping wings suggest the profile was formed by placing a drop of Mercury in a wind tunnel and solidifying the result.

And that’s without factoring in no fewer than five front lamps, a huge, slatted radiator grille, the winged Bentley mascot, and subtle red pinstripes.

It really is a helluva car, not least because the smaller details that a layman might miss, like the five small louvres on either side of the bonnet, signal to the cognoscenti that they’re in the presence of greatness. 

The sidelights have been upgraded to LEDs too, which reduces the current they draw while simultaneously providing a brighter light. The wiring to the lights is hidden inside metal conduit, and all the lamp lenses, including those of the Bentley-branded headlamps and the Marchal driving lights (the French firm also supplied the headlamps for Bond’s 4½ Litre…), are free of chips, cracks, and other damage.

The wheels are in great shape too, with no kerbing damage to either the wheels, the chrome-and-painted hubcaps, or the matching Blockley tyres. All four corners are fitted with 6.50-16 crossply rubber, and all have very good tread on them – but then they were only made in 2021. 

Why has he stuck with crossply tyres instead of changing to radials? 

Simply because he enjoys their feel, their grip, and their predictability – and while his Bentley is now very fast and very reliable, he appreciates the odd subtle reminder that it is 1950’s technology…

The seller admits the chromework is the Bentley’s weakest area, but even here we think he’s being unduly harsh; if he hadn’t mentioned it, we doubt we would as it shows nothing more than light tarnishing.

Other minor flaws include a chip in the windscreen, plus another to the bottom right of the rear numberplate surround. The nearside front quarterlight is also damaged. 

The seats have a beautiful patina, and the rest of the cabin is a delightful blend of preservation wherever possible and professionally-installed, high-quality replacements when it wasn’t.

For example, the 110-mph speedometer was overhauled in 2019, and both it and the rest of the white-on-black instruments, which cover distance, battery charge, coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure, and time as well as speed, are in a very good condition and in full working order. 

The steering wheel maintains the driver-focussed element of the car offering adjustments for throttle position, fuel mixture, and the rear damper valving. That it is as satisfying to hold as it is to behold goes without saying by now, surely?

The professionally refinished wood veneer trim is excellent too, as is the recently replaced headlining and burgundy seatbelts for all the occupants. 

The front-seat passengers get height-adjustable armrests in the doors, plus an armrest between the seats. 

The rear-seat passengers enjoy even more creature comforts including footrests, walnut-framed mirrors, padded head-rests on the C-pillars, door pockets, picnic tables, and a fold-down central armrest. Lashings of wood ‘n’ leather too, of course, plus a smattering of chrome controls.

The boot contains a handcrafted wooden box, which set the seller back almost £3,000 in 2006. The equivalent of more than £5,000 today, this, perhaps more than anything else, demonstrates his money-no-object approach.

"the headliner and all the woodwork were respectively replaced and refinished at roughly the same time as the paint respray, together constituting the 'last hurrah' of my investment in the car."

That said, the carpets aren’t to the same standard as everything else, something the seller acknowledges. However, even these are unlikely to bother you: You might be even fussier than the seller, but the odds are that you aren’t and you’ll be able to live with them for a considerable time yet.

Ditto the light scratches around the driver’s window winder and the odd light cracks to some of the leather.

Naturally, everything we tested worked exactly as it should.

The Continental S1-spec engine, which displaces 4887cc instead of the factory car’s 4566cc, was built up from a bare block and incorporates modifications that include a Big Valve cylinder head and twin 2” SU carburettors. 

Professionally built, the (hefty) bills are online for you to admire, and the old 4.5-litre engine was sold in 2011 for £9,000, a sum that reflected the 320-hour rebuild by McKenzie Guppy in 2005.

He is not a man to do things by halves.

Which means the cooling system has been tweaked with a smaller-diameter pulley, a duct to improve the fan’s low-speed draw, an expansion tank, and louvres in the rear of the bonnet, sufficient to avoid the need for an electric fan.

The chassis wasn’t neglected with upgrades including a stiffer front anti-roll bar. One was also added to the rear axle, an axle that itself was swapped for a remanufactured Norman Geeson jobbie with a 20-percent higher ratio. 

The rear suspension benefits from rebuilt dampers and reset rear springs, which restored the ride height to its correct level. 

Other miscellanea include stiffer engine mounts, Zircotec-coated exhaust manifolds, a spin-on oil filter conversion, and a rebuilt gearbox – and trust us when we say that the bill for rebuilding the gearbox pales into insignificance compared to some of them, many of which are from marque experts McKenzie Guppy, because a spreadsheet in the history file shows a total spend of £196,763.46.

It’s fair to say that money has not been a factor in maintaining and improving it.

He’s been equally fastidious in documenting the car’s history on a spreadsheet, which is exactly the sort of attitude you want to see when you’re buying a car like this. 

His determination to do things properly is reflected in the way the Bentley starts runs, and drives, which is faultless – and the extra urge and improved handling are both noticeable and welcome. 

The owner is every bit as uncompromising in his choice of engine oil, insisting on Miller 10w-60 synthetic oil, and this fastidious curation is evident in the presentation of the underbonnet area and engine; little short of immaculate, it is a credit to both him and those who have worked on it so diligently. 

The underside is also every bit as clean, solid, and well-maintained as you’d expect to find on a car that’s had cheques totalling a fifth of a million pounds written for it.

Notes in the history file show the Bentley was delivered to Messers Sanderson & Holmes on the 3rd of April 1952. The first owner was either Hall & Fowler or Frank Love Ltd, depending on which source you choose to believe.

Little more is known of the car’s history until the late seventies, when attendance plaques suggest it attended three concours events at Santa Anita in America, followed by an Australian event in 1997.

It returned to the UK in 1999 and moved into the seller’s care in 2004.

The Bentley does not have an MoT certificate, the recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys and a car cover.

The history file includes a copy of the Bentley Drivers’ Club magazine in which it features, a neatly calculated list of gear ratios on Dunlop tyres, many old invoices and receipts, CDs with photos of work being carried out and other bits and bobs, expired MoT certificates, its buff logbook, and what looks like the original handbook.

The owner spent 15 years roaming far and wide with his beloved Bentley, crisscrossing the UK and Europe, often at high speed. But it’s seen less use since and he feels he’s doing it a disservice by not exercising it in the way he used to.

With an enormous sum invested in improving and maintaining it over the past two decades, he’s hoping it will find a home with someone who’s similarly keen to exploit the Bentley’s modified engine and chassis.

As for our estimate, the sad fact is that demand for cars from the fifties is waning as younger generations shy away for fear of poor handling, iffy reliability, and mediocre performance.

Now, you and I know this isn‘t necessarily the case – and it certainly isn’t the case here because this Bentley MK VI is still capable of dispatching a couple of countries before breakfast before delivering you to Lake Como in time for a late supper.

It’ll also do it in considerably more style than our estimate of between £33,000 and £38,000 suggests should be possible.

(The seller is also a lovely bloke, and we’ve found the best cars invariably come from the nicest people.)

Form an orderly queue, eh?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.