Chassis No.
B 465 NY
In May of 1946, Bentley announced their first new post-war car, the Mark VI. While factory bodywork was limited to the four-door sports saloon, those after something more unique could, as in years past, choose from one of the well-known coachbuilders of the era such as James Young, Freestone & Webb, Hooper, H.J. Mulliner, and Park Ward to provide custom coachwork for their Bentley-supplied chassis. Power came initially from a 4 ¼-liter straight six-cylinder engine which was later replaced in 1951 with the introduction of the “big bore” 4 ½-liter. The Mark VI remained in production through 1952 with 5,208 examples built, the large majority of which received the standard factory bodywork.
Bernard L. King’s standard reference work on the model, Bentley Mk. VI, records that 57 examples of Park Ward’s lovely drophead coupe, design number 99, were built, with bodies constructed of lightweight and corrosion-resistant aluminum panels. This 1952 Bentley is believed to be one such example, ordered new through Messrs. W.M. Couper Ltd. for Miss Marjorie Carnegie/Carnegie Chemical Co. Special features specified on the build sheet included a scuttle aerial and a fog lamp in place of the standard center lamp.
Believed to have benefitted from a full restoration years ago, today that work has mellowed nicely with age and the car continues to present well. The Bentley rides on Firestone blackwall tires with color-matched factory wheel covers. Color-matched fender skirts conceal the rear wheels, giving the Park Ward coachwork a more elegant, streamlined look. In the engine bay the car retains its numbers-matching engine according to the Bentley build sheet—a desirable selling point for many. The luxurious interior features a beautiful wood dashboard which houses the customary Smiths instrumentation, a radio, as well as a clock mounted in the lockable left-hand “cubby door.” A factory right-hand drive example, the car retains its British registration plate “KXD 2” and is accompanied by tools, build sheet, and Schoellkopf card.
