1949 Bentley Mark VI

Purchased by the seller in summer of 1985 and subject of a bare-metal professional restoration in 1998, chassis B90EY is a standard steel bodied sports saloon Mark VI from 1949. Maintained and driven regularly, the car is reported to be highly functional as well as very pleasant to operate or be driven in. Sale includes extensive documentation, and current recorded mileage of 64,xxx miles is believed to be accurate.

A rare factory sliding steel sunroof equipped example, the auction car was fully stripped to bare metal as part of a professional 1998 restoration completed by John Sanders at Antique Automobile Restorations in Rockford, Illinois.

Note the Bentley centenary and Bentley Driver’s Club badges beneath the traditional grille and single large fog lamp. All brightwork was replated as part of the above-mentioned restoration effort, and since then the car has been carefully kept in climate controlled storage when not in use.

All new factory style leather upholstery was fitted as part of restoration, and the seller notes that the car remains highly functional including all gauges as well as the original eight-day mechanical clock. Crankcase oil level can be checked via a dash-mounted switch, a working warning light indicates when the engine is running on reserve fuel, and swing-out, light-up “trafficator” electro-mechanical turn signals are activated by a single switch lever positioned at the top, mid-dashboard.

The original vacuum tube-equipped radio has been replaced with a more modern AM/FM tape deck unit, and rear seats are equipped with individual fold-out picnic tables of highly polished burl wood.

This car benefits from a factory equipped 12V electrical system, along with a pedal-actuated Girling central chassis oiler system. The seller reports that its 4 ¼ liter F-head straight-six runs cool even at prolonged freeway speeds, and likens the car’s handling to smaller, more modern machines despite a smooth, dignified ride.

This car has remained with the seller for over 35 years, and was the subject of an extensive, professional restoration effort in 1998. Extensive documentation is included in the sale.

Grand in terms of scale, style, and engineering, Mark VI Bentleys uniquely capture the jaunty spirit of the marque’s sporty pre war days while simultaneously pointing firmly in the direction of their future. This one’s beautiful colors and known history are certainly pluses. Estimated $20,000 - $30,000.