1951 Bentley MKVI 4.5 Litre Sports Saloon

This 4 ½ litre Bentley MkVI ‘Big Bore, Small Boot’ Sports Saloon was first registered in 22 Sep 1951 and reportedly left the factory originally painted black with a tan leather interior. It was later painted in a thirties-throwback aubergine and lavender colour scheme and then between 2006 and 2009 was given a major refurbishment and the colour changed to white with ivory leather for use as a wedding car.

In 2009 the Bentley was shipped to Poland to continue its matrimonial career and then returned to the UK in December 2014 - to a specialist dealer in North Wales who had sold it twice previously - whereupon its original number plate was reinstated.

Since 2015, the car has been owned and operated by Weybridge Classic Wedding Cars, a trading name of Charles Russell Classic Cars and sister company to The Motor Garage who are selling the car.

Only perhaps a dozen years on since its repaint, the white exterior looks very impressive. It has recently had a bit of a touch up to the paint here and there and, whilst there is still the odd blemish and bubble (such as on the near side rear spats), it’s hard to fault its sheer presence.

In profile the Bentley’s endlessly flowing arches echo the 1930s and looking across its flanks in between, the shutlines and panel gaps are remarkably good for a hand-built car that’s nearly 70 years old.

The front view is gloriously imposing and regal too, showing some good condition chrome to the bumpers, grille and headlamps. The twin spot lamps and single fog lamp also appear in good order.

The cars 16-inch ‘Mallalieu’ wheels and white-painted hubcaps are all in fair to good condition and are shod with matching Bridgestone V-Steel Rib radial tyres which are dated 2006 but show good tread all round.

The MkVI is with the vendor in Larkhill near Salisbury and they’d welcome any personal inspection or call. Use the ‘Contact Seller’ option to make an appointment and take a closer look at this magnificent car.

The imperious feel of the MkVI continues inside the car with the light tan/ivory leather cloaking all the seats and padded door trims. The leather looks to be in a very good condition with few if any discernible blemishes on the upholstery and only the creasing and patina you’d expect from use.

What isn’t flayed from the backs of animals inside is hewn from trees - the windows and doors are framed with solid wood, as is the dash which is also inlaid with a walnut burr veneer. Some of the wood veneer has reportedly suffered from a bit of damp ingress from the windscreen. The instrument panel sports some great-looking Smiths dials and gauges including a pre-war-style ‘upside-down’ speedometer. A wooden-fronted Radiomobile HMV 100 period radio sits neatly under the dash.

The large steering wheel is original and the central boss features the traditional ride control lever which adjusts the dampers in degrees between normal and hard. Similar controls for the throttle and the fuel-air mix are provided too - another echo of an earlier time.

The floor mounted gear shift between the driver’s feet and the door probably takes some getting used to but adds another nice dose of idiosyncrasy to remind you that you’re driving an elder statesman.

In the rear, conveniences such as the wooden seat-back tray tables, wood-framed and mirrored courtesy lights, and pull-out ashtrays add a touch more luxury if any more were needed. The lush carpets with insulating underlay will surely keep her ladyship’s feet warm and are in a good condition. The near side rear door rubber appears a little loose so may need some attention.

In keeping with the pre-war origins of the car, the bonnet is hinged across the top to access the engine from the sides and can be completely removed if doing more major tinkering. Underneath the bonnet we understand that there was a full engine rebuild two years ago (new crank, ends, rods, pistons etc) and consequently the MkVI runs beautifully. It wouldn’t take much effort to make the engine bay as presentable as the rest of the car either.

Underneath the car there’s a little surface rust across some of the chassis members, suspension components and undersills but nothing that appears to be of any immediate concern. A few of the mechanicals visible underneath actually appear new or newly refurbished, so clearly this car has been given regular maintenance. Everything is fairly clean and looks intact.

Inside the ‘Small boot’, the carpets and linings are sound and the floor board is intact. If you need to carry more luggage, the open boot lid can carry any extra cases. Stowed away are the starting handle, wheel brace and a few running spares.

The car’s last MOT expired in February 2016 but there were a number of trouble-free passes in the years preceding - both before and after its time in Poland. The owner has advised us that he will be putting the vehicle through a new MOT test before it finds a new home.

This MkVI comes with its original logbook and various items of historical paperwork.

As reported and seen on the video, this Bentley MkVI starts and runs well with a lungful roar from the engine and a soft puttering from the exhaust. These were Sports Saloons so you can expect a decent turn of speed and with the adjustable ride, some good handling too - all in comparative period terms of course.

Cars from this period and slightly earlier have seen prices softening of late, presumably as people who remember owning them or riding in them are now fewer in number, so we think this aristocratic motorised carriage will fetch somewhere between £13,500 and £17,000. Pound for pound (or kg), that’s amazing value, the kind of money that would only get you an average Mercedes-Benz R107 SL.

We believe that anyone who appreciates hand-built craftsmanship and quality engineering will soon begin to see such cars for what they are and bring about something of a renaissance in the way that has happened to early Bentleys. Meanwhile, why not dip your toe with this well looked after MkVI and enjoy a touch of post-war class with a pre-war feel.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Larkhill near Salisbury; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that this vehicle may have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.