1948 Bentley Mark VI Saloon

Bentley, that most quintessential British of automobile manufacturers, launched its first completely new post-war model in 1946. Known as the Mark VI, it marked the end of the fully coachbuilt Bentley and a shift towards increasingly standardised production at the newly established Crewe factory. The Standard Steel bodywork was designed in-house and supplied by the Pressed Steel Company of Oxford, allowing relatively large numbers to be made - indeed, production exceeded 5,000 units by the time the revised R-Type was introduced, of which only 20 per cent had coachwork by outside concerns. The Mark VI was smaller, lighter and oriented more than ever towards the owner-driver, with ample performance available from the straight six (at first of 4257cc capacity then, from 1951, enlarged to 4566cc) and today possesses sufficient performance reserves to happily keep up in modern traffic conditions. Blessed with fine brakes, excellent handling and a hand-built quality no longer found in mass-produced cars, the Mark VI is an excellent proposition for anyone looking for a stylish yet eminently practical classic car. With this year marking the 60th anniversary of the Mark VI's launch in 1946, there can be no better excuse than looking to purchase one of these underrated classics.