1951 Bentley Mark VI Light-weight

This Bentley is a 1951 Mk VI ‘Lightweight’ bodied by HJ Mulliner.

This Bentley is a 1951 Mk VI ‘Lightweight’ bodied by HJ Mulliner.

This Bentley Light-weight is believed to be the only one in Australia

This Bentley Light-weight is believed to be the only one in Australia

1 of approximately 300 cars built and 1 of only 41 Right-Hand-Drive examples. This car features a full aluminium body and is considered the predecessor to the R-Type Continentals.

1 of approximately 300 cars built and 1 of only 41 Right-Hand-Drive examples. This car features a full aluminium body and is considered the predecessor to the R-Type Continentals.

Photographed in August 2018 at Gosford Classic Cars, NSW, Australia

Bentley Facts

Bentley Mark VI's were produced between 1946 and 1952.

The Mark VI was the first post-war steel, well designed -bodied car from Bentley.

The Mark VI was the first complete car assembled at the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe, England.

Although very expensive and well-built the steel used (due to the war shortages) was sub-standard, and one should be very cautious about the "bones" if considering buying one of these cars.

The body types were available - a 4-door sedan, and 2-door coupe and a drop-head coupe.

The chassis and engine of the Mark VI was subsequently used in the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith and Silver Dawn models, released in 1946 and 1949 respectively.

The Mark VI used an in-line 6-cylinder engine of 4 1/4 Litres. No horsepower figures were released by Rolls-Royce at the time, in keeping with their general statement that "Power was sufficient"

In 1951 the engine was enlarged to 4 1/2 Litres, and is referred to as the "Big-Bore" version.

Carburetion differed between Left and Right-Hand-Drive models. RHD had 2 Horizontal SU carbs, whilst LHD had a single dual-downdraft Stromberg. RHD models also had a much better-flowing dual exhaust.

A foot-pedal operated central lubrication system allows oil to be applied to moving parts of the suspension from a central reservoir.