1951 Bentley Mark VI Drop Head Coupe

The Mark VI was the first Bentley to be built using regular production steel bodies from Pressed Steel Company. Many of Bentley's clients demanded an exclusive design, resulting in a series of custom body designs built by H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward, Freestone & Webb, James Young, or Hopper. Other coachbuilders, such as Franay, Graber, Radford, and Windovers produced one-off bodies. It is believed that Park Ward produced a total of 167 bodies for the Mark VI, in open and closed coupes and saloons.

This Park Ward Drophead Coupe is one of only twelve Bentleys sold in the United States in 1951. It was ordered as a left-hand drive by Howard D. Kizer of Montclair, New Jersey. It was shipped aboard the SS Mauretania, departing from Southampton on July 4th, 1951 to be received in New York City by J.S. Inskip. Kizer sold the car in 1953 to Dr. Ivor Harris of Detroit Michigan. Mr. Harris retained the car for two years before selling it to Richard Stitt in Illinois, who later sold it to Geoffrey Field in 1959.

By the 1980s, the car was back in New York and in the collection of Philip Wichard, who had purchased the car from the widow of the previous owner. In 1990, the car was cosmetically and mechanically restored at a cost of more than $175,000. Afterward, it received a National First Prize at the AACA National meeting in Hershey, PA, and was honored as the Senior Winner by the Antique Automobile Club of America in 1991.

After Wichard's death in 1995, the car was sold at auction. It was acquired by Bernie Ecclestone and shipped to Pichler Cars in Gstaad, Switzerland. The car remained in the collection until 2007 when it entered the care of its current owner.

The car is painted in metallic mauve over cherry red paint. There are trafficators and a burgundy, power-operated Haartz cloth top.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $175,000 - $225,000. The car would leave the auction unsold, after a high bid of $115,000 failed to satisfy the car's reserve.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010