1947 Bentley Mk VI Special - “Black Adder 6”
A stunning and wickedly powerful special, this car started life as
a 1947 Bentley standard steel saloon. It was the 23rd Bentley Mk VI
built after World War II. In the 1970’s, this car was rebuilt as
the 4th Donington Special. It was raced in the UK and competed in a
number of events, winning the Bentley Drivers Club’s Kensington
Show Best in Class (Modified Crewe Bentley) in 1979 and 1983. In
2005, its current owner decided it could use a full makeover. The
car was completely stripped to a bare frame and a new custom,
aluminum boat-tailed body was fabricated by hand. At the same time,
every mechanical component was meticulously refurbished, almost
entirely out of parts from the “Factory Parts Bin.”
In addition to its new aluminum body and cycle fenders, B46 AK
features a specially built Bentley 4.9 liter straight six engine
with a Continental “big valve” cylinder head and twin SU carbs.
This engine is mated to a center-shift, high-ratio, manual 4-speed
R-Type Continental transmission. Cooling is handled through a
custom-fabricated radiator and the 24-gallon gas tank gives the car
tremendous range on the track or in time/distance events. The
original Donington chassis was largely unchanged, though special
modifications were made for the steering column and a new bulkhead
was fitted. In keeping with Bentley engineering practice, all
controls are run through linkages, entirely sourced from pre-war
Bentley and Rolls-Royce parts. It has a large trunk (boot) space
for necessary storage.
The interior is beautifully upholstered in tan leather (by a known
Pebble Beach upholsterer) with a walnut dashboard and full
instrumentation completes the driver’s experience. This special
also boasts a large boot and two “Zeppelin” wing steps that double
as lockable storage.
The result is a blisteringly fast, yet well-mannered and tractable
Bentley roadster that upholds the tradition of these special cars.
Completed in 2012, the project was featured in 2011 in the Bentley
Drivers Club Review magazine in a two-part article titled “The
Third Life of B46 AK.” It has appeared in Sports and Classics
magazine (UK) and is listed in Michael Hay’s Bentley Specials and
Special Bentley’s, Volume 1.
In its present form, the car won Best in Class at the 2016 “Britain
on the Green” which took place at Gunston Hall, Virginia. It was
exhibited at and won the 2013 British Invasion Concours d’Elegance
in its class. Additionally, it won Best of Show and Best in Class
at the 2015 “Britain on the Green” which took place at Gunston
Hall, Virginia. It was also the first Bentley Special permitted to
be judged by the RROC and won a third in class in 2015. It can
probably be re-registered in the UK as HXN-2.
“Black Adder” is not only an outstanding example of the Bentley
Special, it is a tribute to modern coach building and design. It is
ready to tour, show, or race as its new owner desires. Offers near
$ 95,000.
