Page 10 - Bentley Mark VI & R-Type

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ON WATSON FINE BO
DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS
© DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS
THESE TWO PAGES: The first post-
war foray into open coachwork was
the experimental 5-B-VI, which is be-
lieved to be the car seen (above) and
on the opposite page in a charming
advertisement in the September 12,
1947 edition of The Autocar, both
showing drophead coupé coach-
work built by Park Ward & Co. The
photograph above was distributed to
retailers for showing to prospective
customers, and was represented as
Park Ward design number 65. In re-
© DALTON WATSON FINE BOO
ality, however, design number 65 was
a much more satisfactory production
design that eventually gave way to the
highly successful design number 100
and several subsequent redesigns. The
coachwork of 5-B-VI proved less than
satisfactory in a number of respects
and was subsequently replaced by
another drophead body adapted by
Park Ward from a standard steel sa-
loon (left). Perhaps this method of pro-
ducing drophead coupé coachwork
was considered for series production,
but in the event fully-coachbuilt bod-
ies from (mostly) Park Ward and some
other coachbuilders were preferred.
Park Ward and several other coach-
builders used the standard steel front
wings and bonnet for their drophead
coachwork.
ALTON WATSO
Bentley Mark VI & R-Type
54