Produced from 1946 to 1952, the Bentley Mark VI was Bentley’s first luxury car after World War II. The first car assembled and finished at the Rolls-Royce factory, only 5208 of them were ever produced. Very expensive in their day, they are the first Rolls-Royce with all-steel coachwork.
With a Mark VI 4 ¼ litre F-head straight-6 engine, the car was plenty powerful. Although the manufacturer never said what the horsepower was, it was said that the engine was able to “climb a hill of 1 in 9 maximum gradient, complicated by bends.” Today, we know that the top speed is around 100 mph.
Considered one of the first models Rolls-Royce designed to get into the American market, the car had centralized lubrication. This is one of those cars that looks and feels luxurious, but can give you a lively ride, too. You can drive it across the country, for hundreds of miles – and you can’t say that about too many other cars from the era. It originally came with walnut veneers and stately leather seats. This is a great introduction to Bentley vehicles.