To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Arizona event, 24 January 2025.

• One of just 57 Mark VI Park Ward Drophead Coupes constructed
• Offered for the first time in nearly three decades
• Superb factory livery of Mistletoe Green over beige with a green convertible top
• Documented by a build sheet copy as well as in Bernard L. King’s Bentley Mk. VI

In May 1946, Bentley unveiled its first post-war model, the Mark VI. While the factory bodywork was limited to a four-door sports saloon, buyers seeking something more unique could, as for decades prior, turn to one of the renowned coachbuilders of the era, such as James Young, Hooper, and Park Ward, for custom coachwork on the Bentley-supplied chassis. Bernard L. King’s standard reference work on the model, Bentley Mk. VI, records that 57 examples of Park Ward’s lovely drophead coupe—design number 99—were built, with bodies constructed of lightweight, corrosion-resistant aluminum panels.

As noted in both Mr. King’s book and a copy of its factory build sheet, this 1948 Mk. VI, chassis B155DZ, was completed in November 1948. Adorned with Park Ward’s elegant open coachwork, the car was finished in the timeless British livery of Mistletoe Green over beige upholstery with a green convertible top. Its build sheet further reveals that B155DZ was commissioned by Mr. Robert Morton, director of the highly successful Blackwood Morton & Sons Ltd. carpet company, who, unsurprisingly, is noted as providing his own carpets for the vehicle.

The car is understood to have received a complete restoration prior to the consignor’s acquisition in 1995 and has since remained highly cherished and well-preserved. Dozens of accompanying photographs are said to document the restoration process, which included taking the body down to bare metal to be resprayed, as well as retrimming the interior in its current livery, complete with a proper green fabric soft-top. It is now offered with service invoices and restoration photographs, as well as a Bentley Mark VI handbook and service manual.

Rightfully regarded as one of the finest coachbuilt Mark VI Bentleys, and finished in a timeless British livery, this Mark VI represents great appeal for the discerning collector and marque enthusiast.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/az25/.