1949 BENTLEY MARK VI DROP HEAD COUPE

Chassis number: B435CD

Registration Number: AC680CR (France.)

Car Highlights:

One-Off Bentley Mk VI Cabriolet Speciale By Pinin Farina

Bentley Factory Build Sheets

Class Winner At Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Successful Participant In The Louis Vuitton China Run

Technical Specs

4,257 CC F-Head Inline Six-Cylinder Engine

Twin SU Carburetors

4-Speed Manual Transmission

Independent Front Suspension; Live Rear Axle

Power-Assisted All-Wheel Drum Bakes

Life for ‘B435CD’ began late in l947 when Dr Willi Spieler, of Seefeldstrasse 19, Zurich, Switzerland visited the Pininfarina works to commission a unique, custom-designed drophead coupé with alloy coachwork on a right-hand drive Bentley Mark VI chassis to be delivered to the Swiss Bentley agent, Garage de l’Anthénée, Geneva.

Dr. Spieler ordered 11 modifications to the chassis and these are recorded in the build sheets. The engine would be the standard 4,257cc six-cylinder unit - also fitted to the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn - but to the enhanced Bentley specification with twin SU carburettors. With its bespoke aluminium coachwork, B435CD was thus lighter than the standard steel-bodied Bentley sedan and possessed superior performance. Chassis testing was completed on May l6th 1948 and ‘B435CD’ was dispatched from the Bentley works on May 21st to Pininfarina, being shipped on June 15th 1948, passing from Dover to Dunkirk to Turin.

Bentley produced a further two similar chassis that were sent to Pininfarina's workshop, both of which were bodied as closed coupés. Thus ‘B435CD’ is the only Cabriolet built by Pininfarina on the Bentley MkVI chassis. Batista ‘Pinin’ Farina, the founder of the company, personally styled the body and supervised its fabrication. His son Sergio, now the Managing Director, and his grandson Paulo, the Pininfarina archivist, both attest to this and maintain that ‘B435CD’ was one of its legendary creator’s personal favorites.

The car was finished in time for the 1949 Geneva Salon and exhibited alongside one of the fixed-head coupés. On or about April 27th 1949, Garage de l’Athénée delivered the car to Dr Spieler bearing license registration ‘BM 1949’ ( Bentley Motors 1949 ) and it was seen around the streets of Zurich for many years thereafter.

No expense has been spared in returning ‘B435CD’ to its original, authentic beauty, and since completion in 1992 the car has participated in several important motoring events and displays. In 1993, it was entered in Class Q for Pininfarina-bodied cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it won the class. In l994, it was entered in the Rolls-Royce Nationals and at Meadowbrooke, and in 1997 it won ‘Best Car in Show’ at the Stowe, Vermont ‘British Invasion’ an all-British Concours d’Elegance featuring 700 vehicles. In 1998 it participated in the Louis Vuitton China Run and in 2000 took part in the Louis Vuitton Concours d’Elegance at Bagatelle, Paris. These last two are non-competitive events involving participation only and, of course, the honor of being invited.

‘B435CD’ represents a unique opportunity to acquire a truly magnificent automobile uniting two of the most charismatic names in the history of motoring: Bentley and Pininfarina. It is worthy of the closest inspection.

The car is in superb fully restored condition & runs beautifully. It would make a great pair with the one off Fastback Pinin Farina Silver Dawn we have for sale.

Call Richard Biddulph. Mobile ++44 (0) 7967 260673

Simone Della Corte Mobile ++44 (0) 7377070943

Sales & Valuations

Vintage & Prestige of Northampton Ltd.

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www.vandp.net

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