1951 Bentley Le Mans Special – Classified of the Week

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Chris Pollitt

There will forever be something incredibly charming about a pre-war Bentley. These cars were of course status symbols, but as has always been the way with Bentley, they were also built to be used. And that train of thought hasn’t been diluted by time. Even today, pre-war Bentleys are used in the pursuit of speed, they are the instruments of automotive excitement and perhaps the ultimate expression of ‘use it or lose it’. By which we mean they have to be used. These cars don’t respond well to being left idle. See a vintage Bentley at a show, and the chances are it was driven there. And while this 1951 Bentley Le Mans might be younger than it looks, that desire to be used still remains. This one though, thanks to its Mk VI/R Type underpinnings, is perhaps even more usable than most.

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This is a fascinating car. It’s not a 1920s Bentley Le Mans, though it is dimensionally spot on. The casual, or even mildly well informed observer wouldn’t know it wasn’t from the pre-war period. Why? Because it is indeed a Bentley. This special is based on the chassis and running gear of a Mk VI, making it Bentley to its very core. The car was built in the Netherlands by a well known engineer, with guidance from Bob Petersen Engineering in Devon. It’s built from a great many original parts, all of which have been reconditioned to a show worthy standard, while elements like fuel lines, brake lines and electrics are all new. For the parts that were less easy to come by, Petersen fabricated them. The body, for starters, is a bespoke creation. Then there are the smaller things; the tone guards, tanks, foot-plates, and myriad other parts were all made. And it’s worth nothing that Petersen’s work is so good, it’s often seen on genuine cars from the period.

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So we’ve established that it looks the part, but what about the mechanical side? Well, as we said earlier, this is all MK VI/R Type underneath, and that’s a very good thing. You get the grunt of that glorious straight-six engine, which has been comprehensively rebuilt and refurbished. Then, you have the R Type manual transmission, which boasts synchro on all but first, and as such, makes this car remarkably user friendly. Early cars can be a tad overwhelming to drive, what with the extra controls and requirements of the period. This one, however, is ‘modern’ in its operation, meaning you needn’t be a pre-war expert in order to exploit this car’s virtues. You just jump in and go. Lovely.

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Further building into the notion that these things have to be used, this Bentley Le Mans special has been driven properly. It took part in the 2016 Paris to Peking, a not insignificant adventure spanning some 8,200 kilometres. But even though the journey was challenging, the old Bentley completed it without issue. Proof that it has been built and engineered to the highest possible standards, and a good reason to look at using it for similar adventures in the future. The car has since been checked over, serviced and cleaned off and is once again ready for adventure, but will that be with you?

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At £199,950, this 1951 Bentley Le Mans special isn’t what you’d call cheap. However, a car from the 1920s would be double, if not triple that. Plus, you have that Bentley MK VI heart at the core of this one, so it is still proper, it is still a Bentley, even if it’s not the Bentley it once started out as. It has the looks of a million pound car, the driveability of something much newer, and the rugged abilities one would expect from one of these ‘must be driven’ cars. When you add it all up, it’s actually a bit of a bargain, really.

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