1949 Bentley MKVI Straight Eight 6½ Litre Boat Tail Special
An exciting and characterful special, utilising a B81 straight eight 6½ litre engine and a five speed Tremec gearbox, making the performance both exciting and fun. Extensively used and enjoyed over the last 20 years or so. The body, designed by the last owner, and built for him by Chic Doig, is very well-proportioned in appearance, with appropriately re-located radiator position, a wonderful boat tail rear, very appropriate wings, bonnet and radiator shell, with aero screens as well as a fold-flat one piece alternative. The dashboard incorporates fabulous aircraft instrumentation, including a starter button which we understand to be from a WWII Spitfire, which somehow feels really fitting! It is quite difficult to sum the car up in mere words, but suffice to say that it is a true ‘one off’, and a machine that satisfies the senses in a stimulating and rewarding way. The car overall is nicely matured, with an appealing dose of slight shabbiness, and even has a two letter, four number registration number, giving a pre-war look, and adding to the charm of the appearance. Running and driving very nicely, MoT tested, ready to go, fitted with seat belts and flashing indicators to suit modern-day use, the car is ready to move on to a new life-chapter, for the next owner to enjoy in whatever way they may wish! Certainly the car is ready to use, having been driven about 150 miles to us.
Chassis No. B319EW.
Reg No. EF 8972.
Price. £69,500.
Snippets: The Northerners
The chassis cards and old V5 for B319EW are somewhat vague – however…… The order for B319EW was placed by John Fenwick of West Hartlepool – the family firm of Fenwick & Co banked at Midland Bank in West Hartlepool & there are a couple of options for the company – either timber merchants or ship owners! Newspaper cuttings show that in 1941 John was president of the Hartlepool Beekeeper’s association and the local West Hartlepool Show had a Fenwick Trophy for the Chrysanthemum section of the flower display! In 1951 John had parked a car (perhaps the Bentley) in Scarborough Street and upon his return at 5.30 it was no longer there – the car was found and the thief was duly prosecuted. In 1953 his son Michael (19) was charged with driving a car between 40 / 45mph in a 30mph zone, resulting in a fine and points.
The next name in the file is a Dr. John Abels (1913/2002) of Haverton Hill in Co Durham. Research has provided us with the following fascinating story: John and his wife, Claire, escaped from Czechoslavakia just after the outbreak of the second world war. He saw active service first with the free Czech forces and later in the war with the British Army in Normandy and northern Europe. After a brief interlude in Prague after the war, he returned to England where he spent the rest of his working life as a GP & was also a police surgeon for many years. John’s greatest interest was swimming, he was selected to swim for his country in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the 200 metres breaststroke, but withdrew on the advice of the World Jewish Federation in protest against Nazism.
The third name in the file is that of Robert Charles Cleminson of Barnard’s Castle – little has been found but there is a James Lyons Cleminson (1840/96) of Leeds who invented Cleminson’s Patent Axle System for railway rolling stock. James was the son of John Cleminson, who was a railway engineer of original Nitrate railway & who had fought in the Baltic region under Garibaldi.