Bentley - Bentley Mk6 Special
From the 1970's onward it became a popular pastime with Bentley Drivers Club members to convert the plentiful Mk6 and R Type Bentleys available into "Specials". The cars were mechanically sound but their all steel bodywork was invariably in need of too much work, and removing this tonnage for something lightweight made for a good performing car. But just as the bell shape of the standard deviation curve, some examples were fairly hideous, while at the other end of the scale you had the vehicles built in small numbers by the likes of Derry Mallalieu who built perhaps as many as 40 examples. These cars had alot of work done to the chassis frame by moving cross members and crusiform rearwards to enable the running gear (and radiator) to be moved back, giving much better proportions to the finished car.
There were other examples transplanted with a V8 engine by for example Johnnard, marketed as the Bentley Donington (also offered with a 6 cylinder engine), built in the 1970's, with a total of 16 produced. The company was started by John Guppy, whose father in the "old days" was a partner of famous Bentley man Don McKenzie in McKenzie - Guppy the Bentley restorers.
Tyre size for these Bentley Mk6 Specials: The ideal tyre for all these cars is the Blockley 6.50x16 tyre, built to L section dimensions, which will fit the 16" wheels and look perfect on any Bentley Special. These are a very period looking tyre and look just the part. The Johnard Bentley Donnington cars had smaller 15" wheels fitted with 205/70VR15 tyres as standard. Whatever the Bentley special, Blockley will have produced a suitable tyre size, including a larger 215/70VR15 size also. See full details of a selection of these tyres below:
