1948 Bentley Mark VI B Special 3/8-Litre Racer
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce B-series straight-eight, fed by four SU Type H.6 carburettors
- Colour
- British Racing Green
Chassis B23CD is a 1948 Bentley Mark VI originally delivered as a standard Sports Saloon to its first owner in Cardiff. In 2017 the bare chassis was comprehensively transformed by Racing Green Engineering into a B Special 3/8-Litre Racer, an evocation of the pre-war Brooklands and Crystal Palace specials, powered by a Rolls-Royce B-series eight-cylinder engine fed by four SU carburettors and clothed in a tapered open body finished in British Racing Green.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £230,000 (≈ $288K)
- 1948 →Private saleCardiff resident, second ownerpartial documentation
Also based in Cardiff; acquired the car during the winter following its original delivery.
- 1948-04-15 → 1948Factory deliveryCaptain W R Baileyfull documentation
First registered owner, based in Cardiff, Wales. Factory build records confirm original specification as Sports Saloon in Dual Grey with Blue leather. Ownership was brief, the car passing to another Cardiff resident within the same year.
- 2017 →Acquisition unknownRacing Green Engineeringpartial documentation
Undertook a full transformation of the chassis into a B Special 3/8-Litre Racer, drawing inspiration from 1930s motorsport specials. Work included fitting a Rolls-Royce B-series eight-cylinder engine, four SU carburettors, upgraded suspension, and a new sporting body.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2017RestorationRacing Green Engineering
The Mark VI chassis was fully rebuilt and re-bodied by Racing Green Engineering to B Special 3/8-Litre Racer specification, with a new tapered open body, exposed exhaust, aero fairing, cognac leather cockpit, and machine-turned instrument panel. A Rolls-Royce B-series eight-cylinder engine with four SU Type H.6 carburettors was fitted, along with uprated springs, 19-inch tyres, and a mixed hydraulic/mechanical drum-brake arrangement.
The build concept drew on the pre-war motorsport specials associated with Brooklands and Crystal Palace circuits.
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