While it might look a bit like one of the big money Bentley Speed cars, this particular car started life as a much humbler car. The Bentley Mark VI was an elegant luxury car with a big inline six up front and several cows worth of leather on the inside. It wasn’t meant to be particularlly fast, rather to get you there in style. Now, that doesn’t mean they weren’t still powerful vheicles, as they are powered by a big 4 1⁄4 inline six, but all that leather and wood really weighed them down. So, it only makes sense that someone would turn one of these luxury cars into something a bit sportier and reminecent of the rare Speed cars. The seller of this particular Bentley Custom doesn’t provide any of the car’s history, but by the looks of the interior it was likely built in the ’60s. Well, whenever and whoever built it, they did a good job at making something really cool! You can find this machine here on eBay in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a BIN of $35,000.
Due to the lack of information from the seller, it’s hard to know exactly what this car is, but it appears to be a Harry Rose body sitting on a slightly modified Mark VI chassis. The seller mentions a custom boattail Bentley that sold recently for $300k, but that car had an aluminum body whereas this one clearly is made of fiberglass. It looks great though and has to be signficantely lighter than the original steel body.
In stock form, this big six was good for 126 horsepower. While not all that impresive by today’s standards, even in 1948 that was a decent amount of power to have in a stately cruiser and made the Mark VI capable of reaching 100 mph. In something significantly lighter, such as this custom, it should make for some spirited driving. It probably isn’t quite like the experience of driving a Bentley Speed 8, but it’s also a fraction of the price.
While there are a few issues with this Bentley, overall, it looks to be well put together and could be quite fun to have. The seller claims to have had offers $15k higher than their BIN. As cool as it is, I think their current asking is about top dollar for what is essentially a custom Mark VI. That doesn’t mean it would still be a blast to own! It will definitely turn heads everywhere it goes and it has to be a bit of a thrill to drive. So, what do you think of this Bentley Custom?
Kind of reminds me of one of those VW kits from back in the 60-70 timeframe on steroids. I don’t know if I like it or not.
Interesting photos. Does anyone know what the last photo is of? Looks like a customized Cord, I think.
I may have owned this very car – a Halsey Kit car built on a Bentley Mark VI chassis but if it’s the same car, I sold it to a guy in San Diego, after buying it in Seattle nearly 30 years ago. Interesting, as I write this, on my screen directly above this box is a row of four more Bentleys under the heading Related Finds and the second – a primer gray and rattle can black 1953 R Type is a car I definitely owned also – as I did the rattle can primer and black terrible paint
My first attempt at commenting seems to have disappeared so I’ll try again – I may have owned this very car about 25 years ago. It’s just a fiberglass Halse Kit on a Bentley Mark VI chassis, most likely because the original bodywork rusted beyond economic salvation. Because quite a few were sold, it might not be the actual one I had. I bought mine in Seattle and sold it to a guy in San Diego and drove it there to deliver it – in a rainstorm!
They are fun cars to drive – you can accelerate down to walking speed in fourth and accelerate to over 100 mph without shifting gears once! And unlike most British cars, these were extremely reliable, well built and easy to maintain and parts today are available and affordable.
The seller’s attempted comparison to a $300,000 one on eBay that allegedly sold is just so much horse $#1t it really impeaches his credibility as a seller, as much as his tale of some bogus high dollar offer at Hershey. C’mon guy – we’re adults here, we know the world doesn’t work that way and people don’t just throw money around like that on low-dollar project cars that will never be worth the cost of their restorations.
It’s funny, as I write this, at the top of the page there are four more Bentleys illustrated under the heading “Related Finds” and the second shown, a rough R Type with gray primer and black rattle can wings is another car that I definitely know I owned once. I read the old listing – it’s pretty amazing how the described “history” of the car has sure changed since I owned it!!??
For the same money you can get a running Mark VI. This thing is fugly
If the seller claims to already had offers 15k higher than his BIN price, why is this car here? That is a ridiculous statement to make! I love the car but statements like that make me say NO WAY!
customer had me make header pipes for one like this
Frank! Get in touch with me! pjhavas@gmail.com. Urgent!
This is an old established tradition in the UK, this example being one of the less successful attempts. That amount of asking money would buy a lot of other stuff…..
Much more work to do, but I’d rather play with the Cord https://www.ebay.com/itm/1936-Cord/153358301764
The Cord is really neat… love to see it if it is ever finished…
Needs a redo of the fenders and front end…you could have your own version of Mr. Steed’s car from “The Avengers”….
We’re Halsey Bentley’s automatic trans. I think I have one, but it has an automatic and the Halsey chassis number on the ID plate on the cowl says it was built 1954. Can anyone help me
There were 16 Halse Bentley Speedsters built by Tony Halse of Halse Engineering in Sussex … to my knowledge 15 are still assembled and the 16th is pulled-apart for restoration. 1 in Canada, 2 in Japan, 1 in Australia, 1 in Ireland, an orange one that was in Cali but then went back to U.K., and then this white one and a green one in the U.S. … and a couple-more in the U.K. Most are all original Bentley chassis and motors, and fully restored they can fetch bigger-loot than you’d think; up to 85k U.S. … I think this white one was on ebay a few years ago for 14k U.S. … if not same then there are two both white in rough-shape … the one for 14k had a metal hood and all the rest have fibreglass hoods. The one pulled apart and now in boxes is in Texas and was for sale for about 10k U.S. a few years ago. The Halse in Canada is done to the nines, totally-pro mint condition with real-deal stunning wire wheels. The Halse in Australia is also fully polished, and the two in Japan are both very clean. They are not a “kit” but rather just a variation of Bentley Speedster … and they are pretty-quick … I pulled-off the line beside one in a Ford LTD V8 and the Halse left me sitting-still. The bulk of the Halse cars are very-clean and when polished they do fetch decent cash.