EARLENE

More about Earlene a 1952 Bentley Mark VI

With the world still rebuilding in the aftermath of World War II, Rolls-Royce and Bentley faced the decision of whether or not to return to the business of producing motorcars, automobile production stopped in 1940. Interestingly, the first product to roll off the production line in 1946 was, not a Rolls-Royce but rather a Bentley; the all-new Mark VI. The Bentley Mark VI, (joined by the twin Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn in 1949) was not only the first postwar production RR/Bentley product, but it was the very first model offered by either company as a complete car with factory-built coachwork. The all-steel production body was officially designated the Standard Steel Saloon. Pressed Steel Ltd. produced the panels, and the cars were then assembled and trimmed in Crewe. Mechanically, the Mark VI shared a good deal in common with the aborted pre-war Mark V, including independent front suspension on a sturdy chassis and a 4.25-litre inline-six. The Standard Steel Saloon offered traditional yet elegant styling, opulent appointments, and respectably snappy performance, and it quickly became a best-seller. the Mark VI was manufactured from 1946 until 1952 and approximately 5,200 were made in that time.