Engine Punk

Although damaged this photo of 1112RH must have been very cherished and looked at often (Photo : Vivian Bush) Vintage Thing No.169 attracted an interesting comment last month. I’d blogged about a Bentley Mk VI James Young two door saloon belonging to some friends of mine and mentioned that a four door version had apparently been also offered. Vivian Bush invited me to email him because he had personal knowledge of one and had photos. 1112RH was a Bentley MkVI with James Young four door coachwork to design C10BM (Photo : Vivian Bush) “My father arrived home one autumn evening at the wheel of the 1952 James Young Mark VI registration 1112 RH, and I think that was October 1961. I was approaching 4 years old and loved the car at first sight. It replaced a small 1.5 litre Wolseley saloon we’d had, and was a big step upwards in terms of body size and horsepower. Could this have been the Wolseley it replaced? (Photo : Vivian Bush) “The first owner was a local millionaire, in the days when...

Despite an interest in light cars (and medium-sized ones I suppose) I also like lumbering great beasts. This is a particularly fine example that belongs to some friends of mine. Gravitas in metal For many years, this Bentley Mk VI James Young saloon languished in one half of a two-car garage, a mournful shape without front wings or radiator. It had been left to my mate's grandmother by the old man for whom she had once kept house. Jerry’s grannie was not a large lady but could still see over the steering wheel and reach the pedals. However, one day the handbrake cable snapped and the Bentley went into a supermarket plate glass window. It then sought retirement at the back of his parents’ garage for remedial work. Time passed – as it always does – and more remedial work began to mount up. I couldn’t really make out the Bentley’s shape properly where it stood. There was just enough room in the garage to squeeze behind the wheel, make engine noises and pretend you were a “Bentley Boy”...