Bentley (1945-1965): Books - History and Models

Original Rolls-Royce and Bentley 1946-65 - The Restorer's Guide to the 'standard' Saloons and Mainstream Coachbuilt Derivatives

Between 1945 and 1965, the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe produced remarkable motor cars. The Mark VI Bentley, the first wholly built by Rolls-Royce, debuted with a Pressed Steel body, while custom-built cars remained an option.
In 1949, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn followed, joined by its Bentley counterpart with "big boot" bodies in 1952, transitioning the Mark VI into the R-type.

The 120mph Continental marked the zenith of Bentley motoring. The Silver Cloud and Bentley S-series, nearly identical, arrived in 1955 with a 4.9-liter engine, later upgraded to a 6.2-liter V8 from 1959. Coachbuilt S-series Continentals continued as bespoke grand tourers alongside them.

"Original Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1946-65" serves as a vital companion to these elegant cars, known for their mechanical durability and unmatched construction quality. The book aims to document how these models evolved over time through words and color photographs, detailing numerous specification changes driven by Rolls-Royce's policy of continuous refinement.
With over 250 commissioned color photographs, it offers a thorough reference for owners, restorers, buyers, and enthusiasts, drawing from factory records, parts lists, and catalogues.

Coachwork on Rolls-Royce and Bentley 1945-1965 : Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn & Silver Cloud

Rolls-Royce and Bentley relied upon standardised body designs after 1945, but for the next two decades both marques also supplied chassis frames separately, and it was possible to have these clothed with coachwork by bespoke coachbuilders like, for example, Mulliner, Park Ward and James Young in Britain, or Graber, Farina and Franay in Europe.

Many buyers took this route, and this highly illustrated book bears witness to the wide variety of styles that were built in this fascinating period.
Chassis number lists for each coachbuilder, both in Britain and overseas, identify their creations, to make this a comprehensive and essential companion for anyone interested in Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the post-war era.

Bentley Mk VI - Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, Dawn & Silver Cloud / Bentley R & S-series

The Bentley Mk VI, introduced in 1946, fairly bristled with new ideas and marked a bold change of direction. The most radical departure from pre-war practice was the fact that the Mk VI could be bought with a standard body. Other major new features were the engine, cruciform chassis and hydraulically operated front brakes.

However, none of this indicates the true historical importance of the Mk VI or why the model is at the heart of this book-quite simply the Mk VI's design was the well-spring from which all the mainstream Rolls-Royce and Bentley models flowed until the advent of the Silver Shadow and Bentley T-Series in 1965.

Here is the complete story of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn and Silver Cloud and the Bentley Mk VI, R-Type and S-Type. Covering concept, design and development, production, promotion, publicity and the coachbuilt cars.
There is also helpful practical advice on buying and running these cars today, together with appendices of chassis number sequences and dates, build numbers and modifications and development by chassis number.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud & Bentley S-Series - Brooklands Portfolio

Brooklands Portfolio book about the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Series. Describes the Silver Cloud, S-Series, Continental, Limousine, Silver Cloud II, III, S2 and S2 LWB.

• The articles, taken from contemporary British and American car magazines, provide much information about history, model changes and technology.
• Also driving impressions, tests, comparison tests, technical specifications, etc.

▶  More information on the Brooklands Portfolio books

Making Cars at Crewe

On 30 August 2002, the last Crewe-built Rolls-Royce rolled off the production line, bringing the era of Crewe-built Rolls-Royces to an end.
Peter Ollerhead, an ex-Rolls-Royce employee, has spent years researching the history of the company in Crewe, from 1938 to 1998, focusing on the endeavours and the experiences of its employees: this is a book about people.

The detailed text, illustrated with over 80 photographs, explains how the initial establishment of a Merlin aero engine factory was thwarted by the problems of building on a greenfield site, where the early days of skill shortages, a chronic need for housing and a strike were followed by a bombing raid in 1940, in which seventeen employees were killed.
The arrival of car production just after the Second World War is fully covered, as are the other enterprises that helped to keep the company afloat, from War Department power units to hip joints for the NHS.

Despite a troubled history - with two major fires, bankruptcy and large-scale redundancies - Rolls-Royce was Crewe's largest employer for many years, produced the world's best luxury cars, and influenced and shaped the town as no other company has done.
This book is a fitting tribute to the generations of workers who made it all possible.

Crewe's Rolls-Royce Factory - From Old Photographs

The collection of images in this book portray the presence of Rolls-Royce in Crewe from the heady days just prior to the Second World War. It was decided then that a factory to manufacture desperately needed Merlin aero engines to power Spitfires and Hurricanes in the defence of these islands would be erected in the town.
Images of both production and destruction chart the progress of the struggle with fascism until peace was won, allowing normal life to begin again. It was then that RR made the decision to turn the Pym's Lane factory away from armaments and concentrate all car production in the town, so the rest of the images show the many differing marques of the cars that bore the iconic RR logo along with the winged 'B' of the various Bentley models that were manufactured in south Cheshire.

Many of the photographs that illustrate the production methods and machines in this volume have not been available to the general public, making it an interesting and informative read.
The book closes with a long chapter concerned with the people and activities associated with the proud history of Bentley and Rolls-Royce in Crewe until the sad day when the marques divided leaving Bentley as the sole yet worthy owner of the Pym's Lane factory.