AN ANATOMY OF THE… THE BENTLEY Mk VI AND ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER DAWN

Rolls-Royce at the end of World War Two found itself in a somewhat curious situation. Despite being the victor of the conflict, Britain was a shattered state; practically bankrupt after six years of fighting, its infrastructure crippled by bombing, and with so many of its pre-war population no longer around. With the immediate future being cold, grey austerity, it was not the time to be a prestige car manufacturer selling very expensive, luxury vehicles.

Yet Rolls-Royce was also a national hero. All of the country’s motor manufacturers had wholeheartedly thrown themselves into the war effort and their industrial output had been vital in the Allied triumph. But the name of Rolls-Royce was more covered in glory than that of almost any other car-maker. That’s because the company had been responsible for the Merlin and Griffon V12 aero engines which, in fighters like the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, had effectively saved the nation during the Battle of Britain. Then, with Merlin-engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax, the conflict was taken to the skies over Germany. In the final months of hostilities, Rolls-Royce had also been responsible for providing the propulsion behind Britain’s first jet aircraft, the Gloster Meteor. It