Delivered to Rossleigh on 9th January 1952, and originally finished in black with brown leather, it was sold new to Mr Alexander from Falkirk. Mr Alexander owned it until it was sold via Jack Barclay (the main agent Bentley dealer in London) on 18th May 1954, who entrusted it to its second owner, Colonel J. Cooke of London on 4th September 1954.

John Donald im Thurn Esq, the third owner, was a well-known, respected and active member of the Bentley Driver’s Club, joining in 1939 and elected on the main committee under Wolf Barnato. He is still the holder of the fastest lap of the Brooklands Mountain Circuit in a Bentley. Thurn would be the next custodian of the FMS 967 from 1956 until his passing in 1999. At the time he was marketing manager for B.P. and when, in 1956, he was moved to Hamburg, Germany for work, he persuaded BP to purchase a big Bore MKVI for him to use as a company car. He ensured it was kitted out with all the necessary equipment for long distance traveling, all of which is still present; the original under dashboard tool tray is complete as well as a very rare Continental Touring Kit Number 3. Also fitted is an inspection lamp, jack, large spanner, starting handle, under bonnet oilers, spare wheel and grease gun as well as the original owners instruction manual. What more could you need for a cross continent trip! On retirement from BP in 1985 he purchased the car from the company and kept it until his death in 1999. We have all his receipts from Sargeants of Goudhurst whilst in his private ownership.

After his death, FMS 967 was purchased by Norman Borrill via the School Garage, who kept it as part of a Bentley collection and used it sparingly, covering only 1,827 miles in just over a decade. In recent years much time and money has been spent on the Bentley to preserve its originality and also its usability, insuring you can get in and drive it anywhere in Europe.?This included an engine overhaul along with a quantity of other remedial work. These late model Big Bore Mk VI’s are the best manual geared post war Bentleys to own and in our opinion, are truly undervalued amongst its peers.

One really notices the increase in the capacity of the straight six engine from 4.25 to 4.5ltrs, especially if used for touring. Stanley Sedgwick, the famous past president of the B.D.C., once drove his ‘Big Bore’ 707 miles in one day, taking a total time of 15 hours 50 minutes from Le Havre to Cannes, which was almost 2 hours faster than the famous Blue Train.
This is a lovely historied example, with ownership known from new. Retaining its original tobacco leather, it must be one of the last unmolested, Big Bore MkVI’s available