In 1946, Bentley and Rolls-Royce launched the landmark new line of Standard Steel models, trimmed and painted to a standard rivaling the era’s finest coachbuilders and equipped with a simplified 4.3-litre F-head inline six, plus a four-speed gearbox and modern independent front suspension. Certain elite clients demanded greater exclusivity, and this Mk VI Sedanca Coupe, B175CD, stands as a wonderful exemplar.

Ordered by Iraq’s Prince Regent ’Abd al-Ilah, who was visiting London’s Hooper & Co. in 1948, this Hooper Sedanca Coupe body was custom-ordered on a Bentley Mk VI chassis. Initially intended for a Swiss doctor, chassis B175CD was redistributed for the prince regent’s order; following completion in 1949, it was shipped to him in Baghdad. The Bentley returned to Hooper in September 1950, and it was first registered in Britain during February 1951. B175CD was acquired by Lawrence W. (later Sir Lawrence) Robson in 1958 and then later passed on to his son, from whom Ron Rezek acquired it in 2011. Mechanical recommissioning and cosmetic restoration followed, with the highly original engine bay, upholstery, and interior wood left untouched.

Complete with road tools, B175CD is accompanied by a fascinating dossier, including UK MOT papers documenting the low indicated mileage, and an original and complete 31-page Hooper document detailing the body construction, plus copies of a Hooper coachbuilders advertisement depicting B175CD and its bespoke design.