Inspired by the pre-warBentley Racers and recently completedBased on a 1952 Mark VIBentley and built by highly respected Jaguar specialists DJB EngineeringMighty B81 6.8-litre straight-eight engine mated to a silky smooth Bentley gearboxElegantly proportionedwith the engine and gearbox set back and clothed in bespoke aluminium bodyworkLots of engineering details, exactingly constructed and properly shaken-downThe sounds, smell and speed of a period Bentley racerWhen Bentley was founded in 1919 in London, W.O.'s aim was simple: "To build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class." His earliest motor cars the 3-litre, the 4-litre, the Speed Six and the supercharged Blower were absolute world-beaters, and Bentley's performance at Le Mans is the stuff of legend. Their first entry in 1923 saw them finish fourth, and by the following year they had crept up to first. Soon the marque was unstoppable at Le Mans its reliability and performance undeniable with Bentleys taking first place in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.Some of the cars that achieved these feats are still around today and quite rightly command much respect and heavy premiums, on the rare occasions they do come to the market. For a number of years now there have been a handful of very skilled specialists producing cars in faithful homage to these great Bentley racers, often bringing together original parts, new materials and engineering prowess, sometimes themselves commanding in excess of 250,000. These sorts of car should always have a distinct Bentley flavour, both mechanically and stylistically and perform as closely as possible to the original examples.The car presented here is in that same vein and offers an owner a real taste of that unique and intoxicating Bentley spirit. The car was conceived and built by a highly skilled engineer, who has fully restored many Bentleys and Jaguars over the years, as part of DJB Engineering in Northamptonshire. This Bentley Special was a long time in the planning and the execution has been a labour of love.Based on a 1952 Mark VI Bentley, utilising the chassis and gearbox, much specialist engineering has gone into making this bespoke car. The chassis has been carefully modified to accept a mighty straight-8 engine, whilst retaining its all-important cruciform ensuring its inherent strength and integrity - a Bentley chassis characteristic - are not compromised. The 6.75-litre engine was sourced especially for the car and is an ex-War Department unit, understood to have been overhauled/serviced by The Ministry in the 1960s. Now fully rebuilt and detailed, it runs and performs as well as youd expect, having found its most exciting application at the heart of this Special. Likewise, the purposeful rear axle and differential were carefully selected for their strength and to be able to utilise hydraulic brakes. With the modified chassis, the aesthetics of the car were immediately more pleasing to the eye, with elegant proportions in hand-built aluminium. Painted and trimmed to an equally high standard, witha tailored tonneau, this Special is ready to go.There really is an abundance of engineering and visual detail evident in this remarkable special and it needsappreciating in the metal. Elegant and wonderfully evocative, we feel that W.O. would certainly approve.(photographs courtesy of Chris Frosin Photography, used with thanks)