"Padgett Motor Engineering was established in 1957 in Newbury, Berkshire by Alan Padgett. Alan was apprenticed as a motor mechanic in York during World War Two until his conscription in 1946 and served in the Royal Air Force in the Far East. By 1949 he was back in England and, having finished his apprenticeship, started working part time on motor vehicle repairs including vintage cars. In 1954, now married, he and his wife moved to Newbury, Berkshire. Alan was involved with racing Bentleys after selling his first vintage car (a 12/40 Lea Francis) and buying a 1926 Speed Model 3 Litre and from 1954 he worked part time with Tony Townshend at Whittonditch works to gain essential experience. By 1964 a newly emerged class of post-war Bentleys were well known in racing, the Mk Vl sports and racing 'special'. The Bradley Brothers were the first to take this route and must be given full credit for such foresight. Padgett’s first design, which proved to be popular, was built with a modified chassis design, moving the engine and transmission rearwards creating the traditional sporting lines of a Bentley sports car, thereby setting a trend that has survived to this day. This ever improving class of sports car paved the way for another style of Bentley to get the headlines. The Bentley R-Type Continental Sports Saloon, upgraded to Rally Specification, of which some 12 have been rebuilt, proved to be the most highly sought after Bentley of any genre. Jeremy Padgett eventually took over full control of the business in 1995 when his father retired, after 54 years as a motor engineer.
This attractive two seater Bentley Mk. VI (Big Bore) Special with split screen ‘V’ windscreen and rounded tail was one of the first specials built by Alan Padgett in 1969. The previous owner purchased the special in 1976 from Harry J. Sibley, a Rolls-Royce specialist based in Cornwall and, to aid the purchase, he told his wife that the car had extra wide seating capable of accommodating two adults and two small children. The only changes made to the car were in 1977 when he had an outside handbrake and a new external stainless steel exhaust system fitted. Much later he changed the polarity to negative earth and fitted electronic ignition. This Mk. VI Special changed hands in 2016 and has been in a private collection ever since. Finished in the traditional British Racing Green with brown leather interior, this beautiful Bentley Special is supplied with a V5C registration document, copies of old registration documents going back to Alan Padgett’s ownership in 1969, a number of old MoT test certificates, the bill of sale from 1976 and items of correspondence including a letter from Padgett. Listed in Bentley Specials & Special Bentleys, this is an opportunity to purchase a very attractive and properly maintained Bentley Special which was built by one of the leading Bentley builders of the time."