This week’s offering from the Frank Dale vault is a car that often divides opinion, but one that certainly demands your attention. Its Chassis No B20BH, a one-off creation by Franay on a 1947 Bentley Mk VI chassis. We owned this car back in the late 1950’s, shown in photo number three, when the company was called Frank Dale and Stepson (singular) before the second stepson joined in 1965. The stepson in question who worked at the company at that time told me many years ago about this car and that he used to go to the local café on a Saturday morning in it to buy the bacon sandwiches for himself and his boss and stepfather Mr Dale.

It is now more at home on the major concours lawns of the world rather than the backstreet cafeterias of Paddington. However, the photo from the late 1950’s does provide a helpful illustration as to the modifications that car has been through in more recent years. These include the introduction of a split windscreen, and the accentuation of the chrome sweeps on the wings. When you combine these changes with the striking new colour combination of black coachwork and a bright red (frog skin) interior, this car is hard to ignore.

Whether you agree with the changes made to the car, or prefer the original specification, one thing that most agree upon is that the basic lines of the coachwork, complete with four-wheel spats, is something quite spectacular and is one of the most exotic bodies ever produced for a Bentley motor car. Tres chic with bundles of French flair.  

I certainly wish it was still with us in 2025, but alas that isn’t the case. Ah well, maybe we will see it again sometime in the future. I would certainly love to take it for a drive, maybe to our local greasy spoon for a bacon roll.