1954 Bentley Saloon

1954 Bentley Standard Saloon

In 1954, Rolls-Royce was producing Bentleys with minor variations from the post-war Mark VI style. This car is an R-type with the standard steel saloon body. Rolls-Royce secretly bought Bentley in 1931, and even though the drive-train and body styles became Rolls-Royce, the name Bentley was kept. The only external difference in 1954 between a Rolls Silver Dawn and the Bentley R was the Bentley's sportier grille and 121 British pounds.

Rolls-Royce did try to keep Bentley's recognition for fast racing cars by equipping this model with a dual carburetor rather than the Silver Dawn's single. Interestingly, not a single Rolls-Royce-badged car was sold domestically during the Socialist-dominated government of post-war Britain, where food shortages and rationing were common until the mid-1950s. Instead the British elite, suddenly becoming owner-drivers rather than chauffeur-driven, opted for the less well-known Bentley models.


These pictures of the Bentley were taken by photographer Isaac Alongi in October 2000. Isaac helped introduce the more natural style of photojournalism to Kansas City weddings and is respected for his work in black-and-white photography. Visit his Web site, www.isaacalongi.com.

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