Meet The Bentley Pick-up Truck
Yes, you read that right... blame (or thank) the Australians
The Aussies love a 'ute', and we can see why: for transporting bales of hay, returning errant sheep back to the outback fold, or even for loading up with 'tinnies', the humble pick-up is a fine vehicle (you missed out a dig about 'barbies' in your list of national stereotypes there, Riggers - Ed.).
But we're not sure that a Bentley is quite the appropriate car to turn into a quasi-commercial vehicle. The winged 'B' sullied by having to stoop to commercial vehicle status?? It just isn't cricket, old chap...
Joking aside, however, the Bentley S1 ute is undoubtedly a fascinating automotive curiosity. It started of life as a 1956 S1 saloon, before the car's owner, Victoria-based Brit aristocrat Keith Rous (the 6th Earl of Stradbroke to give him his proper title), sent it to George William of Camperdown in New South Wales to be 'Aussified'. He had a bespoke timber cargo bay installed in the car where you would normally find the rear passenger compartment, to create what might be the world's only Bentley commercial vehicle.
Thus, the Bentley ute is now to be auctioned off at the Australian motor show on 10th July - for some reason the school seems to think that a new library will be more useful than a chopped-about 1950s Bentley. Can't think why...
If you fancy a punt, the guide price for the Benters is $22,000-$32,000 AUD (which works out at £14.5k-£21k).
[pic]
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zp5hU5oekAI/TOPx-elVAlI/...
and these Clouds was coach-built as a shooting brakes (and not old hearses) from new:
In the early days, just pre or post WW2 I think, there were many built as "commercials" due to the savings on the purchase tax or car tax of the time.
Ahh, reminds me of the Maserati Quattroporte fire engine from the sixties...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Pillars-Wisdom-Trium...
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