Selecting the right car
Buying any vintage car is daunting. But buying a 6½ litre Bentley, with the intention of stripping it down and rebuilding it into your dream is something else entirely. It isn’t just about the financial leap; it’s about having absolute confidence that every detail is right for the project.
Over the years, I’d owned plenty of “nearly” cars. Wonderful machines that came close, but never quite ticked every box. This time, I knew there could be no compromises. It had to be right, from the tyres up.
That’s why I leaned heavily on the expertise of David Ayre, William Medcalf, and Claire Hay's written report. With their knowledge and sharp eyes, I was able to dismiss countless tempting but unsuitable “starting points” and narrow my search down to just a select few worth investigating in real depth.
How I came to own YF 2186
I’ve always dreamed of owning a Big Bentley. My fascination began as a teenager in the 1980s, when I went to a car show with my brothers. One of them drove an Austin 10 as his first car, but it was the Bentley that stopped me in my tracks. From that moment on, I was hooked. I devoured every book I could find about Bentleys, especially the mighty 6.5 and 8 litres, until it became something close to an obsession.
Of course, owning one of those legendary machines always felt out of reach. So, in the early 2000s, I settled on the next best thing: a beautiful Racing Green Speed 8 replica. It was a fantastic car, full of character and presence. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t the real thing. I’d always promised myself that, if I ever had the chance, I would own an original Bentley.
I’ve always admired the 3 litre and the 4.5 litre cars, but nothing makes my knees go weak quite like a 6.5 litre Bentley, or any of the big saloons, for that matter. They may not be as fashionable, but that’s part of their charm. Back in the day, most 6.5s rolled off the line as saloons, yet over the years so many have been transformed into Le Mans replicas that original saloons are now rare with a capital R.
So when I finally decided to restore a Big Bentley, I began searching for a 6.5 litre tourer. Ideally one that had started life as a saloon, with matching numbers and as many original parts as possible. I looked at four or five cars, bid on a couple at auction, and even flew to Germany to see one in person.
Then I found YF 2186.
I first test-drove it in 2018 and immediately knew it was something special. Wonderfully preserved, mechanically strong, and full of character. But at the time, the price was just out of reach. The car was rightly valued highly, and it was listed with both Fiskens and The Classic Motor Hub. For months I kept going back to it online, downloading photos, even making one of them my screensaver. It was the car I couldn’t stop thinking about.
By early 2019, the market had softened slightly, and in April I finally decided to take a leap. On impulse, I put in an offer, almost certain it would be rejected. Days passed with no word, and then, to my surprise, the offer was accepted.
And so, in April 2019, I became the proud owner of YF 2186. A dream I’d carried with me since that very first car show all those years ago.
The Hay Report - 2018
During my search for the right starting point, I relied heavily on friends within the vintage Bentley world to help narrow the field. Experience and enthusiasm are invaluable, but when it came to committing to a purchase, I was clear that the decision needed to be underpinned by authoritative historical research.
For that reason, I took a lot of solice in the 2018 Claire Hay repaort that the vendor had commissioned. Clare Hay had undertaken detailed research into YF 2186. As author of 'Bentley: The Vintage Years, her knowledge of these vehicles is unsurpassed.
Her work focused on establishing the YF2186's history, provenance and originality, drawing on factory records, period documentation and archival material.
Before embarking on a project of this scale, it was essential to understand precisely what the car was, where it had been, and how it had evolved over time.
Read the Full 2018 Claire Hay Report
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