First registered on 26th January 1948, this early MkVI features "Woodie"-style shooting brake coachwork by Harold Radford Ltd. A West London motor dealer specializing in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, Harold Radford, took the unusual step of setting up as a traditional coachbuilder in the late 1940s when the demand for such products declined. His first design was for a timber-framed estate car body on the Bentley MkVI chassis. Its manufacture sub-contracted to a small firm called Seary & McCready (later absorbed by Radford). This 'Countryman' model was an immediate success, winning the 1948 Concours d'Élegance at Cannes. The standard Bentley MkVI chassis, radiator grille, and bonnet were retained while the scuttle and floor pan were modified. This first version featured visible timber framing and electric front windows and rear blind. There were no rear seats, only a cavernous luggage space behind the front bench. 'A saloon car with exceptional smartness and unusually commodious luggage accommodation' was how its maker described the result. The rear seats, featuring a 50/50 split, were reinstated on subsequent cars. As one would expect of a coachbuilt, bespoke product, the eight shooting brakes built on the MkVI chassis exhibited detail differences. At first, all had fixed rear windows, but most were later modified to incorporate a more practical opening window giving better access to the luggage area.
The Countryman was later refined, becoming an early version of the 'hatchback' concept applied to the standard saloon body on Bentley and Rolls-Royce chassis and those of other prestigious makes. Radford exhibited in the coachbuilding section at the London Motor Show from 1951 to 1963, winning numerous awards, and in the 1960s began to reach a wider public with its luxurious Mini conversions. H R Owen acquired the firm in the early 1960s.
