Hibernia Auto Restorations also has salvaged the 1947 fiery red Bentley Mark VI that King Farouk of Egypt drove even after he was exiled to the island of Capri in 1952.
The car, whose coach was built by the famed Paris-based design firm of the era, Figoni et Falachi, also went through a series of owners through the years before coming to a rusty rest in a Morristown, N.J., garage.
Before setting to work on the Bentley, Glen Smith, a Hibernia mechanic, consulted blueprints of the original model.
Then he carefully took it apart, storing every part in a plastic bag, labeling and cataloging it to make reassembly easier.
In his quest for authenticity, Smith learned that King Farouk had decreed that no one else in Egypt could own a red auto. The only exceptions were the military jeeps, painted red, that traveled as part of the king's entourage.
Farouk getting into his Mercedes Benz 540K, a wedding gift from Adolf Hitler, circa 1938
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/01/30/King-Farouk-s-fabulous-wealth-1977.html
Far from being just a personal gift, this served to showcase Germany's engineering abilities: "a first-rate sports Cabriolet, the best, most attractive and most precise car manufactured in the entire world." The 540 K received a special and unique dashboard layout and a contrasting beige leather interior with a matching hood. Although the King was forced to abdicate in 1952 and spent the rest of his life in exile in Monaco and Italy, the car remained untouched in Cairo until 1988. A French collector purchased 169387 at auction and stored it in a barn in France. http://forums.aaca.org/f180/party-animal-king-farouks-mercedes-540k-364760.html
http://www.fmm.co.za/dt_portfolio/mercedes-benz-540k-cabriolet/
http://www.prewarcar.com/magazine/un-solved-mysteries/king-farouks-custom-mystery-update-v-dan-lalee-retractable-streamliner-and-chris-craft-003467.html
https://www.pinterest.com/mido013/cars-boats-king-farouk-of-egypt-palace-cairo/
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1991-07-18/topic/9107160560_1_hibernia-auto-restorations-cars-and-owners
http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-most-valuable-barnfind/35178/
The car, whose coach was built by the famed Paris-based design firm of the era, Figoni et Falachi, also went through a series of owners through the years before coming to a rusty rest in a Morristown, N.J., garage.
Before setting to work on the Bentley, Glen Smith, a Hibernia mechanic, consulted blueprints of the original model.
Then he carefully took it apart, storing every part in a plastic bag, labeling and cataloging it to make reassembly easier.
In his quest for authenticity, Smith learned that King Farouk had decreed that no one else in Egypt could own a red auto. The only exceptions were the military jeeps, painted red, that traveled as part of the king's entourage.
Farouk getting into his Mercedes Benz 540K, a wedding gift from Adolf Hitler, circa 1938
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/01/30/King-Farouk-s-fabulous-wealth-1977.html
Far from being just a personal gift, this served to showcase Germany's engineering abilities: "a first-rate sports Cabriolet, the best, most attractive and most precise car manufactured in the entire world." The 540 K received a special and unique dashboard layout and a contrasting beige leather interior with a matching hood. Although the King was forced to abdicate in 1952 and spent the rest of his life in exile in Monaco and Italy, the car remained untouched in Cairo until 1988. A French collector purchased 169387 at auction and stored it in a barn in France. http://forums.aaca.org/f180/party-animal-king-farouks-mercedes-540k-364760.html
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1991-07-18/topic/9107160560_1_hibernia-auto-restorations-cars-and-owners
http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-most-valuable-barnfind/35178/
The car you represent as Farouk's Bentley. My Father George OMea Owned the real car which was shown at Pebble Beach.
ReplyDeleteThe car you represent as King Farouks is NOT Farouks Bentley. The Real Fagoni et Falashi Bentley was own by my Father George O'Mea. It was shown twice at Pebble Beach.
ReplyDeleteRobert O'Mea
Robert, maybe you can see where I wrote some words. Try reading those.
DeleteThen lets try and figure out if your dad was the only owner it ever head, or... or! Maybe someone owned it before he did. Maybe? Could be Farouk owned it before your dad did? Maybe?
See, I don't go around making shit up, I find information on other websites. Like when the Bentley came with this info:
Hibernia Auto Restorations also has salvaged the 1947 fiery red Bentley Mark VI that King Farouk of Egypt drove even after he was exiled to the island of Capri in 1952.
The car, whose coach was built by the famed Paris-based design firm of the era, Figoni et Falachi, also went through a series of owners through the years before coming to a rusty rest in a Morristown, N.J., garage.
Before setting to work on the Bentley, Glen Smith, a Hibernia mechanic, consulted blueprints of the original model.
Then he carefully took it apart, storing every part in a plastic bag, labeling and cataloging it to make reassembly easier.
In his quest for authenticity, Smith learned that King Farouk had decreed that no one else in Egypt could own a red auto. The only exceptions were the military jeeps, painted red, that traveled as part of the king's entourage.
The new owner of Farouk's Bentley is Gene Beardslee, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_pu5ArqY8c and that probably isn't your fathers car.
Maybe, you're mistaken, and can figure out some information about your dad's car before getting irritated with me.
The Beardsley family has owned the Farouk Bentley for 3 generations, and brought their Bentley to Pebble Beach in 2009 and 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_pu5ArqY8c
I see that George O’Mea’s Bentley was shown in Palm Springs in 1964, and is a 1947 Bentley MK VI Coupe Chassis no. B 9AJ, Engine no. B 65 A.
DeleteA Mr. J. Rodriques ordered it from Figoni and he lived at 31 Rue Raynourd in Paris but spent much of his time in Monaco and used this car to commute in elegant style.
According to the Figoni archives, its original color was dark gray with a blue leather interior, and its original Monegasque registration was 'MC 276'.
'he lived at 31 Rue Raynourd in Paris but spent much of his time in Monaco and used this car to commute in elegant style.' Truly the definition of the Continental Bentley before the phrase had even been coined, it is easy to imagine this handsome coupe hightailing down the Route Nationale at speed, and cutting an elegant stance in the Principality.
According to the Figoni archives, its original color was dark gray with a blue leather interior, and its original Monegasque registration was 'MC 276'.
'he lived at 31 Rue Raynourd in Paris but spent much of his time in Monaco and used this car to commute in elegant style.' Truly the definition of the Continental Bentley before the phrase had even been coined, it is easy to imagine this handsome coupe hightailing down the Route Nationale at speed, and cutting an elegant stance in the Principality.
According to the Figoni archives, its original color was dark gray with a blue leather interior, and its original Monegasque registration was 'MC 276'.
'he lived at 31 Rue Raynourd in Paris but spent much of his time in Monaco and used this car to commute in elegant style.' Truly the definition of the Continental Bentley before the phrase had even been coined, it is easy to imagine this handsome coupe hightailing down the Route Nationale at speed, and cutting an elegant stance in the Principality.
According to the Figoni archives, its original color was dark gray with a blue leather interior, and its original Monegasque registration was 'MC 276'.
Officially, Mr. Rodrigues purchased his brand new Bentley Mark VI through esteemed local agents Franco Britannic Automobiles in March 1947.
Its actual delivery/guarantee date as a completed automobile, according to Bentley Motors, was July 1948.
By the mid 1960s the Bentley had crossed the Atlantic and was the property of George O'Mea in Los Angeles, followed by Donald Cruickshank of San Jose in 1965, and it changed hands the year later to Joseph De Luca of San Francisco.
Eugene Beardslee acquired the car in the late 1980s, and naturally elected to have the car refurbished by his favored restorer, Bob Turnquist at Hibernia. This work neared completion in the summer of 1990 and was ready just in time to be included in that year's famed Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21392/lot/135/
Deletein the late fifties/early sixties when for sale in France it wore plates 5434 GG75
Deletehttp://www.coachbuild.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2527&start=0
DeleteThe Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky, April 26, 1991, describes the King Farouk Bentley.
Delete