1953 Bentley R Type Continental Fastback

[Dennis Cavallino]

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Mjummie! Pracht van een auto. Ik vind jaren '50 Bentley's sowieso altijd wel mooi (in tegenstelling tot RR's). Zo'n kont als dit had ik nog niet gezien bij Type R's. Echt prachtig.

>13 sec van 0-100 is wel 'relaxed'.

[Dennis Cavallino]

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/41 ... ID=1772119" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

158bhp, 4,566 cc inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with wishbones, coil springs and an anti-roll bar, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 120" (3,048mm)

With World War II barely over, Rolls-Royce’s Managing Director, Arthur Sidgreaves, was quick to overhaul production methods for the company’s two automobile products, Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Sidgreaves recognised the need to bring as much body production in house as possible, so tooling for the Standard Steel Saloon bodywork was rapidly created. Aside from cutting costs and complexity, this allowed the automaker to create its first standardized bodies in its own factories. Naturally, this disappointed a handful of buyers who were more interested in purchasing a unique coachbuilt, bespoke automobile.

Bentley’s first vehicle to utilize the Standard Steel Saloon bodywork was the Mark VI, although some chassis continued to be supplied to outside coachbuilders. Production lasted from 1946 until 1952 when the Mark VI was succeeded by the R-Type, which featured a revised chassis and almost identical coachwork on the Saloon.

To appeal to its most demanding clientele, however, Bentley sought to create a svelte coupe aimed at buyers in continental Europe. The engineers in Crewe – specifically, chief project engineer Ivan Evernden and designer John P. Blatchley – collaborated with coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner and Pinin Farina to create what would quickly become one of the most revered automobiles ever produced.

Pinin Farina helped provide inspiration for the Corniche II, as it was called during development, through initial early consultations as evidenced by certain characteristically Italian details like the bulbous, elongated rear fenders and the dramatically sloped tail. Yet it was Blatchley who would be credited with truly refining the two-door coupe. He spent long hours at Rolls-Royce’s Hucknall wind tunnel testing clay models to perfect the design, while keeping Bentley character alive and intact.

With sweeping, graceful lines, the R-Type Continental, as it became known, introduced the world to a name that continues today. It was, in the eyes of contemporary enthusiasts, a return to the Bentley of yore. Not only was it a sensational-looking automobile that inspired emotion from every angle, it was a formidable performer. Although it was a large car, the Continental was remarkably sleek with a tapered tail and curved windscreen that provided for a low coefficient of drag and thus terrific stability at high speeds.

The aluminium body kept the weight of the large car to a minimum and a handful of production techniques would help the chassis stay as svelte as possible. The factory applied as many weight-reducing modifications as they could while retaining all the luxury and exclusivity expected of a Bentley. Special tyres, an alloy frame, thin bucket seats in place of armchairs and even a radio, installed only on the request of the buyer, all helped bring down the Bentley’s weight. Still, the Continental required a sizeable powerplant.

The first three series of the car (there would be five before production ceased in 1955) were powered by a B-60 inline six-cylinder engine with a cast iron block and an aluminium head that displaced 4,566 cc. The final two series would be powered by a modestly bored-out 4,887 cc motor. A pair of SU Type-H carburetters and relatively high compression helped the engine produce 158 horsepower. In keeping with Bentley tradition, the engine was low-revving, high in torque and almost impossibly smooth in its operation.

A desirable four-speed manual transmission graced the first 89 Continentals produced, while a General Motors Hydra-Matic became optional about halfway through the third series of production. This four-speed automatic featured a direct drive top gear as well as a steering column gear selector. With either gearbox, top speeds of 160 kilometres per hour were easily and readily achieved. In an era where the days of petrol rationing were still lingering in the public’s mind, the excitement of a high performance vehicle was astonishing. The Continental was timed at 19.5 seconds in the quarter mile – a noteworthy feat in the early 1950s. Despite the tremendous performance, however, the R-Type Continental remained quietly luxurious. A proper leather interior, with thick carpeting and glossy walnut trim throughout, cosseted the fortunate few and very wealthy who purchased Continentals. When manufacture concluded in 1955, just 207 Continentals had been produced, in keeping with the vehicle’s intended exclusivity. Of the chassis produced for Continentals, 193 were bodied by coachbuilders H.J. Mulliner in the dramatic style penned by Blatchley. Recently named one of the “25 Most Beautiful Automobiles” by Automobile Magazine, the Bentley Continental R-Type is a vehicle that continues to inspire.

The R-Type offered here, chassis number BC22B, is an extensively documented, impressively original car that has been cherished by its owners. The Continental Register lists BC22B as having been completed on November 17, 1953 and road tested the following day. It featured unique 19.5-inch seat squabs, Masons Black paint and light tobacco Connolly leather trim and was sold through agent P.J. Evans to first owner T.G. Burn on January 5, 1954 before being registered with the plate NXY 2, which it still wears today.

Burn kept the car for two years before it passed through several recorded owners and joined the collection of the late Robert Lalemant of Belgium, a shipping magnate and noted Bentley connoisseur. Under Lalemant’s ownership, during which time the car continued to be maintained by Messrs. P&A Wood, this Bentley took part in the Continental’s 50th anniversary celebration at Silverstone in 2002. It was finally acquired three years ago by its current owner who is likewise a dedicated enthusiast and long-term collector of ‘R’ and ‘S’ series Continentals.

Retaining its original interior trim, the car shows only the slightest signs of use over the last 54 years. Its recorded mileage of about 135,000 is thought to be correct, an average of under 2,500 miles per annum. Entrusted to respect Bentley specialists Messrs. Hunt and Keale, who maintain the rest of the vendor’s fine collection, BC22B was recently stripped to bare metal and repainted in the correct Masons Black scheme while the interior wood trim was removed and expertly polished. The seat squabs were also re-trimmed using new old stock hides in the correct ‘light tobacco’ colour. The only modification undertaken is the logical repositioning of the outside mirrors from the front wings to the A-pillars.

In 2007, BC22B’s mechanicals were comprehensively overhauled and it has traveled only several hundred kilometres since the work was completed. According to the vendor, it drives “incredibly well” and feels tight and responsive, as confirmed by a recent road test. The total mileage is believed to be 135,000 miles as supported by an extensive service history dating back over 30 years. The car is therefore presented in ‘ready to enjoy’ condition, freshly MOT’d and requiring no further expenditure of time *or* money before taking to the highways of Continental Europe.

One of the most graceful postwar automobiles ever produced, this exceptional 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental would be an ideal, immensely driveable addition to any collection of significant automobiles. Complete with its original registration number and benefiting from the ultimate specification of rear wheel spats, lightweight seats, manual gearbox, in arguably the perfect colour combination with an impeccable and highly original interior, it is a very desirable example indeed.

Documents: UK V5 Current MOT History File

[Niels]

Mooi hoor...

[Wim te Riet]

Echt prachtig. Heeft een vaste plek veroverd in mijn droomgarage!

[Tim N]

Helemaal met je eens Wim, maar wel met de kont naar de deur parkeren :playcar:

[Wim te Riet]

Kont, neus, flank. Het maakt me niet zoveel uit, ik vind 'm vanuit elke hoek prachtig.