1952 Bentley R-Type Continental - The Story

Of course this came at a price. When the car was offered on the home market at the end of 1952, it cost £7,608 3s and 4d, by comparison the new Ford popular of 1953 came in at £390, which roughly equates to one car for the price of 20. But then that too was part of the appeal; as well as being the fastest production four-seater in the world, it was the most expensive. And during the early 1950s, you could not call yourself a millionaire playboy until you had one of these elegant rocket ships in your garage - it was the ultimate automotive status symbol.

The roll call of those who bought these exceptional cars new is impressive. Agnelli, Guinness, Embiricos, Onassis, Niarchos, Mavroleon, Jack Barclay, H I M the Shahinshah of Iran, Rockefeller, Prince Frederick of Prussia, Sir Alfred McAlpine and the Emperor of Bao Dai, are just a few of those who were fortunate, tasteful and rich enough to drive the new Bentley. These were the members of what would become known as the jet set, men who headed countries, corporations and aristocratic dynasties and who were united by their impeccable taste in cars.

The majority of these cars have long outlived their first owners; many are raced highly competitively in rallies or still used on a daily basis. They drive beautifully: docile around town, exhilarating at speed and effortless at all times? just as one would expect of a Bentley. Of the R-Type Continentals, 193 were bodied by HJ Mulliner, a handful by other coachbuilders.

The Autocar of 1952 put it rather well. 'This Bentley is a modern magic carpet which annihilates great distances and delivers the occupants well-nigh as fresh as when they started. It is a car Britain may well be proud of, and it is sure to add new lustre to the name it bears'.

Half a century later it remains an automotive icon, one of very few cars that truly deserves to be called a design classic.

The Bloodline Continues...

The launch of a totally new two door Bentley is always an event. It does not happen frequently, but when it does it is automotive history in the making. The very nature and character of Bentley makes its two door cars very special; the unique, intoxicating cocktail of luxury and performance under the same sleek two-door skin, is something that is not in the gift of many motoring marques; however it is one of the many things that Bentley is superbly good at.

A two door Bentley is a very special kind of car and it speaks of a very special kind of motoring: sporting yet effortless; exhilarating yet civilised; high speeds and long distances are achieved in near silence and almost indecent comfort.

There is no denying that a two door Bentley is a statement. When, in 1930, Bentley chairman and Le Mans winner Woolf Barnato accepted the now famous bet to race the Blue Train from the Cote d'Azure, claiming that he could be at his London Club before the train pulled into Calais, he won the wager in a Bentley Speed Six CoupÈ. At previously mentioned, the same decade gave birth to another remarkable two door Bentley; The Embiricos Bentley, a head-turner that was truly ahead of its time.

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