1952 Bentley R-Type Continental - The Story
Published: 24th November 2002
In many senses the notion of the modern two-door, four-seater coupÈ, that is so central to the spirit of Bentley, can be traced back to that seminal car.
Before Rolls-Royce bought the company, the cars made by Bentley were an expression of brute power. Ettore once paid Bentley the sly compliment of saying 'My friend Mr Bentley builds the fastest lorries in the world.' And at times during Rolls-Royce's ownership, there were very real fears that Bentley was being neglected at the expense of Rolls-Royce.
However it is also true that during the many years of its ownership by Rolls-Royce the Bentley marque has periodically sought to reassert itself and the R-Type Continental was born out of just such a desire for reassertion.
That the R-Type Continental's success allowed it to evolve beyond the Mark VI Bentley into the SI, SII and SIII series, demonstrates that allure of the two door sporting Bentley, a very different thing from a mere two door sports car, was an enduring one.
During the late fifties, two door Continentals derived from the S series saloon demonstrated the same qualities that had attracted discerning and demanding drivers to the original car. The advertising from Bentley and its coachbuilding partners stressed the car's thoroughnbred nature. 'Really striking acceleration and handling characteristics' carolled an advertisement in the Motor of October 1955. 'The front seats have been "anatomically" designed to give better grip when cornering at speed' was the proud boast of an advertisement in Autosport's October 18th number of 1957. And the performance of these desirable cars took another leap at the end of the 1950s, with the arrival of the 6230cc V8 engine.
It was during the 1960s that the company seemed to take the almost conscious decision to let the Bentley marque become dormant, allowing the once proud name to slip into a coma. The introduction of the monocoque Silver Shadow, Bentley-badged 'T' Series, all but killed off the coachbuilders who had created such ingenious and striking bodies for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.
