2000 Bentley Continental Sedan

The Bentley Continental R was introduced in 1991 and was the first Bentley in 26 years to not share a body style with a concurrent Rolls-Royce. Designers John Heffernan and Ken Greenley used the Continental R-Type of the 1950s as design inspiration when creating the elegant two-door coachwork. Five years after its introduction, a short-wheelbase version was introduced, called the Continental T, and was powered by an uprated engine developing 420 horsepower and 650 foot-pounds of torque at just 2,200 RPM.

Some customers wanted to upgrade their 'wide-body' Continental R with the T's more powerful engine, so Bentley accommodated their desires by introducing the Continental R Mulliner at the 1999 Geneva Salon. The name was in homage to H.J. Mulliner, the British coachbuilder responsible for the original R-Type's fastback bodywork. A total of 131 examples of the R Mulliner were built and each was bespoke creations individually tailored to the owner's specifications.

Ten Continental R Millennium Editions were built to commemorate the turn of the century, all of which were sent to the North American market. Based on the Continental R Mulliner, the Millennium Edition reportedly cost an additional $20,000 over the price of the Continental R Mulliner. Amenities and additional features included elaborate wood trim elements, a stainless-steel laser-cut matrix grille, 18-inch chromed alloy wheels, and a green starter button.

This particular Millennium Edition is finished in Silver Storm over Cinder leather. It has less than 18,000 miles from new and is the 9th of 10 built. Options include a burled wood dashboard, embroidered Bentley badges on the headrests, heated front seats with memory package, a chrome shift knob, wood veneers on the steering wheel, aluminum pedals, and the spare wheel kit.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2020