1953 Bentley R-Type Sedanca Coupe

The Bentley R-Type was introduced in 1952, replacing the first postwar Bentley, the almost identical Mark VI. Although the Bentley R-Type's 'standard steel' saloon body accounted for the bulk of production, customers could still opt for a coach-built alternative such as this James Young-bodied Sedanca Coupe. Based just outside London, James Young bodied many exclusive chassis during the 1930s and exhibited their first postwar coachwork designs at the London Motor Show in 1948. This unique R-Type was built for the American oilman and patron of the arts, Charles B. Wrightsman. After two years, it was sold to John Ballantine of the whiskey family, and three years later its third owner was Frank Lloyd Wright, who used the car while he was in New York completing work on the Guggenheim Museum. The car came to California the year after his death in 1959. Its current owner acquired the car in 1994 in rather sorry condition and a complete restoration was begun. Its post-restoration debut was at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and it has rarely been shown since. In 2021, it returned to the Pebble Beach Concours where it competed in the Postwar Touring class.