1997 Bentley Turbo R

Sold for $21,850 at 2013 Bonhams - The Scottsdale Auction.
The Bentley Turbo R was introduced at Geneva in 1985 and continued the modern 'Blower Bentley' theme. It came with additional refinement to the vehicle's suspension making it more suitable to the vehicle's increased performance. This vehicle was instrumental in the resurgence of the legendary Bentley name. It was hard to imagine that during the close of the 1970s, the Bentley name was on the verge of extinction, as it accounted for just 3% of Rolls-Royce Motor Car's production. However, this tragedy was avoided by re-establishing the company's credentials as the purveyor of high-performance luxury cars. Part of the company's strategy was to evoke memories of their glorious past achievements at Le Mans. When Rolls-Royce introduced their Silver Spirit, the Bentley counterpart was named 'Mulsanne' in honor of its accomplishments at LeMans. It was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1982 and was immediately successful. It was hailed by the motoring press as the return of the 'Blower Bentley.'

On the exterior, the Turbo R differed from the preceding Mulsanne Turbo by virtue of its cast-alloy wheels and low-profile Pirelli tires. Inside, there was a revised fascia with rev-counter included amongst the comprehensive instrumentation. The engine offered an impressive 320 bhp and 475 lb./ft. of torque.

This Bentley Turbo R is finished in Rosewood with maroon-piped Soft Tan leather interior. It is a long-wheelbase Turbo R that dates from the final year of production. It was given all the many chassis improvements and styling/equipment upgrades. These final generation Turbo Rs were newly introduced for the 1996 model year and came equipped with a Cosworth-developed Zytec engine management system which helped boost power to 385BHP.

In 2013, the car was offered for sale at Bonhams Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $21,850 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013

The Bentley Turbo R was introduced at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show and produced from 1985 through 1997 with 7,230 examples produced. Shortly after the Turbo R was introduced, production of the Mulsanne Turbo ceased. The Turbo R was available in either short- or long-wheelbase form. It was a sporty vehicle, with its sport-tuned suspension, wide tires, alloy wheels, and turbo-charged engine that offered plenty of performance. After a short time of production, the engine was revised with a new Bosch MK-Motronic fuel-injection system with added additional torque. This brought horsepower and torque to around 300 hp and nearly 500 foot-pounds, unofficially.

The cost to own a Turbo R was $145,000 and eventually became one of Rolls-Royce's (the company that owned Bentley) best-selling model ever.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008