1952 Bentley R-Type

Bentley's use of the word Continental dates back to the 1930s. Prior to the war, Bentley's parent company, Rolls-Royce, had experimented with aerodynamic designs, and the first Continental prototype was known as the 'Corniche.' This was followed by a two-door, four-seater example wearing a French Paulin-designed body and built atop a 4.25-liter chassis. It later received the nickname 'Embiricos', after the buyer who commissioned it. The Bentley Embiricos survived the war but the Corniche did not.

During the War, the company built Merlin aircraft engines; when peacetime resumed, they returned to building fine motor cars. The designer was J.P. Blatchley and the Chief Project Engineer was H.I.F. Evernden. They were tasked with building an aerodynamic and lightweight vehicle that could carry four adults in elegance and comfort. The R-Type Continental prototype that followed was clothed with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner. The front bucket and rear bench seat frames, body, and window frames were formed from light alloy. The four-place body weighed just 750 pounds and the complete car was less than 4,000 pounds. During testing, it was revealed that the overdrive top gear was unsuitable for the engine, so it was replaced by a direct-ratio top gear and a lower axle ratio.

The Mark VI Bentley was produced alongside its fraternal twin, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn. The Mark VI had the Bentley radiator shell and badges. Blatchley and Evernden designed the car and it was built by H.J. Mulliner. Quarter-scale models of the new fastback Continental were tested in the company's wind tunnel, calculating a possible top speed of about 120 mph.

Production of the R-Type Continental began in February of 1952, but the prototype had been built in 1951. Its intended name was initially called the 'Corniche II,' but that was dropped and renamed the 'Continental.' The chassis were assembled at the Rolls-Royce works in Crew, and then sent to the Lillie Hall Depot in Earls Court in London and delivered to their designated coachbuilders. Before the cars were delivered, they were inspected and tested by Bentley representatives.

Initially, H.J. Mulliner built the aluminum shell for the Continental. In the spring of 1954, R-types were fitted with bodies from other coachbuilders, namely Franay, Graber, Farina, and Park Ward.

The build time of the R-Type Continental was around six months to fulfill. The first 30 examples were sent to three overseas Bentley agencies, including J.W. Inskip in Manhattan, Franco-Britannic in Paris, and Garage de l'Athenee in Geneva.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019