1955 Bentley R-Type

The Bentley R-Type replaced the Mark VI in 1952 and remained in production until 1955 with 2,323 examples built. They were similar to the sister car, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, differentiated by the radiator grille and carburetion. Sales of the Bentley were much strong compared to the Silver Dawn's 760 sales.

During development, they were referred to as the Bentley Mark VII and re-designated R-Type in 1952. They used the Mark VI chassis and exterior designs, with the front of the saloon models identical to the Mark VI. The trunk, however, was nearly doubled in size. Both standard and coachbuilt bodies were available. Powered was from a 4.5-liter inline six-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive. The suspension was independent at the front with semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The drum brakes were hydraulically operated at the front and mechanically at the rear via a gearbox-driven servo.

The Continental versions evolved from the standard R-Type and were given modified carburetion and manifolding for more power, tall gearing and close gearbox ratios, and lightened bodywork, removing more than 225 kilograms from a standard Bentley. The window, body, and seat frames were built of light alloy. The Continental models had a numerically low 3.077:1 final-drive ratio selected for high-speed cruising at low engine revolutions.

The R-Type Continental underwent testing at the Montlhéry circuit in Paris during September 1951, where the prototype example with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner achieved a five-lap average speed of 118.75 mph. During testing in France, the prototype's overdriven top-gear was found to be unsuitable for the engine's RPMs, so it was replaced by a direct-ratio top gear and lower axle ratio, a setup that proved best for both high-speed touring and well-spaced gear changes for the city driving.

Keeping true to its 'Continental' name, they were capable of cruising at 90 mph for extended periods in comfort and silence. The R-Type Continental would be continually developed during its lifespan, which lasted from 1952 to 1955. Among the updates, the later 'D' and 'E' series cars received a larger 4.9 liters engine with additional horsepower, and the General Motors Hydra-Matic automatic gearbox was made available. Other modifications included a lowered roofline, a one-piece windscreen, and revised fender lines.

A total of 208 R-Type Continentals were built, including the prototype. All but 15 received alloy fastback coachwork of H.J. Mulliner. These built-to-order vehicles were exclusive, as dictated by the $18,000 price tag.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe by Mulliner

The R-Type was an improvement on Bentley's popular MK VI standard saloon, and was produced from 1952 until 1955. It has an elongated trunk which allowed for more sweeping lines. This car was originally supplied to the 14th Duke of Hamilton and remained in his possession until 1973.

This vehicle is 1 of 73 'D' Series R-Type Continentals built. It was delivered new in May 1955 to T.W. Dupree of Cypress via Franco Brittanic Automobiles.

by Blackhawk Collection

Continental Fastback by Mulliner

1955 was the last year of the R-Type Continental Fastback, arguably Bentley's most exciting car of the immediate post-World War II period in spite of its overall size and weight. The teardrop styling of this aluminum-bodied 2-door, 4-seat coupe is masterful and evocative of prewar European coachwork.

The series was begun in 1952 with most of the cars being built by H.J. Mulliner, then powered by Bentley's 4.5-liter, 130 horsepower six used in the Mark VI series, enlarged in 1954 to 4887cc.

Continental Fastback by Mulliner
Chassis number: BC16LD

The Bentley R-Type Continental is the epitome of 1950s luxury grand touring cars. When introduced the Continental was the world's fastest four-seater as well as the world's most expensive production car. With silent, swift acceleration and with a top speed approaching 120 mph, performance, build quality, and luxury was unsurpassed for the time. In total, 207 R-Type Continentals were constructed.

This car was completed on July 3, 1954, and is one of 11 Continentals with left-hand drive, lightweight seats, and a center-mounted manual gear change. The car spent almost all of its life in single ownership from 1966 to 2011 and has since continued to be driven enthusiastically on the road.

Continental Fastback by Mulliner

The R-Type Continental was the fastest production four-passenger car in the world, capable of approaching 115 mph in total comfort. Its wonderfully streamlined coachwork was the result of collaboration between H.J. Mulliner and Bentley's own staff at Crewe. Extensive testing and alterations helped to create the aerodynamic shape and by the late summer of 1951, the drawings and scale models became reality with the creation of the prototype.

Every weight-saving technique, including heavy use of aluminum in body, bumpers, seat, and window frames, was used at the time to enhance performance. Power was supplied by a 4.5-liter OHV inline six-cylinder engine. Production began in early 1952 with just 208 produced.

The first owner of this R Type Continental was R. Montague Burton who had established a successful chain of clothing stores throughout the U.K. and supplied 25% of the uniforms for the English military during WWII. His stores claimed to offer a 5 Guinea gentleman's suit for 5 Shillings and if you got a complete outfit, you would have gotten 'the full Monty', thus the derivation of the famous phrase.

The R-Type Continental was powered by a 4.9-liter six-cylinder engine, producing 202 horsepower, and was capable of speeds up to 120 miles per hour.

This car was ordered with several features including bespoke luggage, a special speedometer, a recess in the left-hand door providing space for picnic equipment, and two standard and two high-frequency horns.

Continental Fastback by Mulliner
Chassis number: BC22LD
Engine number: BCD21

This 1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback is finished in Maroon with Putty hides and optioned with a chromed side-spear molding, twin driving lights, and whitewall tires. The 4,887cc overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine has twin SU H6 carburetors and delivers 172 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel servo-assisted drum brakes.

This Bentley was delivered in January of 1955 via New York's J.S. Inskip to 21-year-old Peter van Gerbig at his 5th Avenue apartment in Lenox Hill. After six years of ownership, the car was sold to Stephen Wheelock, who drove the car in New York before shipping it home to his native Scotland. When Mr. Wheelock passed away in 1976, the car was inherited by his brother, Thomas, who sold it in 1981 to William de Segundo, of Surrey, UK. The Bentley remained with Mr. de Segundo for twenty-one years and during that time an additional 8,000 miles were added to the odometer. Mr. de Segundo loaned the fastback to the Motor Museum of Bentley in Bath, UK, for a term, and participated in the 50th-anniversary celebration of the R-Type at Silverstone in 2003.

The current caretaker acquired the R-Type in early 2011. Currently, the car has just over 50,000 total miles on its odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1931 Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley. From that point, the two marques began to show similarities, such as design and mechanics. By the mid 1950's, the marques were mostly the same except for badging and engine. The R-Type's are memorable because they were still their own distinct model.

In 1952 at the Earls Court Motor Show, Bentley displayed their R-Type model. Bodywork was mostly handled by H.J. Mulliner and was available as a two-door Continental or Saloon. The Continental's featured a 4566 cc engine which was later increased to 4887 cc. The inline-six cylinder engine had dual SU carburetors, cast-iron cylinder blocks and aluminum alloy cylinder heads. A four-speed manual gearbox was standard with a 4-speed automatic being offered as optional equipment. Servo-assisted drum brakes provided the stopping power.

The predecessor the R-Type was the Mark VI which had been produced from 1946 through 1952. The customers of the Mark VI complained that there was insufficient luggage space. In 1952, this issue was addressed and the cargo space was increased. Originally, the Mark VII name was to be used but Jaguar had already secured rights to the name. They were marketed as Bentley Sports Saloons and later were given the designation R-Type. This was because the vehicle that replaced this series was the S-Type, the next in the succession.

The Continental bodies were mostly two-doors, light aluminum alloy, and aerodynamic. A few of the R-Type Continentals received coachwork courtesy of Graber or Franay. Only one Continental was bodied by the famous Pininfarina. The body designs were tested in the Rolls-Royce aircraft engine wind tunnels to determine maximum aerodynamics. The gearbox was a close-ratio unit matted to a highly tuned engine. In 1955 the production of the R-Type ceased and was replaced by the S-Series.

The R-Type Continentals were sports sedans that were excellent for touring. Their aerodynamic and stylish bodies, coupled to a potent drive-train, and luxurious interior was the complete package. In modern times, these are highly sought after.

by Dan Vaughan

Following WWII, the British faced a sobering time during the early 1950s. Commodities and luxuries that were once commonplace, were still subject to rationing. Taxes continued to be piled on the British people, and frozen wages kept inflation in a constant battle.

Following a decade of prolonged asceticism, the petrol rationing was finally lifted on May 26th 1950. The British motorist was once again given the option to drive his or her car as frequently as they liked. An all-time record, as described by the AA, the traffic packed a solid ten miles out of London following the lift of the rationing.

The director of Bentley's Experimental Department, Chief Project Engineer Ivan Everden began working on a top-secret project in 1950 known as Corniche II. His goal was to create a two door, four-seater grand touring vehicle that was speed-driven, yet refined. This vehicle would eventually become the famous R-Type Continental.

One of the most beautiful vehicles in British automobile history, the Bentley Continental R is considered to be the ultimate in post-war Bentleys. In 1939, a year before the WWII, a Parisian, Andre Embiricos, was interested in a special Bentley. Built by boutique French coachbuilder Pourtout and styled by Frenchman Georges Paulin, who was responsible for designing the streamlined bodywork with the extensive wind-tunnel testing, the Bentley and Rolls Royce engineers developed the experimental 'Continental'.

A phenomenally advanced vehicle, this was a revolutionary looking 4-liter Bentley, called the ‘Embiricos Bentley'. With it's mechanical advancements, stream0lined design and lightweight coachwork, it was considered to be a true ‘super-car' forty years before the term was even coined.

It wasn't until years later in 1951, when the actual production model of the Bentley Continental began development in cooperation with Mulliner coachbuilders. Considered to be worth the wait, it was more than 20 years after Rolls-Royce took over Bentley in 1931 before a new sporty model was introduced by the new owners. The R-type Bentley Continental was produced from 1952 until 1955 with only a total of 208 units ever being produced.

Establishing the pattern for which to build upon, Ivan Rvernden would use the earlier vehicle as a model when given the go-ahead to develop the R-Type Continental. At the time, the management was divided in the opinion of whether the market was ready for such an expensive and high-powered vehicle. The debut of the R-type was made in 1952, and the world experienced Bentley amazing achievement, a luxurious vehicle that would surpass the performance of many sports cars.

The look of the R-Type Continental was one of the most striking things about it. With raised front wings that swept across the doors, before tucking into the rear of the vehicle, curved windscreen, smooth fastback, and fin-like rear wings all-together made a breathtaking car.

Designed by coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner, who used only slightly modified versions of the existing Bentley Mk VI saloon car's chassis, the result was the extremely fast, expensive, and exclusive Continental R. 193 models were bodied by HJ Mulliner. Similar to all the best 1930's Bentleys, the Continental R came with two passenger doors and a full four-seater package that was superbly detailed. The bulky, yet sleek shell of the R-type contained the combination of high horsepower and remarkable aerodynamic performance.

With a weight of only 340 kilograms, the streamlined bodywork was composed fully of aluminum alloy. The Continental R had a very impressive stopping-power and was equipped with servo-assisted drum-brakes. With a capacity of 150 bhp, the first production series of the R-type was equipped with a 4566 cc. cast-iron six-cylinder engine, while the last series had an approximate 175 bhp as the engine was bored up to 4887 cc engine.

Everything was done to lessen the weight of the four-seater luxury car. By replacing the non-standard tires and bodywork with aluminum body panels transformed it to a revolutionary light alloy frame. Also, bucket seats now replaced the bulky armchairs of before. A radio was fitted only at the customer's request, as every ounce mattered on this vehicle. Performance modifications to the R-type included a specially modified exhaust, raised compression ratio and performance to an impressing high. Able to reach a quarter of a mile in 19.5 seconds was an amazing achievement in the fifties.

With a sharp tapering tail, the Continental R still carried the prestigious Bentley radiator grille and was considered to be a vehicle for the ‘sportsman' who enjoyed driving far and fast. The vehicle had a top speed between 115 and 118 mph, and was a front engine, rear-drive with a separate chassis. The engine was low-revving, the controls and steering was heavy, and the fuel consumption was fierce. Nothing was held back on this car, the interior was filled with leather, carpet and wood, and high performance was the most important factor. Every component of the Bentley Continental R, especially the interior trim, was of the finest quality.

In 1952 the Continental R was sold for £7,608 and all of the Bentley Continental R's were built for export. The price was part of the appeal, it was considered to be quite the rage to own, the ultimate automotive status symbol. The R-type Continental was a marvelous car by any standards, and not only looked good, but was also extremely fast.

These cars have long outlived their first owners, and the majority of them are raced highly competitively today in rallies. Remaining an automotive icon half a century later, the Bentley Continental R is considered to be on of few vehicles that can by truly called a design classic.

by Jessican Donaldson