1993 Bentley Continental R

Coupe
Chassis number: SCBZB03D4PCX42171

The Bentley name is one of the most famous and revered in the automotive community. It has a long tradition of building quality, elegant, exclusive, and competitive vehicles. But by the close of the 1970s, Bentley accounted for just 3% of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' production. Certainly, they were on the brink of extinction. A campaign was begun to re-establish Bentley's credentials as the purveyor of high-performance luxury cars and to rekindle the memories of the company's glorious past achievements at LeMans. One strategy which would prove very successful was to use the name 'Mulsanne' for the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit's counterpart. It was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March of 1982, and immediately the Mulsanne Turbo received headlines from the motoring press as the return of the 'Blower Bentley.'

At the Geneva Show in 1985, Bentley introduced the 'Project 90', a mocked-up coupe intended to gauge the public response to a high-performance car unique to Bentley. Up to this point, Bentley's resurgence during the 1980s had relied exclusively on models whose basic architecture was shared with other Rolls-Royce products. Six-years later, the Bentley Continental R made its debut. Styling was attributed to the assistance of consultants John Heffernan and Ken Greenley at Worthing-based International Automotive Design. The use of computers and wind tunnel testing had shaped the final product into a sleekly streamlined shape. It was given non-traditional features such as doors recessed into the roof. Inside, the Bentley was given a gearbox. It also came equipped with a four-speed automatic with an 'overdrive' top radio; another new addition to the Bentley. Underneath the bonnet was a turbocharged engine offering 325 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty took less than seven seconds with top speed being achieved around 150 mph.

This example was previously owned by John H. Sweeney, former Executive Director of the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Massachusetts. It was previously titled in Florida, New Mexico and Texas. It was acquired by Sweeney in 2007. Currently, the car has approximately 26,000 miles on the odometer.

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 $35,650 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: SCBZB03D6PCX42561

This Bentley Continental Turbo R is finished in Arctic White and was delivered new on June 22, 1993. The car rides on 17-inch chrome Bentley wheels with power trunk release, an upgraded stereo with speakers, and a tan leather interior. The interior was hand crafted in Crewe, England. They took over four months to build. Power is from a 6.75 liter Turbo V8 and mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. When new, these cars carried an entry price of $268,000.

The 'R' represented 'Roadholding' which set it apart from its predecessor. They inherited the turbocharged engine from the Mulsanne Turbo and were given a re-tuned suspension and wider tires on alloy wheels, a first for a Bentley. Beginning with the 1987 model year, the Turbo R's V8 engine was re-tuned with fuel injection for additional torque. The suspension was reworked, transforming the soft and less than well-controlled ride of the Mulsanne Turbo into a true performance machine.

by Dan Vaughan

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 Dan Vaughan