Estimate: £30,000 - £40,000
Book an
Inspection Slot
Commission a
Condition Report (up to 10 working days before the sale)
“The Bentley Continental R makes no apologies – it’s not a stuffy old, ponderous barge. It has the dynamics to go with the luxury.” Autocar
Since the roaring ‘20’s, the Bentley name has been synonymous with glamour, power, prestige and luxury. After an extended period in the doldrums the revival of this hallowed marque was triggered by the introduction of the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo, followed by the Continental R, these two models being widely acknowledged to have saved Rolls Royce Motor Cars and formed the groundwork which led to the buyout and parting of the Rolls Royce and Bentley brands in 1998 - as Bentley was now considered to be once again capable of standing alone as a marque in its own right. The Continental R is therefore a significant model in this illustrious marque’s history – it was also of course the last sports coupe designed and built by Bentley while still under British ownership and is therefore regarded by many as the last ‘real’ Bentley ever made.
Classic Motoring offer the following assessment:
‘Conti’s have a fantastically broad appeal, which ranges from the most dyed-in-the-wool of enthusiasts to those just after an old motor with some pedigree. Owning one will always be a pipe dream for many, but for the privileged few, the Continental makes a viable, fun and individual alternative to an Aston Martin or Ferrari.’
The 6.75 L Garrett-turbocharged engine from the Bentley Turbo R was chosen for use in the Continental R and in early cars (1991 - 1993) power output of 325 bhp at 4000rpm and peak torque of 450 lb/ft at 2000rpm was available - although this was always estimated as at that time Rolls-Royce still had a policy of not supplying official figures, preferring to describe output as simply ‘adequate’ or ‘sufficient’. Classy.
The 1996 model year (chassis numbers between 53001 and 53514) was priced at £187,354 in the UK and saw some of the most significant changes since the launch of the car, notably the inclusion of the liquid cooled chargecooler as standard, along with desirable Zytek engine management which resulted in improved throttle response and fuel efficiency, and digitally controlled turbo over-boost.
All this added up to an increase in power output to 385 bhp at 4000rpm and torque of a frankly whopping 550lb/ft, peaking at only 2000rpm, and available up to 4000rpm. No other production car in the world at the time delivered such levels of torque, leading Autocar to suggest at the time that Bentley might as well have forgotten about the gearbox altogether, such were the enormous levels of low down pull. 0-60 mph was now officially quoted by Rolls Royce as "sub 6 seconds" (still wonderfully vague!) and a top speed ‘in excess of 150 mph’ was available (actually 155mph), presumably for those rushing to meet the tide for the sailing of their personal yacht. Or cruise liner.
Registration Number - Current plate to be held on retention
Chassis Number - SCBZB15CXTCH53036
Engine Number - 85202L410M/T1T
This cherished Bentley has been with its current owner for six years, having previously resided with a Dr Entwistle, who bought the car from a Mr Holt in 1999. Mr Holt would have paid the not insignificant sum of £187,354 for the car when new, so let's hope he's not reading this as the current prices for these magnificent machines offer a new benchmark for our understanding of the term 'depreciation'. In short, in terms of pure bang for your buck you'll arguably struggle to find anything for sale today that comes close to this car.
The three custodians of this Bentley have clearly looked after it carefully over the last 20 years, and it presents today very smartly in its desirable colour combination of Wildberry paint over a sandstone leather interior. The exterior of the car is completely straight and devoid of any dings and scratches, with all shut panels being perfectly aligned - as you would expect from a vehicle from this end of the market. A number of small stone chips (easily rectified) can be found scattered across the car's prow, but other than that there are no blemishes to be reported in this area. All glasswear is free of scratches, chips or cracks - including the light lenses - and the chromework on the car is just as it should be - faultless.
The Bentley's alloy wheels are in very good overall condition and are fitted with virtually new Avon Turbospeed tyres all round.
Inside you are confronted with what looks like a small herd's worth of gorgeous unmarked leather, the only slight areas of wear being (inevitably) to the stitching on the right hand bolster to the driver's seat and the right hand edge of the central armrest, as evidenced in our photos. The passenger seat and rear seats look as new, as does the passenger door card and all carpeting. The driver's door card is unmarked but would benefit from a clean to bring it up to the standard of the rest of the car. Inside the boot, all trim is again in immaculate condition and the car retains both of its original tool kits.
All instruments and controls work as they should do and mechanically, the car pulls like a (blue) train and is completely free of the rattles and squeaks that might blight lesser means of transport after 20 years on the road. The gearbox operates smoothly and without hesitation and the brakes do their job of hauling the best part of two and half tons of machinery to a standstill with all the confidence you'd expect.
The car comes with a folder of meticulously filed paperwork which substantiates the mileage at 75,000 and confirms the full Bentley service history as well as offering sometimes eye-watering evidence of the numerous jobs carried out over the years to keep this car in tip-top condition.
Whilst in the current owner's care, the Bentley has been fitted with a new intercooler and A head (at Sussex Bentley specialists Harwoods in 2012), whilst all brake pipes have been upgraded to copper. In addition to this a new ride height unit has been fitted, the rear cups have been replaced on the rear springs, and the aforementioned new tyres have been complemented by new brake shoes. The car will be treated to a full service just prior to the sale.
The bills that accompany the car total £15,000, and having brought it up to scratch the current owner is only selling as he has a number of other projects on the go (4 when we last visited!), and the Bentley just isn't currently seeing enough use. He'd therefore rather see it go to a good home than languish on his drive, and this highly desirable Continental R is clearly priced to give him a very good chance of achieving that aim.
