Bentley Motors made a complete departure from their former policy by announcing in 1946 an entirely new model which was factory built throughout. The Bentley Mk VI fitted with their design of “standard” all steel bodywork was built at Crewe and began life with a 4 ¼ litre engine. It was later up rated to a 4 ½ litre engine and the basic Mk VI shape was adapted slightly in 1952 with the introduction of the Bentley R Type. The new model was almost identical to the Mk VI up to the rear doors however, the boot was enlarged giving greater luggage capacity and arguably a more attractive and balanced overall profile. Approximately 2,000 standard steel R Types were produced between 1952 and 1955 making it a very successful model for Bentley in the immediate post war years.
The decision was taken in 1950 to develop a Bentley motor car capable of producing high maximum speeds ideal for Continental touring on the long straight roads of Europe. Although owned by Rolls Royce, there was a desire by some internal personnel to differentiate the more sporting Bentley brand from the conservative nature of its illustrious owner and to try and appeal to a younger affluent audience overseas who preferred driving their cars rather than sitting in the back. The higher speeds were to be coupled with correspondingly high rates of acceleration and excellent handling. To achieve these lofty ambitions a tremendous amount of research and testing were conducted using quarter scale models in the Hucknall wind tunnel. Extensive testing and alterations allowed Ivan Evernden and John Blatchley of the Motor Car Division to design a body not only of exceptional style, but also of an aerodynamic shape that reduced drag and achieved excellent levels of stability even at speeds of more than 100mph, using the fabled Embiricos Bentley as an inspiration.
By late summer of 1951 the drawings and scale models became reality with the creation of the prototype R Type Continental which in time became known as OLGA. Every weight saving opportunity was taken in the production of OLGA, with most of the car being crafted from lightweight aluminium. This included the body, window frames, bumpers and even the seat frames. In September of 1951 testing began in France under the supervision of Walter Sleator who was the managing director of Garage Franco-Britannique, the Rolls-Royce agent in Paris. Sleator was well qualified for such a task being an ex-racing driver.
The result of this extensive work led to the prototype car meeting its objective of reaching 120mph and being capable of cruising at 100mph with four passengers aboard. It was a happy bonus that the body shape, which was created in pursuit of strong aerodynamic performance, was also widely regarded as one of the most beautiful bodies to be fitted to a motor car as well.
Following extensive testing and refinements production began in early 1952. The R Type Continental was at the time the fastest production four-seater car in the world, capable of speeds of more than 100mph. The Continental chassis shared many similarities with the Mk VI and R Type chassis, sharing suspension, steering and brake components. However, the combination of the fitment of a high ratio back axle, the lightweight construction and the smaller sleeker body style resulted in performance that was far and beyond superior to any car Bentley had previously produced in the post war era.
The chassis were assembled in Crewe with the vast majority of the two hundred and eight chassis built then transported to London by train where they were fitted with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner of Chiswick, with all but fifteen cars fitted with their fastback bodies. The A, B and C series cars were fitted with 4.5 litre engines that displaced 4,566cc and produced 158bhp. In 1954 this was upgraded to 4,887cc when the cylinders were bored out on the D and E series cars. It was also the most expensive car in the world at the time, with domestic cars weighing in at just over £7,000. This iconic car attracted a selection of high profile and very wealthy buyers, from Shahs, to celebrities, to captains of business and industry, it was a rousing success.
Thoughts from Frank Dale
We have been fortunate to have dealt with a significant proportion of the R Type Continental production. Of the two hundred and eight cars built, we have probably sold or worked on comfortably more than half of the cars produced. All examples today are rightly coveted, and we have bought and sold examples from some of the most prestigious collections and museums in the world.
We have also been incredibly fortunate to have owned a D Series car within the company for over fifty years, so to say that we are a big fan of this legendary motor car would be an understatement. We must have driven hundreds of thousands of miles in R Type Continentals over the years, making it a car we are intimately familiar with.
They are simply amazing motor cars to drive, especially ones with the preferred combination of manual transmission and bucket seats. They are fast, smooth, superb driving cars, and when you combine this with their incredible appearance, you have a car that truly deserves the term “iconic.” They are all of this and so much more.
This model of Bentley is one of the world's great cars which attracts interest outside the pure domain of Bentley collectors and as such, are often featured in multi-marque collections as a reference example of exquisite coachbuilding.
We often have one for sale publicly and sometimes privately too. If you would like help in the acquisition, restoration, or routine maintenance of an R Type Continental, with the benefit of our unrivalled experience of this model, please get in touch. They are rightly revered as one of, if not the most desirable Post-War Bentley produced and we cannot say enough good things about them, they are simply superb.