Bentley R-Type Continental

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Bentley
Bentley R-Type Continental Mulliner Sports Saloon
Bentley R-Type Continental
Mulliner Sports Saloon
R-Type Continental
Production period: 1952-1955
Class : Upper class
Body versions : Coupé , convertible
Engines:
Petrol engines : 4.5-4.8 liters
150 hp
Length: 5250 mm
Width: 1810 mm
Height: 1560 mm
Wheelbase : 3048 mm
Empty weight : 1650-1738 kg
Previous model Bentley Mark VI
successor Bentley S1 Continental

The Bentley R-Type Continental is a two-door, four-seater luxury vehicle, which Bentley produced in 207 copies from 1952 to 1955 . It was a special model of the Bentley R-Type , which was considered the fastest four-seater of its time and was often referred to as the “flying carpet”. The most common version is a two-door hatchback coupe with a pontoon body manufactured by HJ Mulliner . Today it is one of the most sought-after British classic cars and has reached high six-figure prices on the classic car market. Some chassis were manufactured with different superstructures from other bodyworks .

background

The first Continental: the Embiricos Bentley from 1938

The Bentley R-Type was the last Bentley model that differed in technical and stylistic areas from the vehicles of the parent company Rolls-Royce . With the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S1 introduced in 1955 , the independence of both brands was abolished. One of the special features of the Bentley brand was the development of sporty special models that were derived from the respective volume models.

An example of this is the so-called Embiricos Bentley from 1938, a light sports car on the chassis of a 4 ¼ liter , which was equipped with a hatchback body designed by Georges Paulin and manufactured by Pourtout . The Embiricos Bentley was used on several high-speed journeys in both Great Britain and continental Europe in 1938; here he broke some speed records. This car received a lot of attention in press reports; Because of its operations on the European continent, it was referred to for the first time - although still unofficially - as Bentley Continental.

Bentley continued this tradition with the R-Type Continental, the development of which began in 1950. According to the developers' ideas, the vehicle should be significantly faster than the conventional R-Type models. Therefore, they attached great importance to an aerodynamically favorable body and weight reduction. The R-Type Continental became a commercial success. From 1956 onwards, the work started producing further series based on the technology of its successor (S series), but stylistically based on the R-Type Coupé.

technology

The Continental shared the essential technical components with the standard R-Type. The vehicle was based on a ladder frame . Here as there, the suspension consisted of double wishbones with coil springs at the front, a rigid axle on semi-elliptical leaf springs was installed at the rear . The deceleration took place via four drum brakes . A power steering was not available.

In the first few years, the in-line six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 4.5 liters (92 mm bore and 114.3 mm stroke) and two equal-pressure carburetors (SU type H6) served as the drive. Compared to the standard saloon, the compression was slightly increased, at the same time the rear axle ratio was changed with a view to a higher top speed. The manual transmission had four gears. The top speed was approx. 190 km / h, the acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h approx. 13.5 seconds. The sales price in the USA was 17,330 dollars, which is almost four times that of the most expensive Cadillac coupe. In July 1954, the Continental received an engine enlarged to 4.9 liters, the output of which is estimated at around 170 hp. This was reserved for the Continental; it was not available in the standard models. With the larger engine, an automatic transmission also became available as an option.

Prototype: "Olga"

Seven months after the decision to develop the car was made, the first prototype was ready to drive. It was built on chassis no. BC26A and had a body that corresponded to that of the later Mulliner Sports Saloon. The vehicle was given the in-house designation "Olga" or "OLGA" (after the approval number OLG490).

Olga was tested in September 1951. On the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in Île-de-France , the test drivers achieved a top speed of just under 119.75  mph (= 192 km / h), which was subsequently communicated in the press in an effective way. During these trips, however, the car was equipped with Dunlop racing tires , which showed increased grip. With series tires and any extra equipment installed at the customer's request, series vehicles later reached a top speed of 115 miles per hour.

Series models

The Mulliner Sports Saloon

The roof line of the Sports Saloon extends down to the rear bumper.
Interior of the Mulliner Coupé

The most widespread version of the R-Type Continental is a two-door hatchback coupé with a pontoon body known as a Sports Saloon and built by HJ Mulliner . Due to the pontoon structure, the vehicle stood out from the basic R-Type model, which was usually still fitted with free-standing fenders. The design of the body was the result of a collaboration between Stanley Watts, the chief stylist of the then independent body manufacturer HJ Mulliner, and John Blatchley, the chief designer of Rolls-Royce.

The structure was based on the one hand on the hatchback coupés from General Motors such as the Cadillac 62 Coupé , which was launched in 1948, and on the other hand on the Bentley Cresta Mark VI, a special version of the Bentley Mark VI . The Cresta was designed by Pininfarina in 1947 . The French body manufacturer Facel had produced around 17 copies of it in the following two years. The roof structure of the Continental was based on Pininfarina's Cresta and ran in a "uniform, breathtakingly curved line" from the windshield to the rear bumper. The shape of the stern was optimized with wind tunnel tests. The front section, which had two round headlights embedded in the front panel, also cited Pininfarina's design. The rear fenders were designed to be particularly rounded. The wheel cutouts were free in the production version; At the customer's request, however, a cover could be installed with the purpose of further improving the aerodynamics of the body.

With a view to the desired weight reduction, the body was made entirely of aluminum; the frame supporting the body was not made of wood, as is the case with the standard sedan, but of steel.

HJ Mulliner's Continental version was made in 190 copies, with four series (A, B, C and D series) differentiating from each other in some details. Rolls-Royce produced the ready-to-drive chassis in Crewe, which was transported by truck to Mulliners and fitted with the aluminum superstructure there. Mulliner's Fastback Coupe cost £ 7,600 to launch, £ 2,800 more than the standard-bodied R-Type Saloon.

Further structures

R-Type Continental with Franay body

From 1952 to 1953 Bentley supplied the Continental chassis exclusively to HJ Mulliners. From 1954, the ready-to-drive chassis were also freely available so that other body construction companies could manufacture their own bodies at the customer's request:

  • At Park Ward , a company belonging to Rolls-Royce, six bodies were built in two years, including a convertible.
  • The Parisian coachman Franay clad five chassis; the superstructures were very similar to the HJMulliner designs.
  • The Swiss company Graber bodyworked three chassis.
  • Pininfarina bodyworked the Continental as a two-seater coupé with a notchback and a narrow roof structure. The curved B-pillar followed the line of the windshield. The car had a rear panoramic window made up of three individual parts . The car built on chassis no. BC49C was a one-off. It still exists.
  • James Young made another one of a kind.

successor

After the R-Type Continental had proven successful, Bentley continued the concept with the S-series introduced in 1955. From 1955 to 1959 the Bentley S1 Continental was built , the fastback body of which corresponded to that of the R-Type, but which was also available with a four-door Mulliner body. From 1959 to 1962, a second series called the Bentley S2 Continental was launched, which was now equipped with an eight-cylinder engine. From 1963 to 1966, the Bentley S3 Continental was finally created , the bodies of which follow a completely different line. At the front, the models, which were dressed by Mulliner Park Ward , wore diagonally arranged double headlights, which are usually referred to in the specialist literature as "Chinese Eyes".

Market situation today

Most of the 207 R-Type Continentals still exist. Most of its history is known; many owners are members of one of the brand clubs. The R-Type Continentals are coveted classics, with the Fastback models from HJ Mulliner being the most sought-after. More than the later, often comparable versions of the S series, they are sought after by enthusiasts because “as the first products they best embody the original idea of ​​the concept”. A London dealer described the situation with the words: "Everyone and their brother want an R-Type". The dealers are now struggling to meet demand. This led to a rapid rise in prices. From 2005 to 2010 the price of an R-Type Continental in good condition rose from £ 125,000 to over £ 400,000.

literature

  • Mike Goodbun, Mark Fagelson: Choice of the Connoisseurs . Model history of the R-Type and S-Type Continentals. In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.
  • Graham Robson: Bentley. The legend reborn . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-600-4
  • Stanley Sedgwick: Bentley "R" Type Continental. Publication of the Bentley Owners Club 1978.
  • Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 .

Web links

Commons : Bentley R-Type Continental  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 45 ff.
  2. ^ Stanley Sedgwick: Bentley "R" Type Continental. Publication of the Bentley Owners Club 1978, p. 10.
  3. ↑ Description of the Bentley Cresta on the website www.coachbuild.com (accessed on February 16, 2013).
  4. ↑ Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.
  5. ↑ Images of the Franay-Bentley on the website www.coachbuild.com (accessed on February 17, 2013).
  6. ↑ Image of a Graber Bentley on the website www.autopaedia.com ( Memento of the original from December 28, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed February 17, 2013). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.autopaedia.com
  7. ^ Robson: Bentley. P. 71 ff.
  8. ↑ Illustration of the R-Type Continental Pininfarina on the website www.coachbuild.com (accessed on February 27, 2013).
  9. ↑ All information and quotations from: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, Issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.