In Bentley’s more than 100-year history, several models have left their mark. Among the most significant there is also the Continental R-Type which this year reaches a historic milestone, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the start of production. Only 208 examples of this car were made, which was already rare in the 1950s. A car that best embodies the DNA and interpretation of the British brand’s Gran Turismo. From here the development work of the Modern Continental GTcontinuing to be a source of inspiration for the Crewe carmaker’s design team.
The Continental R-Type went into production in 1952 but had already started the year before the tests of “Olga”, the first prototype named in this way due to the registration with the code OLG490. At the time, it was the fastest four-seater in the world, a first that was picked up by the modern Continental GT in 2003. It was also the most expensive, priced at £ 6,928, nearly four times the average price of a car. home in the UK in 1952. The Bentley Continental R-Type was born out of joint work chief engineer Ivan Evernden and chief designer John Blatchley, exploiting the experience gained before the Second World War with the Bentley “Embiricos” and the Corniche Mk V, two cars that had brought to the attention of the British manufacturer the importance and advantages of the aerodynamic study. In the early 1950s, Ivan Evernden drew inspiration from these unique creations to create an elegant coupe based on the Bentley R-Type sedan. The power of the 4,566cc straight-six engine was increased from 140 to 153 hp and the transmission offered a higher final gear ratio. The prototype achieved an average speed of 118.75 mph over five laps (with the best lap just under 120 miles per hour) on the Montlhèry circuit, near Paris.
To comply with the expected weight, the coachbuilders HJ Mulliner they made the aluminum bodywork, such as the window frames, the windshield, the rear lights, the seat frames and the bumpers. Even with a low weight, tire choice was critical: there were no standard road tires capable of carrying a two-ton car at speeds in excess of 115mph, and Dunlop Medium Distance Track tires were chosen. The first production model was delivered to the owner in June 1952 and by the end of production in 1955, 208 Continental R-Types had been produced. Of these, 193 were bodied by HJ Mulliner. Other famous coachbuilders like they tried their hand at exclusive creations: Park Ward (four drophead and two coupé), Franay (five cars), Graber (three cars) and Farina (one).
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