Bentley is commemorating the 70th anniversary of the R-Type Continental Grand Tourer, one of the most celebrated cars in the company’s 103-year history and the first Bentley to bear the Continental name. Bentley is one of only a few luxury car companies in the world that combines excellent workmanship with engineering knowledge and cutting-edge technology. It’s also an excellent example of high-quality British craftsmanship. Limited Production Then and Now The R-Type Continental was as rare in the 1950s as it is today, with only 208 examples produced – but it went down in history as a benchmark Bentley and the embodiment of the brand’s grand touring DNA. Its ethos and exterior design inspired the first Continental GT in 2003, and it has continued to inspire Bentley Design teams ever since. The First R-Type Continental Prototype 1952 While the first prototype R-Type Continental (dubbed ‘Olga’ because to its OLG490 registration) hit the road in August 1951, the car didn’t go into production until May 1952, with customer deliveries beginning in June. It was the world’s quickest four-seat car at the time, a title it would later relinquish to the modern-day Continental GT in 2003. It was also the most costly, costing £6,928 – nearly four times the average dwelling price in the United Kingdom in 1952. The R-Type Continental, designed by Chief Projects Engineer Ivan Evernden and Chief Stylist John Blatchley, was dubbed “a modern magic carpet that annihilates huge distances” by Autocar magazine at the time. Improvements to Performance Coachbuilders HJ Mulliner used aluminium for the bodywork, window frames, windscreen surround, backlight, seat frames, and bumpers to keep the weight down to the target. Even with a reduced weight, tyre selection was crucial; there was no conventional road tyre capable of carrying a two-ton car at speeds above 115 mph, thus Dunlop Medium Distance Track tyres were required. The first production model was delivered to its owner in June 1952, and 208 R-Type Continentals were produced by the time production stopped in 1955. HJ Mulliner was in charge of 193 of them. Park Ward (four dropheads and two coupés), Franay (five), Graber (three), and Farina were among the others (one). R-Type Registration JAS 949 R-Type Continental chassis BC16C, registration JAS 949, is owned by the Bentley Heritage Collection. ‘JAS’ was built in 1953 and handed to its first owner, Swiss doctor Rowland Guenin, in December of that year. It came in Ivory with a Red interior and a manual transmission, which it still has today, along with the original 4.6-litre engine. JAS 949 was purchased by Bentley Motors in 2001 and has been kept in outstanding mechanical condition while lovingly keeping its patina. The car is regularly driven and displayed on the Bentley campus as well as at events across the world. The Modern R-Type The exterior design of all three recent iterations of the Continental GT is inspired by the R-Type Continental. The elegant ‘power line’ that stretches backwards from the front wheel arch, the muscular and defined rear haunch, and the gracefully sloping roofline are all modern interpretations of the R-Type Continental’s features, giving the modern Continental GT the same balance of grace, beauty, and power as its forefather. Similarly, the modern Bentley’s capacity to transport four persons and their luggage at fast speeds over long distances in superb luxury can be traced back to this now 70-year-old masterpiece. The Continental GT Speed, the most recent model, adds even more dynamic performance to the extensive and unrivalled Continental mix of talents.   For more information visit https://www.bentleymotors.com/

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