1954 Bentley R Type Drophead Coupé
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Highlights
- Beautifully sculpted exterior
- Lots of work recently carried out
- Over £45,000 spent by the current owner
- Amazing interior condition
- Bespoke build
- Unlikely to ever find another example
The Appeal
The R Type, what a beautifully sculpted example of 1950s opulence and excess. Only the second series of post-war Bentley would only be produced for a short 3 years with just over 2,000 being built. However, this R Type has an amazing and unique history.
It went from a four-door saloon to a two-door coupe, and finally to this beautiful two-door convertible. More recently it has had a total overhaul of both the interior and exterior which included a full respray to this rather fetching light green.
The History and Paperwork
- As with all historic Bentley, this car starts its life being hand built in the Crewe factory
- It is then delivered to W. Turner, a partner in a metal firm
- Interestingly one of their clients included the coach builders Park Ward and Co.
- This car then found its way into Little Venice, London in the 1970s where it would stay for some time
- During this time, it remained in the original four-door saloon set-up
- It was not until the 1980’s that the first bespoke work is carried out
- The car is taken to Mackenzie Coachworks where it is transformed into a two-door coupe
- This was only the third special bodied car that they had completed for one of their clients, a New York based designer
- It is further enhanced with some more bespoke work to change it into this two-door convertible that we see today
- The current owner acquired the car in 2015 and has spent about £45,000 to get it looking this way
- The leather upholstery has been sent away to Strong and Turton and now looks truly stunning
- It did not stop with the leather; the bodywork has received a lot of attention which also included a full respray to this beautiful green
- A few mechanical works were carried out, some at vast expense, to get it into proper working condition
- One of them includes work to remedy the following a leaky carburettor, a leak on the oil pressure release valve, a cracked front manifold, play in both front kingpins, play in the front wheel bearings, both front leaky dampers, front brake wheel cylinders, rear dampers leaking, and a lot more
- There are a few images supplied by the current owner, but they can be a little difficult to decipher
- It could do with a minor engine tune and then you will have a beautiful and bespoke classic car
- There is a bit of paperwork that will come with the car including the V5 and some assorted invoices from the more recent works
The Interior
- Recently restored
- The leather is beautiful
- Amazing wood condition
- Perfect place to sit
There is almost nothing quite like the interior of a Bentley, they are a wonderful time capsule filled with some of the highest quality materials of the time. As this R Type has just had a lot of time and money spent on an overhaul it is now presented in amazing condition. It is a place that will hold many happy memories for you throughout your ownership.
Upon opening the suicided style doors, you are presented with the amazing cream leather seats, as you can see from the photos, all of these seats are presented in very good condition. There are some slight cracks in the driver’s side seat, but these may disappear with some leather conditioner.
But on the whole, these leather seats are presented very well and will be a pleasure to sit in. If you are wanting to have the whole Bentley experience and sit in the rear seats as you are driven around, then you’ll be happy to hear that these rear seats are very comfortable with some rather fetching wooden tray tables fitted in front of you.
But on the whole, these leather seats are presented very well and will be a pleasure to sit in. If you are wanting to have the whole Bentley experience and sit in the rear seats as you are driven around, then you’ll be happy to hear that these rear seats are very comfortable with some rather fetching wooden tray tables fitted in front of you.
To match the cream seats the door cards are also finished in the same leather, there are a few small marks on these door cards but nothing that should constitute a deal breaker.
We cannot talk about the interior without mentioning all of the beautiful wood that adorns almost every single panel. There are small flashes of this trim on the top of the two doors and stretching back along the rear passenger seats. But it is the dash panel that is the most beautiful and extensive part of this wooden trim, this highly lacquered panel is truly stunning and more akin to a piece of art than it is a dashboard. Set into the dash are all of the classic Bentley analogue dials that provide you with all of the vital driving information.
As you have probably worked out by now, the interior of this Bentley is truly amazing. The acres of leather and wood make for an interior, unlike a modern luxury vehicle. It is further enhanced when you remove the roof, but we’ll talk about that in the exterior section in more detail.
The Exterior
- Recent respray
- Lots of re-chromed parts
- The hood is in great condition
- Huge road presence
Much like the interior, the exterior is not only presented very well but is also truly stunning. Over the years the original car has been enhanced until it was turned into what it is today, from the rather mundane four-door saloon we have got to this beautiful two-door convertible that is rather rare indeed.
When the current owner acquired the car in 2015 it needed a little bit of love. It was finished in a rather drab and dark green, so to give it a more individual feeling they decided to respray the entire car in this beautiful colour that is somewhere between a light blue and light green, you have to see it to really appreciate it. When this colour is matched with the re-chromed trim it just pops, giving it tons of curb appeal.
The most unique feature of this car specifically is of course the fold down roof section. With the roof up, it doesn’t look too dissimilar to the original saloon, but with the roof down it looks incredible. It is clear to see why the time and money were spent to convert it into a convertible as it looks a lot better with the roof hidden neatly under the leather tonneau.
As the paintwork and chrome trim has recently been done it is hard to find a blemish or mark on it. It will have no problem drawing a crowd at a car show, or even a Concours lawn. It really is a beautiful classic that is very unique indeed.
The Mechanics
- Characteristic Bentley waft
- Large 4.6l engine
- Automatic gearbox
- Ready for your next adventure
The work didn’t stop with the interior and exterior, quite a bit of work was carried out on the mechanical parts to make sure that they were in tip-top condition.
One of the smaller invoices show works done to remedy a stalling issue. To rectify this the carb floats were adjusted, the distributor was removed and had the contacts cleaned, and the timing was adjusted. This seemed to fix the issue, the squeaky breaks were also seen to at the same time.
It has already had a lot of money spent on the mechanical elements; it could benefit from a slight engine tune just to make sure it is running perfectly for you. This being said though on the day of the photoshoot, it started on the button every time and manoeuvred into position without any complaining.
When you, or your chauffeur, get behind the wheel of this classic Bentley it will be like no other classic car experience that you have had. As so much work has been completed recently it should provide you with many happy miles in the future as you get to road trip it across the country, or continent.
Summary
What a car we have here, this rare coach built convertible will be the perfect centre piece of your collection. If you have ever wanted a classic luxury, drop top then look no further than this beautiful example.
With the interior and exterior being presented in such amazing condition you should have no issues in attracting a few admiring looks as you cruise to your destination in pure comfort.
Don’t miss out on this wonderful classic, it will be very hard to find another like it on the market.
The Gallery
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