Despite the difficult postwar market, Bentley’s luxurious motorcars managed to sell well. They even featured regularly in Ian Fleming’s novels as James Bond’s car of choice.
This particular R Type is presented in fetching black and cream livery and features a comfortable interior with leather upholstery and veneered trim. The car exhibits an air of gentle use and appreciation, without being worryingly shiny. It’s the kind of car you could drive to the shops in without a second thought.
These R Types perform very capably, with their 4.6-litre straight-six engines. They feature interesting inlet-over-exhaust valves and a manual transmission, and the owner informs us that the car is running well. image00002.jpeg5.33 MB
The History and Paperwork
First registered 11th November 1952
Purchased by the current owner in October 2022
Five former keepers all documented
Road Tax and MOT exempt
Historic MOT certificates dating back to 1994 and V5 documents
Workshop manual with pages in plastic wallets
Invoices for parts purchased
Comes with some service history, including a service in November 2022
Entering this Bentley transports us immediately back to the 1950s, with the plush leather seating, veneered trim and Bakelite steering wheel. All is in good order, with an air of gentle use and light patina.
The leather seat covers remain in excellent condition, with only some light creasing and a little wear to the piping, but no obvious damage, stains or scuffs. Front passenger legroom is plentiful, thanks to the right-hand gear change, which allows for a flat floor.
Similarly, the carpets are not new but still very presentable, and trimmed with matching leather. There is a little wear to the reinforcing panel in the driver’s footwell, as well as to the edges of the footwells. And up above, the headlining is good, although there is some slight marking on the inside of the sliding sunroof where it has been opened and closed.
In front of the driver is a large steering wheel with a control for the ride stiffness. And beyond this, we see the veneered dashboard with its large instruments and tactile pull switches. The veneer remains very good, with only minor signs of age, and the car even features a radio mounted beneath the dashboard. The vendor informs us that the glovebox-mounted clock is not currently working.
The veneers continue onto the doors and the sunroof surround and there are pleasing details such as the cur-glass interior light and bevelled mirrors for the rear passengers. Another useful feature is the toolkit stowed under the dashboard. This contains most of its original tools, as well as spare bulbs and spark plugs.
To the rear, there is a spacious luggage compartment, which also holds the spare wheel and a selection of larger tools, such as the starting handle and wheel brace. image00108.jpeg2.81 MB
The Exterior
Suitably assertive styling
Rear hinged doors
Great bodywork and chrome
In pride of place atop the large chrome plated radiator sits the magnificent winged B emblem, proclaiming the arrival of this luxurious motorcar. The bonnet louvres, headlamp rims and large bumpers are all also beautifully plated and maintain a deep shine. But there is a small dent in the rear bumper and some of the chrome trim pieces and door handles are a little pitted.
Black and cream paintwork suits the car very well and it remains very presentable, although there are of course imperfections, scratches and chips throughout. The front left wheel arch has reportedly had a light scrape in the past, which the vendor tells us is difficult to see in the photographs. There is also a little wear to the paint around the rear lamps.
The car runs on attractive whitewall tyres and features colour-matched hubcaps, the paint upon which has a few chips. The vendor informs us that the tyres retain plenty of tread. And the underside of the car is showing no more than the usual amount of surface corrosion and road dirt we’d expect to see on a car of this vintage. image00008.jpeg2.79 MB
The Mechanics
4.6-litre straight-six engine
Manual transmission
Engine bay clean and tidy
Underneath the long bonnet of this R Type lies a powerful straight-six engine which provides ample performance. It features an unusual inlet-over-exhaust valve arrangement and we particularly like the clear spark plug boots.
The vendor informs us that the engine runs beautifully, and starts on the button if the car is used regularly. If it has been left unused for a period of time, it can require a little more gentle persuasion to perform a cold start. But this isn’t unusual for a car of this age.
The exhaust can sometimes be heard knocking when going over bumps, due to old leather straps in the mounts, but it is reportedly not usually noticeable. We’re told that the steering, transmission and clutch are all in good working order, and that there are no significant oil leaks. image00083.jpeg2.63 MB
Summary
This R Type appears to be a very useable example of the model. It’s not so shiny that you’d be worried about driving it, so is the ideal car to be regularly enjoyed for its luxury and opulence.
BEFORE YOU BUY
This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:
✓ The seller is registered as a private seller which means consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not come into effect. However, you are still covered by Car & Classic’s own Terms and Conditions..
✓ We request that a non-refundable fee be paid if you are the lucky winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted Please refer to our helpful FAQs and T&Cs for specific rates.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is Where Is’ basis and without warranty. Photos and descriptions are solely for guidance purposes and it's customary to carry out a full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase for your own peace of mind.
✓ VAT is included in the buyer's deposit. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing.
✓ We want a smooth transaction just as much as you do and as such we run all UK-registered cars and motorbikes for sale on Car & Classic through an online HPI check to verify that they show no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and have no finance owing, allowing you to bid with confidence.
✓ We also check whether vehicles are recorded as being written off as part of an insurance total loss claim at the time an advert is placed on Car & Classic and we helpfully provide write-off category labels (Cat C/D/S/N) for your assistance. However, the presence or absence of a label does not guarantee the vehicle’s status and it is always worthwhile carrying out your own full vehicle history check before making an offer on a vehicle.
✓ Buyers are responsible for vehicle collection
or delivery. Importing vehicles may result in additional customs duties and import taxes so it’s worth checking beforehand.. If requested, we may refer you to a third-party shipping company who can help. For more details and to speak to the team, email auctions@carandclassic.com
Złożyłeś ofertę na ten pojazd. Nasz zespół skontaktuje się z Tobą, gdy Twoja oferta zostanie rozpatrzona
