Meet the Bentley R-Type Continental

The very picture of studied luxury, one expects Bentley to put on a good show with every car. One car in particular, though, had the eye of the luxury world this month. The Bentley R-Type Continental was recently auctioned in Paris, as one of just five such vehicles. While every Bentley is the very picture of style, design and performance, when people think of a Bentley, they are probably thinking of the Continental. Here is a look at what made this classic Bentley so outstanding and still so desired.

The Continental was, in many ways, considered the “comeback car” for Bentley. During the 1920s, Bentley rode high, racing cars and taking titles, selling luxury vehicles to the super-wealthy and establishing itself as the “go-to” statement car. Then Wall Street crashed and Bentley’s future was uncertain. When the Continental made its appearance, the world knew that Bentley was back. Already a stunning car with a distinctive, steel-bodied look, the Continental was reprised in 1952 with amped up luxury and performance. The vehicle auctioned was one of the five specially designed by Carrosserie Franay, the famous Parisian coachbuilder.

So what did those participating in the auction get to see? A beautiful four-seater labeled “the equal of modern racing cars,” but built for daily driving and safety. A pleasure to drive with a lighter, aluminum body that could be propelled along at 120 miles an hour, if needed, this Continental bridged the distance between performance and comfort. Franay’s model offers a sophisticated twist on details from the Fifties, particularly on the small fins on the rear wings – a look that was taken to much less sophisticated overuse elsewhere at the time.

With a high end estimate of 1.1 million euros, auction participants are not just bidding for one-of-a-kind luxury – they are purchasing a piece of history and a work of art all wrapped in a beautifully designed chassis.