On auction to put up rare 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback (36 photos)

The Gooding & Company auction will feature a Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback coupe. The 1954 car was considered the fastest four-seater of its era. Fewer than 200 of these cars were built. Experts expect the deal to fetch between £650,000 and £750,000.





From 1952 to 1955, 208 Bentley R-Types were made. But only 190 of them, like the car on display, received a streamlined body from the Mulliner studio. It was tested in a wind tunnel. According to their results, among other things, the height of the radiator was reduced.

The inline six-cylinder engine with two carburetors and a volume of 4.9 liters produces 178 horsepower. The gearbox is a 4-speed manual. According to Autocar magazine, the Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback was the fastest four-seater production car of the 1950s. However, this has not been documented in any way.

The example for sale is painted Oxford Blue. The interior is trimmed in light beige leather. After five owners in the UK, the car was in the USA from 1985 to 2005. Now it is back in its homeland and is being sold after a complete restoration that took two years. During this process, the car was equipped with air conditioning and electric windows.