“There is little doubt that the manufacturers would be entitled to claim this as the world’s fastest production saloon, yet it is as silent as the average town carriage.” So said John Eason Gibson, writing in the quintessentially English ‘Country Life’ magazine on the debut of Bentley’s R-Type Continental model. The Australian Auction House Goodmans have an example of what is fast becoming a ‘must-have’ amongst the quality collectors at their June 15 Auction in Sydney.

Delivered to Lady Hogg, by luxury dealer in the UK H.R.Owen, in 1955, the car is in its original silver/red interior colour scheme and now benefits from sympathetically installed air-conditioning in the late ‘80s. An estimate in Australian Dollars of $220,000 – 270,000 means an approximate UK Sterling price of £87,901 – 107,879. Which is not a bad price now.

Appropriately for their antipodean location another car in the auction is a Cooper T51 Formula 1, the rear-engined car of a type made famous by Australia’s double World Champion Jack Brabham. With an Australian Dollar estimate of $180,000 – 230,000 converting to a friendlier £ 71,919 – 91,897 this is a lot of car, Goodwood eligible, for the money.

The other road cars include a 1986 Ferrari 412 GT. A manual car, the estimate is Australian Dollars $65,000 – 80,000, and another attractive entry is the 1937 Bentley 4 ¼ Litre Pillarless Saloon at Aus $75,000 – 90,000.

Viewing times for the Auction are Friday 13th 1pm - 6pm, Saturday14th 10am - 4pm, Sunday 15th from 10 am, and the Auction starts at 12 noon Sunday 15th June.

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Text - Steve Wakefield