"Though launched at the Geneva Salon of 1991, many elements of the John Heffernan/Ken Greenley-penned Continental R had been seen at the same event as far back as 1984, when Bentley unveiled their `Project 90' concept car; a suitably enthusiastic reception leading the company to develop the car for production. Clearly the Sultan of Brunei approved of the end result, as he bought the 1991 show car at the exhibition. The new car was based on the Turbo R floor pan and powered by that model's 6.75-litre turbocharged V8 engine, which was believed (the Rolls-Royce/Bentley company of the day never quoted horsepower figures) to produce in the region of 325bhp. Whatever, it was sufficient to give a top speed of some 150mph and a 0-60mph acceleration time of around 6.6 seconds - no mean performance for a car weighing in at some 2.5 tons and the best of any Bentley in its day. The engine drove through the then new four-speed GM 4L80-E transmission. Unlike all other Bentleys since the S3 of 1965, its body was unique to the marque and not shared with any model of Rolls-Royce. The Continental R was produced from 1991 to 2003, during which time some 1,290 examples were manufactured.
This beautiful, 1996 model, Bentley Continental R coupé was supplied in June 1995 to Rolls-Royce Motors and used as a Press Car, featuring in many articles. It is offered with a genuine 55,000 miles and an excellent service history with 14 stamps in the service book, from top marque specialists including P&A Wood, Michael Powles Ltd and since 2018 Chelsea Workshop. The car has a good number of invoices and the MoT history. Finished in Wildberry Red with a Magnolia hide interior, burr walnut veneer woodwork, Wildberry carpets and lambswool over-rugs complete the luxurious interior. The Continental R is supplied with a V5 registration document, MoT test certificate which expires in December 2022 and the service book with the service records. These Bentley Continentals were built not only with the attention to ultimate luxury and refinement but with an emphasis on power and grace. This represents an outstanding example of a highly accomplished motorcar.
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