1954 Bentley R Type

1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback

by HJ Mulliner 

Chassis: BC58C 

Registration: 888 BMC  

The Bentley R-Type Continental  

A fast, luxurious trans-continent cruiser, capable of briskly wafting its four passengers in stylish comfort. At the time, as the fastest four seater in the world, nothing else came close. With an almost endless tick box of options available, the enthusiast driver was well catered for, including either an automatic or manual gearbox, and standard or lightweight seats. The later cars were uprated to a 4.9 Litre engine.  

Chassis BC58C was completed in 1954 for J.A. Prestwich Industries, supplied new through selling agent Holmes McCarty. First owner John Alfred Prestwich produced not just cinema graphic equipment but also the famous JAP engine used in bikes, motorcars and aeroplanes.  

Ordered new with ‘lightweight’ seats and an automatic gearbox, its factory colour was red over maroon. Originally supplied with the standard engine, it returned to the factory in 1958 to be fitted with the later 4.9 Litre unit, as was common and fully documented. The original registration was 888 BMC (Bentley Motor Corporation) which is still on the car today. Copies of the original Bentley Construction and Test Records, as well as the H J Mulliner Finishing Sheet, accompany the car.  

Ownership is known from new and recorded in the great Palawan Bentley Continental tome, a copy of which is in the history file. Owned for almost a decade by ‘Rusty’ Russ-Turner, the former Chairman of the Bentley Drivers Club, and a close friend of Walter Owen Bentley. At the same time as owning the R-Type Continental, Rusty owned the Tim Birkin single seat race car, in which he regularly competed. Invoices from Ivor Silverstone and Frank Dales & Stepsons run from 1977 through to 1986, when they sold the car. Mileage at the time was showing 43,350. 

The most recent owner bought the car as an incomplete project and has overseen the completion of the restoration himself. A large part of the trim is original, and has been carefully preserved, with all the other trim work, including a new headlining and carpets, completed by Mike Thomas & Dave Strange. The engine had been rebuilt before he bought it, so he carefully went through all the ancillaries before running the engine in. The chassis had been stripped and rebuilt to show-standard, and with the body off the chassis, all suspension components were either restored or replaced. This is the same for the electrical, fuel and braking systems. The body had already been restored, and so was painted in a deep, dark blue, to complement the red trim. All of this, and the extensive subsequent servicing, is documented in detail over many pages.  

Testament to the quality of the restoration, it won “Best Car in Show” at the 2020 Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club South of England Rally. Used regularly, this lovely driving example is ‘on the button’ and ready for summer jaunts with the family and comes with a complete set of large and small tools.