Bentley R-Type Continental

The R-Type was the epitome of British luxury in the 1950s and the first car to carry the Continental nameplate. Despite having a uniform style, each car was unique in detail. Unlike almost every car of the period, the Continental had an all-aluminum body.

The R-Type was the second series of post-war Bentley automobile, replacing the Mark VI. The front of the saloon model was identical to the Mark VI, but many had custom coachwork. The Continental model was produced specially for continental Europe, with many coachbuilt by H.J. Mulliner. This would be the first appearance of the famed Bentley Continental name.

All R Type models used an iron-block/aluminum-head straight-6 engine fed by twin SU carburettors. The basic engine displaced 4.6 L (4566 cc/278 in³) with a 92.08 mm (3.6 in) bore and 114.3 mm (4.5 in) stroke. The Continental had a larger bore of 94.62 mm (3.7 in) for a total displacement of 4.9 L (4887 cc/298 in³).

A 4-speed manual transmission was standard with a 4-speed automatic optional.