The 1953 Bentley R-type Continental fastback which was originally purchased in World War II, is now heading to Gooding & Company’s 2015 Pebble Beach car auction where it is expected to have an estimate car value of over AED 7283800. It was designed as a high-performance version of the standard Bentley R-type with a minimum top speed of 120 mph making it known as the fastest sedan in the world at that time. Early cars were fitted with a 4.5-liter inline-six, with a larger 4.9-liter engine that produces a great torque to make the car accelerate at a relatively high speed in the year 1954.
More than 200 versions of the R-type Continental were built by Bentley starting in 1951 though most of the cars were sent to British coachbuilder for completion, with the majority becoming fastback coupes. Fans and car enthusiastic people may also recognize the R-type Continental as the car Bond buys in the Fleming book Thunderball which he purchases a crashed example and fits it with a 4.9-liter engine from a late-model Continental.
The historic Bentley has recently been found hiding in a garage in Hollywood for more than 30 years with people oblivious about the car history of one of the greatest supercars ever produced in the world. According to Gooding & Company, this particular Continental has an even more unique background. It was ordered by Ian Fleming for a close friend of his, British intelligence officer Ivar Bryce, who many claim was the inspiration behind the fictional character Felix Leiter, James Bond’s friend and CIA liaison in the fictional series, 007.
