Page 25 - Bentley Mark VI & R-Type

DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS
OPPOSITE PAGE: This 1973
photograph shows BC26A (note the
kidney-shaped instrument nacelle
simply as the Bentley Continental.
unique to this car) at around 85
mph. By this time, a modern radio
had been fitted, as had an indicator
stalk to the left of the steering column.
Only the prototype and the ‘A’ series
production cars had three controls on
the steering wheel centre quadrant, the
lower one being the mixture, or choke
control, which became redundant on
the ‘B’ series and later cars that had
automatic cold starting. Note also the
oil temperature gauge between the
two main instruments.
ABOVE: After many years and miles
of faithful service, Stanley Sedgwick
eventually passed BC26A ‘Olga’ to
a new owner who commissioned P.
© DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS
the R-Type chassis. It is also relevant to consider that the Continental was
never marketed as the R-Type Continental, being described by its makers
Production Continentals proved themselves capable of 80 mph in second
gear, 100 in third and just short of 120 in top, easily slipping into the
“world’s fastest genuine four-seater car” place. All of this was achieved on
the low-octane substance that passed for petrol in those days while easily
returning better than 20 miles per gallon.
The fact that the Continental was able to deliver such phenomenal
performance with only minimal departures from the standard Mark
VI specification is ample testimony to the design soundness of the early
post-war cars and to the fundamental rightness of the Rationalised
Range concept devised in 1938. Once ‘Olga’ had proved the concept, little
remarkable of early post-war cars.
& A. Wood to carry out an extremely
comprehensive, body-off restoration.
The prototype Bentley Continental is
seen above after completion of the
work.
coachwork appeared.
2
© DALTON WATSON FINE BOO
intuition was needed at Rolls-Royce Ltd, Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd or at
H.J. Mulliner & Co. to realise that they were onto a winner with this most
Once the Continental was in production, it remained an entirely H.J.
Mulliner car until the middle of the ‘C’ series, at which point the work
of other coachbuilders began to appear. Initially, these were continental
European coachbuilders until Park Ward’s first Bentley Continental
Experimental cars were often sold after a period of Experimental Department use, and the prototype
Bentley Continental was no exception. Its experimental chassis number, 9-B-VI, was changed to
BC26A upon being sold.
ALTON WATSO
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ON WATSON FINE BO
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The Bentley Continental