In the 104 years since Bentley was established, it has been responsible for some extraordinary cars. There were the original 3-litres of the 1920s that helped cement the marque’s sporting reputation with Le Mans wins and the added bonus of annoying Ettore Bugatti so much that he was prompted to dub them ‘the fastest lorries in the world’. Then there were the potent and domineering supercharged 4½ litre ‘Blowers’ of a few years later which may have upset founder W O Bentley but are still regarded as among the most evocative of all vintage cars. What might W O – or Bugatti, for that matter – have thought of the turbocharged machines of the 1980s that hauled the marque out from the shadow of Rolls-Royce and made it a force to be reckoned with again? They too have a special place in Flying B history.
But there is a particular range of Bentleys by which all others are measured; so much so that modern models still reference to them in their styling, marketing and names. We’re talking, of course, about the Continentals of 1952 to 1966, those magnificent coachbuilt creations so synonymous with mid-20th century speed, style and splendour. Typified by the stunning-looking lightweight R-Types of H J Mulliner, the Continental is regarded as Bentley’s post-war zenith. The word ‘iconic’ may be overused these days, but for these thoroughbred classics, it is entirely justified. They are, without a doubt, some of the most desirable and striking automobiles
