From The Classifieds: 1952 Bentley R Type
This dignified lady from the early 1950s is the quintessential British luxury carFrom The Classifieds
1952 Bentley R Type
A beautiful survivor from post-war England recalls the glory days when British cars were British, right to their bootstraps.
Described as the R Type but actually more a Mark VII replacement for the Mark VI model, the Bentley saloon was built between 1952 and 1955 as a sort of sub-lieutenant to the close-to-identical Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn sold during the same era. The big difference between the Mark VI and the R Type was the boot, which reportedly almost doubled the capacity.
With its alloy-head, 4.6-litre inline six-cylinder engine and four-speed manual gearbox (in this case – an optional four-speed auto came later), the weighty R Type was capable of swiftly and silently reaching better than 100mph (around 160km/h) and consumed around 18L/100km of leaded petrol.
The Bentley's chassis was typical for the time: An independent coil-spring suspension at the front and a solid-axle, semi-elliptic leaf spring arrangement at the rear. Drum brakes were used on all four wheels, hydraulically operated at the front and mechanically at the back.
The lovely flowing shapes encased a sumptuous cabin adorned extensively with walnut trim (including fold-down picnic tables behind the front seats) and offering deeply cushioned leather seats for maximum passenger comfort. The body configuration – and this was where British cars differed markedly from the more outrageously-styled cars from across the Atlantic – was such that the front part of the cabin seemed relatively narrow compared with the rear compartment with its wide seat, stretch-out legroom and enough headroom to make it possible to entertain the idea of wearing a top hat.
Although the owner says the manual gearbox makes it a driver's car, the Bentley Type R is definitely passenger-oriented.
With its imperious demeanour and signature front end, complete with a long, tapering bonnet giving access to the engine via centrally-hinged side openings, the big saloon was a commanding presence on the road in the early 1950s, and remains so today.
Residing in the Sydney suburb of Baulkham Hills, the Bentley has been cared for by a "fully approved Rolls Royce and Bentley master mechanic" and has been maintained in the condition its status deserves. The owner says "Recent mechanical work includes fully reconditioned 'unleaded' head fitted, a reconditioned gearbox, as well as thoroughly checked and reconditioned brakes all round."
Fittingly, it has been used as a wedding car in its more recent life. In fact the owner suggests a potential buyer could find "up to $5000 of work over the next 4 months" with the arrival of spring.
The asking price for the Bentley R Type, which includes a roadworthy certificate, is $49,500.
That will buy you a slice of British automotive history that, properly cared for, should still be delighting owners (and onlookers) for many years to come.
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