1952 Bentley R-Type Continental
- Colour
- Black
Chassis BC23A is among the first 25 'A'-series Bentley R-Type Continentals, sharing its underpinnings with the earlier Mk VI. Bodied in aluminium by H.J. Mulliner and built to a specification that included lightweight seats, manual gearbox, and rear wheel spats, it was delivered through Franco-Britannic Automobiles to its first owner in Paris in early 1953. The car passed through four private custodians over seven decades, notably spending roughly forty years with French collector Alain Rouhaud, before undergoing a documented programme of improvements exceeding €20,000 in 2021.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate €750,000 – €1,000,000
- 1953-03-31 →Factory deliveryJacques Foussierfull documentation
First owner, took delivery via Franco-Britannic Automobiles in Levallois-Perret. Retained the car for roughly a decade.
- → 2016-12-01Private saleAlain Rouhaudpartial documentation
Collector who kept the car for around forty years; notably replaced the standard winged mascot with a bust of Lenin, later restored to original.
- 2016-12-01 →Acquisition unknownFourth ownerpartial documentation
Car underwent restoration work valued at over €20,000 at Atelier Tisserand Restauration in France during 2021.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownMonsieur Rousselpartial documentation
Second owner; held the car until approximately the mid-1970s.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2021RestorationAtelier Tisserand Restauration
A programme of improvements valued at a minimum of €20,000 was carried out, with a detailed workshop invoice retained as part of the car's documentation file.
Workshop based in La Chapelle-Gauthier, France.
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