1955 Bentley R-Type Continental D-Series
- Engine
- 4.9L inline engine, manual transmission
- Colour
- Silver Chalice
A 1955 Bentley R-Type Continental 'D' series, chassis BC56D, bodied in Silver Chalice and equipped with the 4.9-litre engine, manual gearbox, and lightweight seats. One of only 207 produced, it was delivered via London dealer H.R. Owen to P. Carrington and later spent two decades with Douglas Cory-Wright. Subsequent custodians include prominent collector John Donner and Aston Martin chairman Victor Gauntlett. The car has participated in Bentley Drivers Club concours events for some twenty years, most recently winning its class in 2017.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £826,250 (≈ $1.03M)
- 1955-02-04 → 1958Factory deliveryP. Carrington of H.M.F. Carringtonfull documentation
First retail purchaser; car registered as PXC 163 at time of delivery.
- 1958 → 1958Acquisition unknownNibbler Paper Mill Companypartial documentation
Brief custodian earlier in 1958 before the car moved on in July of that year.
- 1958-07-01 → 1978Acquisition unknownDouglas Cory-Wrightpartial documentation
Retained the car for roughly two decades, the longest single period of ownership recorded in the prose.
- 1978 → 1982Acquisition unknownJohn Donnerpartial documentation
Noted Bentley collector who re-registered the car as JD 12 during his tenure.
- 1982 → 1983Private saleVictor Gauntlettpartial documentation
Petroleum entrepreneur and Aston Martin chairman; re-registered the car as X 111 and was a committed collector of significant Bentley models including the R-Type Continental prototype.
- 1983 →Private saleBrother of current ownerpartial documentation
Acquired from Gauntlett; car has remained within this family for approximately 34 years, with power steering added, engine rebuilt, and electronic ignition fitted during family ownership.
- Date unknownFactory deliveryH.R. Owen (London dealer, initial allocation)partial documentation
Initial allocation to this London dealership was cancelled before delivery took place.
Competition
- 2017Bentley Drivers Club Concours2017 Bentley Drivers Club Concours1st in class
This win continued an approximately twenty-year record of class-level success at BDC Concours events.
- —Continental 50th Anniversary Celebrationexhibited
The car was displayed at this commemorative event held at Silverstone; no competitive result recorded.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Modification
Power-assisted steering was fitted to the car at an unspecified point in its history.
- —Engine rebuild
The engine was overhauled and electronic ignition was added; the engine bay was described as being in excellent presentable condition following this work.
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