2001 Bentley Continental R Mulliner Coupe Wide Body

The service in August 2018 actually took place in August 2015

• Regarded as one of the last 'real' Bentleys, the flagship Bentley Continental R Mulliner was introduced in 1999 and manufactured until 2003 by Bentley Motors in Crewe
• Turbo-charged 6.75-litre V8 offers 420bhp and a staggering 650 Lbs/ft of torque. 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds and a top speed of over 170 mph
• One of just 131 examples produced and historically significant as one of the last hand-built Bentleys produced before the company's acquisition by Volkswagen
• Presented in the stylish combination of Metallic Blue paintwork with a cream leather interior
• Just 43,809 miles covered; full service history, with 12 Bentley service stamps in original service booklet; major service at 41,259 miles costing £5,200 with a new head gasket
• On offer from a privateer vendor and kept in a temperature-controlled garage and rarely used but started on a regular basis
• All relevant service history, paperwork, owner’s manuals, and bills accompany the car

Introduced in 1991, the Continental ‘R’ was the first Bentley in 26 years to not share a body style with a concurrent Rolls-Royce and was inspired by the highly collectible Continental R-Type of the 1950s. The elegant two-door coachwork was styled by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley, a duo whose résumé included sports cars like the Aston Martin Virage. Five years later Bentley introduced a short-wheelbase version dubbed the Continental ‘T’ that was equipped with an uprated engine developing 420 hp and an impressive 650 foot-pounds of torque available at only 2,200 rpm.

Bentley customers soon expressed interest in equipping the “wide-body” Continental R model with the T’s more powerful engine, and the Continental R Mulliner was consequently introduced at the 1999 Geneva Salon. The nomenclature was an homage to H.J. Mulliner, the British coachbuilder responsible for the original R-Type’s breath-taking fastback bodywork. The R Mulliner’s wide-body configuration offered spacious interior elegance, whilst the twin-turbocharged V8 could rocket the car to a top speed of nearly 170 mph, with brisk 5.6-second sprints to 60 mph from standstill. Individually tailored to customer order, the R Mulliner was Bentley’s ultimate 20th-century combination of luxury and performance, produced in a modest quantity of as few as 131 examples. Without question one of the finest Bentleys ever made, the Continental R is also historically significant as one of the last hand-built Bentleys produced before the company's acquisition by Volkswagen.

The car presented here is a 2001 Bentley Continental ‘R’ Wide-bodied Mulliner Coupé (SCBZB25EX1CH63540) that has covered just 43,765 miles over the last 20 years in the hands of four previous owners, the current one since 2016.

Our knowledgeable vendor knows the areas of potential concern with these special cars and consequently he had the sills/underside inspected as they were showing some minor scabbing. As a result, he had these professionally removed and replaced two years ago and, similarly, with head gaskets having been known to occasionally fail, during a routine service at Bentley Manchester, they fitted a new head gasket (£5,200) solely for peace of mind.

The dealer's list price for these cars was a, not unsubstantial, £225,000 when new, with the entire production run (1992-2003) amounting to just 131 examples in 'wide-body' configuration. In exceptional condition throughout, having been maintained and stored regardless of cost, and in a delightful colour combination, this elegant Bentley is accompanied by a total and comprehensive service history including detailed invoices and numerous MOT Certificates.

Our vendor is a long-term Bentley enthusiast and although the car is regularly used, it remains beautifully presented. This is an opportunity to acquire one of the very best Bentley 'Wide-body' examples on the road today.

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