Bentley R-type
The Bentley R-type evolved out of the Bentley MkVI which had been launched in 1946 as the Bentley/Rolls-Royce first ever standard steel saloon. Colin Blatchley revised the MkVI and showed his potential as the future designer of the Silver Cloud and Silver Shadow. Launched in 1952, the R-type (and its cousin the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn) was mechanically similar to the MkVI and continued with its 4,566cc 6-cylinder engine. The chassis was available to other coachbuilders and a number of very elegant designs were produced. Replaced in 1955 by the S-type/Silver Cloud, 2,320 Bentleys were sold and 760 Rolls-Royces (mainly for export). Standard Steel Saloons accounted for 2,000 of the Bentleys, with 300 coachbuilt bodies. Additionally there were 207 Bentley R-type Continental
Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn
Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn
Bentley S-type
Bentley S-type
Coachbuilders Freestone and Webb
Coachbuilders Freestone and Webb
H J Mulliner
H J Mulliner
James Young Coachwork
James Young Coachwork
ac Bentley R-type 1952 head
ac Bentley R-type 1952 head
Bentley R-type 1952 with Freestone and Webb 6-light saloon body. Believed to be the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show car
ac Bentley R-type 1954 HJM head
ac Bentley R-type 1954 HJM head
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM. Chassis No: B328YD. Powered by a 4,566cc inline six, the same as fitted to the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, but the Bentley benefitted from twin carbs.
Bentley R-type 1952 DHC Graber front
Bentley R-type 1952 DHC Graber front
Bentley R-type 1952 DHC Graber Dropheadhead Coupe by Carrosserie Hermann Graber in Wichtracg Switzerland.
Bentley R-type 1952 DHC Graber rear
Bentley R-type 1952 DHC Graber rear
Bentley R-type 1952 DHC Graber. Drophead body by Carrosserie Hermann Graber in Switzerland
Bentley R-type 1952 FW front
Bentley R-type 1952 FW front
Bentley R-type 1952 with Freestone and Webb 6-light saloon body. Believed to be the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show car
Bentley R-type 1952 FW rear
Bentley R-type 1952 FW rear
Bentley R-type 1952 FW. Freestone and Webb design 'Empress' (Body Type 3093/A). This was the 1952 Earls Court show car, built on the 6th R-type chassis.
Bentley R-type 1952 Mulliner front
Bentley R-type 1952 Mulliner front
Bentley R-type 1952 with HJ Mulliner coachwork
Bentley R-type 1953 James Young Saloon front
Bentley R-type 1953 James Young Saloon front
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1953
Bentley R-type 1953 James Young Saloon rear
Bentley R-type 1953 James Young Saloon rear
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1953
Bentley R-type 1954 Abbott Coupe front
Bentley R-type 1954 Abbott Coupe front
Bentley R-type 1954 Abbott Coupe. E.D. Abbott of Farnham tend to be remembered for creating Ford Zephyr and Zodiac estate car conversions. But they also dids great coachwork
Bentley R-type 1954 Abbott Coupe rear
Bentley R-type 1954 Abbott Coupe rear
Bentley R-type 1954 Abbott Coupe. E.D.Abbott of Farnham did the coachwork on this R-type
Bentley R-type 1954 Empress front
Bentley R-type 1954 Empress front
Bentley R-type 1954 Empress. The R-type had a 4,566cc 6-cylinder engine. This 'Empress' body was designed by Hoopers for Daimler, but also fitted to some Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors.
Bentley R-type 1954 front
Bentley R-type 1954 front
Bentley R-type standard steel saloon
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM Sports Saloon rear
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM Sports Saloon rear
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM Sports Saloon with coachwork by HJ Mulliner
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM. Chassis No: B328YD. Supplied to Sir Edmumd Crane and known as the 'Hercules Bentley'. Coachbuilder HJ Mulliner
Bentley R-type 1954 SS Saloon front
Bentley R-type 1954 SS Saloon front
Bentley R-type 1954 SS Saloon. The R-type inherited the larger 4,566cc inline six from the uprated Bentley MkVI
Bentley R-type 1954 SS Saloon rear
Bentley R-type 1954 SS Saloon rear
Bentley R-type 1954 SS Saloon. John Polwhele Blatchley redesigned the boot of the Bentley MkIV to give the R-type a more capacious boot with a huge lift-up bootlid
Bentley R-Type 1955  James Young front
Bentley R-Type 1955 James Young front
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1955. Ken McNeill designed this body for six ‘R’ types at the end of the R-type production.
Bentley R-Type 1955 James Young rear
Bentley R-Type 1955 James Young rear
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1955.
Bentley R-Type 1955 PW DHC front
Bentley R-Type 1955 PW DHC front
Bentley R-Type 1955 PW DHC. The Bentley R-Type replaced the MkVI in 1952 and was given a 4,566cc inline six
Bentley R-Type 1955 PW DHC rear
Bentley R-Type 1955 PW DHC rear
Bentley R-Type 1955 PW DHC. The Bentley R-Type replaced the MkVI in 1952, and although many bodies carried over, this Drophead Coupe by Park Ward is a new design
l Bentley R-Type James Young 1955 lamps
l Bentley R-Type James Young 1955 lamps
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1955 - rear lights
s Bentley MkVI 1947 SS Saloon side
s Bentley MkVI 1947 SS Saloon side
Bentley MkVI SS Saloon. Coachwork is the Standard Steel Saloon provided by the factory
s Bentley R-type 1952 Mulliner Saloon side
s Bentley R-type 1952 Mulliner Saloon side
Bentley R-type 1952 with HJ Mulliner coachwork to design 7220.
s Bentley R-type 1954 Empress side
s Bentley R-type 1954 Empress side
Bentley R-type 1954 Empress. With 'Empress' design coachwork from Hooper. Osmond Rivers was responsible for the Hooper 'Empress' design first used on the Bentley MkVI in 1950
s Bentley R-type 1954 HJM Sports Saloon side
s Bentley R-type 1954 HJM Sports Saloon side
Bentley R-type 1954 HJM, This is HJ Mulliner's Lightweight 4-door Sports Saloon
s Bentley R-type 1954 side
s Bentley R-type 1954 side
Bentley R-type, standard steel saloon body developed by Colin Blatchley from the small-booted MkVI
s Bentley R-Type 1955 James Young side
s Bentley R-Type 1955 James Young side
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1955. It has been claimed that this design inspired the Silver Cloud
t Bentley R-type 1953 James Young Saloon tail
t Bentley R-type 1953 James Young Saloon tail
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1953
t Bentley R-Type 1955  James Young tail
t Bentley R-Type 1955 James Young tail
Bentley R-type James Young Saloon 1955.
t Bentley R-type tail a
t Bentley R-type tail a
Bentley R-type. The larger clam-shell bootlid replaced the flat hinged panel of the smaller-booted MkVI