To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' London event, 24 October
2019.
Estimate:
£65,000 - £75,000
- One of just 104 Continental Ts built to RHD specifications
- Less than 29,000 miles from new
Bentley returned to its glory days with the Continental, which
revived the marque after generations of association with
Rolls-Royce. Hearkening back to the era of the Bentley Boys was the
uncompromising Continental T. The development team took the
standard car, which had been styled by John Heffernan and Ken
Greenley�whose pedigree included the Aston Martin Virage�and
shortened it by four inches to improve handling.
The T was a brutal hand-built statement of intent, boasting a
£250,000 price tag that made it the most expensive car in the
world. Road & Track magazine described it as 'totally over the
top'. Among the buyers were Formula 1 world champion Nigel Mansell
and an Arab crown prince. Another commissioned his own book about
the car.
Built between 1996 and 2002, the T featured flared wheel arches
hosting 18-inch alloy wheels, twin turbos and intercooler, an
uprated Zytek engine management system, and stiffened suspension.
While early production cars boasted engines producing 400 bhp,
Continental Ts built from 1998-2003 were graced with 20 additional
horsepower, raising top speed to 168 mph. In total, just 322
examples were built, with only 104 of these built to RHD
specifications.
This example left Crewe in dark green with acres of beige leather
piped black and a dual-tone dash. It has been used sparingly, with
the odometer displaying just 28,807 miles, and has been with the
vendor since 2012. The deep paintwork is blemish-free and the
interior as new. Fastidiously maintained, it boasts a documented
service history contained in the original service booklet, with
recent services by Frank Dale & Stepsons. The Continental T was
among the last and rarest analogue Bentleys and remains desirable
today.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf19.
