With its design heritage dating back to aerodynamic research conducted at Rolls-Royce during the 1930s, the streamlined R-Type Continental reasserted Bentley’s legendary performance and remains both an automotive landmark and an object of desire for modern collectors.

After creating some lightweight bodies on the Mark VI chassis, H.J. Mulliner was contracted to design and construct the R-Type Continental prototype, affectionately named “Olga.” The body, window frames, and seat structures were of light alloy, resulting in a four-place body weighing just 750 pounds, and the complete car less than 4,000 pounds. Aerodynamics were refined in the wind tunnel, including the reduced frontal area, sleek fastback roofline, and discreet tail fins. Exhaustive road testing resulted in modification of the gearbox to a direct-ratio top gear and a lowered rear-axle ratio for enhanced performance. The most expensive production car of its day, a total of 207 were built in all (plus the prototype), and 193 were fitted with the desirable Fastback body design by H.J. Mulliner.

The Continentals were built in batches, being lightly refined in these sequences. Left-hand drive was available by special order only and accounted for just 20% of the total production run. The first 25 A-Series cars began delivery in February 1952: 24 B-Series cars in December 1952 and 77 C-Series cars were supplied from April 1953 to April 1954, including this example. Chassis BC42LC was one of only 20 left-hand-drive examples in that sequence, and was the first to receive an all-new automatic gearbox option.

Ordered in autumn 1953, chassis BC42LC was sold new via British Motor Car Distributors and shipped in April 1954 to its first owner, A. Shuman of San Francisco. In addition to its novel transmission, it was specifically tailored for Mr. Shuman, with bespoke features that included his initials “APS” on the doors, cream paintwork, bucket seats trimmed in crocodile with cream inserts, and a matching crocodile handbook cover. The interior also included a cigarette case, notebook, and mirror in the center armrest. A full six-piece luggage set was fitted to the trunk, while external features included chrome-plated wheel embellishers on its whitewall-shod tires. Mr. Shuman cruised the streets of San Francisco in his striking Continental until the end of 1959. On January 1, 1960, ownership passed to Gerald Baxter of Santa Monica, who proved to be a long-term custodian of 16 years before the car was acquired by Gary D. Moore.

Mr. Moore restored this Fastback in 1976, and in August of that year, displayed it on the lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®. The following year, alongside Mr. Moore’s Derby Bentley Vanvooren Cabriolet, it won the Brace Award at the RROC Nationals. In 1988, Mr. Moore’s Continental was beautifully displayed in a feature article on Bentley Continentals in Automobile Quarterly.

By this time, its interior had evolved to plain cream leather seats, with the passenger armrest now holding a cribbage board, cards, and a hip flask – though the original handbook and its custom crocodile cover remained with the car. The following year, it was also covered in the magazine British Car.

In later years, this Bentley left the US for a sojourn in Switzerland, joining the collection of Oliver Franz. During this time, it received attention from famed Rolls-Royce and Bentley restorer P & A Wood. Long celebrated as one of the ultimate driver’s cars, this example was converted by P & A Wood from its original automatic transmission to the preferred floor-shift layout, which it retains to this day. Around the same time, the car’s original interior accent pieces were replicated, with crocodile patterns matched from the memorable handbook cover. In more recent years, this example passed back into US custody, from which it is offered today.

Chassis BC42LC carries nearly all of the most-coveted Continental features, from its left-hand drive and manual floor-shift configuration to its colors and bucket seats, making this an ultimate example of one of Bentley’s most lauded automobiles.

*Please note that this vehicle is titled 1954.