BENTLEY SPOTTING

It's the Rolls-Royce of Bentley websites.

Friday, May 25, 2007

A break in Postings.



I am moving to Canberra, and will not have internet access initially until I work out a new ISP.

During this time Bentley Spotting postings will be very limited. I presume a couple of week.

--

In the mean time...

A picture of the Sultan of Brunei's 4 Door Continental R that could be called a Camelot, Phoenix, or Spectre has everged, thanks to basman007 over at supercars.net.



They are different shaped doors!



Now a pink Jankel Val D'Isere was spotted at Silverstone a couple of weeks ago as well.






The pink car with salmon interior has popped up a couple of times on the internet before.

I also found a disaster by Jankel. The Rolls Royce Silver Seraph 'Head of State'.



Lots of room, but the lines are just wrong.

After the break some Hot Rods are coming, more coach built Bentleys, a great Jankel Limousine gallery, an article on name plates, further special Turbo R based cars, more utes and station wagons, find out what Aussies call dicky seats, more 'proper' motor racing cars and the occasional photoshop designed by yours truly.

Here is a tease.


Till next time, hit the archives.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Singapore Slings, Peanuts and now Bentleys.



I like going to Raffels.





The tradition is to order the Singapore sling, which was invented there, eat peanuts, then through the shells over your shoulder onto the floor.

It is totally acceptable behaviour, in fact it is encouraged!



Now they have Bentley Flying Spurs to take you to Changi. Nice.

The Jankel Antibes



In between Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur there is Antibes. Antibes has the largest yacht marina (by total tonnage) on the Côte d'Azur.

An appropriate place to name a Rolls Royce or Bentley motor car after. That is exactly what the coach builder Robert Jankel has done.

Have a look at this Silver Spirit. It looks quite normal. But actually it is not.



Now imagine. You are in the back seat, and you have well, magazines and Champagne.





Well where are you going to put them? How will the Verve keep cold? These are testing questions.

You obviously need to go to your carriage builder for him to make a place for them. Also, let's put a window up so your driver will not know what you are watching on the telly. They are only aerobics videos.



That is much better.

Jankel came up with a 10" or 26cm stretch behind the rear door. Now see the difference? One large C pillar. Have a look at the design stretch. It works.







Jankel made them in both Bentley and Rolls Royce versions.

I was not able to find a Bentley photo, but only a Bentley model from VF Americars models Germany.



Pictures courtesy (Jankel, VF Model Cars)

Labels: , , ,

Royal Brunei Bentley Turbo R Hooper For Sale

Autotrader.co.uk has a very interesting Bentley for sale.

Here is the advertisment.

1988 BENTLEY TURBO R LWB 4dr Saloon

"Automatic, 22,000 miles, This vehicle was purchased by the Royal family of Brunei in 1988, it was taken directley to hoopers, where it was fitted with a Hooper rear window and electric sunroof. The interior was also refit to a rich wine colour, a specification required from the royal household. The Bentley was imported to the UK along with ten other vehicles from the royal household, in 1999. It was then sold through a R.R dealership in Cheshire. I purchased the car in 2002, the milage then was 15000. In 2002 the car was fitted with a new sony music system, also fitted with 17" alloys, there is a full service history, and everything on this vehicle is in good working order. I have the relevent documentation to substantiate these details. If your wanting a new Bentley, then this this is the nearest you would get for £17,500. A Beautiful Accusition. £17,500"

It is a bit over priced for a 1988 model but it certainly is a stand out.


The Hooper discrete window is a big bonus. A bit of coach building is always appropriate for a Royal car.


It has the updated light alloys from the Turbo RT 1997, so it looks like an um, 1997 model.


The twin headlights are the current fashion.


Now the interior. It is fantastic. The two tone colour combination is so well placed.

Well, after Sultan Hassanal and is brother Prince Jefri were out buying thousands of cars over a few year period, you would have thought they would know what looks good together.



That extra four inches in this long wheel base version does make a big difference for back seat drivers.


Random Royal fact, Prince Jefri has four wives, 17 children and 18 adopted children, and got into trouble for spending billions, yes billions of money on well, stuff like this Bentley.



If you want to see serious coach built Bentleys that the Royal family of Brunei commissioned read about them in a previous Bentley Spotting post here.



Pictures courtesy (Autotrader ad here)

Labels: , ,

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Motor Car Engineering



Three quarter length coats are oh so proper for motor car engineers.



They are so far removed from dodgy mechanics covered in grease. Very trustworthy.

Labels:

Bentley Turbo S



Yes it is not a Turbo R, but a Turbo S. A different model.

In the mid to late nineties Rolls Royce and Bentley were not selling well. All the models were getting a little long in the tooth. The car in 1995 look the exact same as the car in 1981. That is a long time.



So what was new with this new model Bentley Turbo S? Umm I'm not sure. Oh wait, it had the light alloy wheels from the Continental R. And a revised diff with a new engine management system. A reason for a new model name? I do not think so. Blame the marketing department.



60 Bentley Turbo S cars were made from 1994-1995 for the European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets only. I'll still take one.

Labels:

Monday, May 14, 2007

Camargue Press Images



This image is from the brochure for the Rolls Royce Camargue, or if you were one really insistent person, the Bentley Camargue as written about earlier.



Now this is the 'creative' press image to conger up dreams.



Rolls Royce, 28 years later. They did move the car around.



Pictures courtesy (Rolls Royce PR)

Labels: , ,

Hooper Enhancements.



I do like the Hooper coach building company.

The two door version of the Turbo R / Mulsanne does look superb. Four other two door Bentley Turbo R's are pictured in a previous post on the Hooper 2 door Bentley Turbo R.

It makes the car look like a sports car.



It is just as impressive in the Silver Spirit version.



Silver Lady Services has a Hooper enchanced car for sale. Unfornimuately it is not a two door, but it does has the 'descreet' window to the rear.



The car also features a rear 'sunshine' roof, where the sun roof is actually over the rear seats, not the front as per usual.



These enhancements do make the car private but with the sunshine roof still quite airy.



Pictures courtsey (Silver Lady Services, Hooper.)

Labels: , , ,

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Bentley S3 Sad Standard Steel Salon



This Bentley S3 Standard Steel Salon does look quite sad.



Of course its currently for sale on where else for rusted Bentleys, but ebay. Item number: 160113798058









At least it is in better condition than this previous Bentley S3 rust bucket here.







They do distinguish between standard steel and the S3 Continental aluminium bodies for a reason.

Labels: ,

Chassis Stiffening



The hardest part about making a convertible is the reduced rigidity of the cars chassis when it does not have a roof.

This would be especially evident with coachbuilt convertibles where they simply lop the lid off as in the Bentley Mulsanne / Rolls Royce Silver Spirit Gallery here.

So lets take a look at the pro way of going about hack sawing off a roof. Why not the current Bentley Continental GTC.

Take a look at these modern design diagrams. The yellow torsional body stiffening is the proper way to stiffen the chassis when you lop off the roof.



Now the under side. Torsional x-bracing. I did not know the GTC came with that.



I really do like the GTC. The car makes you feel famous. Well I thought I was.

I have been part of the classic story. My mates Dad has one. Mates Dad is overseas. Get a call to come over for dinner. He's taken out the GTC! We 'rock star' car parked out the front of the restaurant we were going to with the roof down. It was a really nice Autumn night in Melbourne Australia. I felt famous.

Labels:

<< Older Bentley Spotting posts

Newer Bentley Spotting posts >>