Ordering coffee to go.

Would you like a lid with your T or without.



No, I don't need a lid. It's too hot today.

Happy New Year from Melbourne Australia. It's 42 deg C today, or 108 deg F where it is the hottest day of the year in the hottest year every recorded.

Cheers to global warming. I'll just turn up the A/C which is run from a coal power station, nice. LPG works quite well in Rolls Royce and Bentley cars.

Discreet Cloud

Here is one discreet car to take out for your New Year Eves party.

No one will notice you at all.



It is painful to look at. One needs to know when to edit their work when it comes to any creative effort. Or maybe I'm thinking a little too deep about it.

Hooper Coachbuilt Model Photos

Some one had a bit too much eggnog on Christmas day.

Let my explain.

Bidding whilst drunk is not the best idea, as there is a chance that you can go a little over board. That is why logging on to ebay after a few sometimes may not be the best idea.

Lets take ebay Item number: 250198922409. The auction ended on Christmas day.

The item was titled "ROLLS ROYCE & BENTLEY HOOPER COACHBUILDERS MODEL PHOTOS"

Here it is.



What it is is a black folder of photos of Hooper coach built cars.

Lets open it and have a look inside.



Great they are A4 size colour photos of Hooper examples. I would certainly love to have it. It would definitely be another 25 or so Bentley Spotting articles.

Look, it's the press photo of the Hooper Empress II written about many times before.



Now to the actual text of the ad.

"Offered For Bid, Is A Photographic Presentation From Hooper & Co. Coachbuilders, To A Dealership, Featuring Some Of Their Rare & Unusual Models. These Photos Were Presented In A Black, Vinyl, 9 3/8" x 12 3/8", Binder. The Photos Are Stored In Clear Vinyl Pockets, With The Company Letterhead Attached As A Background. In Total, There Are 31, 7 3/4" x 10", Full Color Photos. The Cover Of The Binder Features The Business Card Of The International Sales Representative. This Binder Was Sent To A Rolls/Bentley Dealership In Columbus, Circa 1985. All Photos Are In Excellent Condition."

So up for grabs is 31 pictures of Rolls Royce and Bentley tinkered cars from the 1980's. It is up my alley.

But how much is it worth? It had a reasonable starting price of US $14.95 with no reserve. Quite reasonable.

So what did the 31 pictures go for?

I do like this picture, rear sunroofs are something else.



Bidding was hot, and the final hammer price for these pictures was US $760.00.

Quite something else.

Here is something interesting that caught my eye. Have a look at the rear lights on this Camargue. Never seen that before. I seek more info!



As it happens, I did actually notice that a bidder was a Bentley Spotting reader, and in the past people have sent in photos from this folder before. So hopefully over time they will slowly appear on Bentley Spotting.

Here is a high resolution example that came from this folder. Fingers crossed I will be receiving more!

Bentley Continential T Talamo Special

The Bentley Continential T Talamo Special was developed after the Mulliner Project 116 special made for Carlo Talamo, the Italian importer and retailer of Bentley Motor cars at the time.

The idea was to make a racing version of the Bentley Continential T, and this was done by a serious weight loss diet for the car. 200kgs in fact.

Power and torque improvements were mainly intended to put extra sparkle in performance between 50mph and 115mph. Nonetheless, P116 reached 60mph in 5.5 sec and can hit 160mph.

Here is the original P116 car.



More pictures and information on P116 can be found here. The car currently resides in the storage complex of Bentley Milano.

What happened however, is a couple of customers wanted the Project 116 special as well. So what did Carlo Talamo do? Customer satisfaction of course and commissioned two more to be made.

It is presumed the Talamo made these two Specials himself, and sold them to eager customers. One was red and the other black. They had the same interior and were on the same weight loss programme.

Car spotter Yo was able to capture the red Bentley Continential T Talamo Special on the street, and here it is.



Mesh headlights and bonnet vents certainly make this Special look the part, not to mention the polished aluminium bonnet.

Photo courtesy (Johann Petit, Supercar Photo Collection) Used with permission.

Bentley Mk VI Special for Christmas

So you would like to have a special Christmas? Well how about a special Bentley? Currently on ebay UK there are three Bentley Mk VI Specials for sale.

Here is the first. Ebay Item number: 290188675352

1949 Bentley Mk VI Special by Padgett

First Registered September 1949 / Reg. No. JNX 71. Chassis No. B 20 FV / Eng. No. B193 K (18th built)



Converted from an original saloon bodied car by Allan Padgett in 1976 in the style of a sports tourer and now sporting the Padgett / Watson 2 seater Body.

The car has a 108" wheelbase with a front track of 57" and a rear track of 59"

The engine is 4257cc with a bore of 88.9mm and stroke of 114.3mm. Compression ratio 6.4:1. It runs on an original exhaust manifold and twin SU type H4 1 1/4" choke.



The gearbox and rear axle are the original MK VI type with a Borg & Beck dry plate clutch.

The rear springs are set down 2" and has adjustable Armstrong shock absorbers allowing a ground clearance of 6"

At £47,995 and with its 90mph + performance this attractive open sports car offers all the fun of vintage motoring at a fraction of the cost.



For further information about the Bentley Special phone us on 01274 659336.

The second, Ebay Item number: 250199730758

1947 Bentley Mk VI Special with R Type Engine by Hofmann.

This car was built in the late 50's by Hofmann's who were renowned Bentley special builders at the time & knew how to get the body proportions just right.



The car has just been fitted with the more powerful R Type engine which has been remanufactured to factory new spec at vast expense.



This is a real bugs in the teeth type car Perfect for Goodwood this coming summer.



She is completely sorted & trouble free. When you start her up she sounds like a spitfire.



On the road she pulls strongly & is lively to say the least. I have never driven a car that attracts more attention & thumbs up from other road users.



She comes taxed for a year & with a full MOT.

This is a stunning car, very driveable & will make an excellent long term investment whilst providing immense enjoyment for the owner.



Ask for Richard to arrange a viewing & test drive.

The pictures really do not do her justice. You need to see her in the flesh to appreciate what she is all about.



She has a lovely vintage patina to her & affords vintage Bentley motoring at a fraction of the price of a '30s blower Bentley.



Not for the faint of heart or shy retiring type!!!! Flying Jacket & goggles are required Kit!!! £54,000 (T) Prestige Cars Tel: 01442 236711 or 07967 260673



She is Located in Henley at the Homann's showroom who originaly built her & have since then maintained her.


Presenting the final Bentley Special for Christmas, Ebay Item number: 120196724878

1947 Bentley Mk VI with Bentley Eight Engine by Overtons of Leigh

Bentley SRH5 - Bentley Special by Overtons of Leigh.



This vehicle has been wonderfully built and crafted with no expense spared or corner cut, a truly marvellous individual motor car. It is no surprise then that it has been maintained and looked after to an equally high standard.



The vehicle was built around a 1947 Bentley Mk6 chassis (center section), with a 6.75 litre V8 engine, taken from a Bentley 8, as are it's powersteering, automatic gearbox and brake system.

It has adjustable suspension for racing and has been raced on the continent. However, driven socially it is extremely economical for the size of engine.



The body is aluminium and has been hand rolled specifically for this special Bentley. All parts on this vehicle are either genuine Bentley or hand crafted by skilled professionals. There are also 2 seats in the rear for short journeys.



It is a stunningly beautiful motor car with classic Bentley looks which is very pleasurable and rewarding to drive.



Must be seen to be truly appreciated! £95,000.00 GBP

It is surprising to see Bentley Azure wheels in a Mk VI, but you can do what you like with a special, that is the beauty of them.

Merry Christmas, and a safe holiday and festive season from Bentley Spotting.

Jankel Provenance Estate Car

I am a fan of Rolls Royce and Bentley estate cars or station wagons. They are just so practical.

The coach builder Jankel actually made two different versions of their well know Silver Spirit/Turbo R based estate cars.

One was called the Val d'Isere and the other the Provenance.

Here is the design of the Provenance.



This is the only known picture of the Provenance and it comes from the Jankel brochure. Please sent in more if they are out there.



This is the extract from the brodchure that explains the difference between the Val d'Isere and the Provenance.



Yes it is extended or stretched in the cargo section of the vehicle. Quite an ingenious idea.

As it has been a difficult task to find pictures of this car, I decided to photoshop what some more would look like.

Here is the first.



And another version. Stretched in the cargo section.



I would take one.

Bentley Caravan

I am not really a true fan of caravans, but when Rolls-Royce und Bentley Enthusiast Ulrich Baumewerd sent these pictures in to Bentley Spotting, you just have to admire.



Ulrich runs the website www.rolls-royce-bentley.de and these are his favourite pictures.



Not the most usual thing to pull with a Le Mans Bentley, but convenient if you do, if you know what I mean.



Definitely cosy.

Sultan of Brunei Bentley Continential R Special

Bentley Spotting has become known for the amount of modern coach built cars that get reported on, and for the individualisations people make to their Bentleys.

The most popular article has been about the Royal family of Brunei with their vast collection of coach built Rolls Royce and Bentley cars. There has been an expansion to other Royalty, particularity the Middle East as well as the occasional celebrity.

On a side note, does anyone have pictures of the Bentleys owned by African playboy quasi-Prince Teodorín Nguema Obiang who's father is Dictator of oil rich Equatorial Guinea? He is in the clan the apparently Sir Mark Thatcher was embroiled in with a coup attempt in 2004. He has charted Paul Allen's mega yacht, purchased a $35 Million Malibu property and invested $25 Million into a rap music label, and used to go out with the rapper Eve. Unlike Brunei however, his people still live on less than $1 per day and there are only 500,000 of them. I think they could do with better advisers. Read more in this LA Weekly article.

With Royalty and celebrities this is a reminder that this is a super market isle blog by the way, not a prestigious peer reviewed publication, so a bit of trash is allowed.

Now back to the current Bentley.

This is a Royal Family of Brunei Bentley Continential R Special. Most likely made for Prince Jefri.

Just look at those shark like bonnet vents. Just Great. Right on for a special Bentley.



It as for sale at Balmoral and here is the advertisement.

1993 Bentley Continental R (Special)

Specifications
Finished in Cobalt Blue with French Navy Hide, French Navy Top and Knee Roll, Royal Blue Wilton Carpets.

Believed to be 1 of only 2 made for the Sultan of Brunei, upgrades include Twin Intercoolers, Water Injection, Special Louvered Vents, 17" Bentley Alloy Wheels and Azure Seats.



Full Build Specification available along with Documented Service History.



Mileage
26,500

Price
£54,950



From the list of Bentley and Rolls Royce cars built for the Royal Family of Brunei it has been determined that the two cars referred to in the advertisment are the following:

SCBZB04D7PCH00207 Bentley Continental R JB3
SCBZH04D0PCH00208 Bentley Continental R 1 H



From the VIN these are 1993 Sultan Special Bentley Continental R's that were built together and both share UK registration.



The registration plates have since been transferred to another coach built Bentley Special owned by the Royal Family of Brunei.

More to come as always.

Bentley Stand at the Bologna Motor Show

Here is a fast run down of the Bentley stand at the recent Bologna Motor Show.

A yellow Bentley Continential GTC with black wheels, the Bentley Brooklands with different alloys wheels, and the Bentley Continential GT Speed.

Bentley Alloy Wheels

If only it was this easy to select new Bentley alloy wheels for your Turbo R.



I want that one. Or that one.

Photo courtesy Terry Walker of The Rolls-Royce Owners' Club of Australia, Western Australia Branch Inc (RROCWA). Used with permission.

Bentley Brooklands Photoshoot

Out the front on the factory in Crewe is the first registered Bentley Brooklands.

Com'on burnout!

Spiegel Bentley Continential GT Speed Review

I can not speak or read German.

However I do like reading German car reviews, as they are quite distinct, if not a bit peculiar. Culturally different one might say.

Take this Spiegel piece on the Bentley Continential GT Speed. It really is different.

They do things like record the sound on the indicator, record the horn, and even the sound of the warning beep. It is really quite surprising.

The article is here in German.



This is an English translation by yahoo here but it is a bit of a joke, as the title is 'Place deer factor ten' what ever that means. A little lost in translation.

Coming soon, Bentley with body by Zagato

I have been predicting for quite a while that coachbuilding is the new trend in modern automobile manufacturing.

People want to individualise there cars that they continually spend more time in. Why have something standard that resembles a domestic washing machine?

That is why it is no surprise that Italian coach builder Zagato is rumoured to be building a body for a modern Bentley.

Here is what they did to a modern Aston Martins DB 7. A total of 100 were made. Highly desirable.



Italiaspeed has reported on it here, and I will endeavour to obtain pictures as soon as they surface.

I still think that this coach build Bentley Buccaneer built for the Sultan of Brunei is designed by Zagato.



It is not known which car they are building a body for. Bets are on for the Continential GT, but they would be able to charge a lot more money if it was based on an Arnage. A Zagato Azure would certainly be nice.

1966 Press Photo

Rolls Royce and Bentley press photography always repeats itself. Just like fashion.

Here is the standard comparison between the old and the new. New for 1966.

Still looks great!



Crewe still use the same TU number plates today. The P1 number plate is a tad bit rarer though.

Mesh or Vains

When Bentley Turbo R's are side by side, sometimes it is hard to pick. Should I have the Bentley with a mesh grill or the Bentley with vains?



Hard choice.

Flying Mascots

Heavens above, flying Mascots!





Now the new mascot for 2007. It is electronically retractable. Similar to the modern Rolls Royce Phantom.



Congratulations to the photographer I do not recall.