BENTLEY SPOTTING

It's the Rolls-Royce of Bentley websites.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Bentley Turbo R Two Door Coupe by Hooper

It is always a little exciting when a modern coachbuilt car comes on the market.

This one is no exception. It is a Bentley 2 door Turbo R by Hooper.

Bentley Turbo R 2 door Hooper

It is currently for sale at J.K. Seymour Ltd of leeds.

Bentley Turbo R 2 door Hooper

The car is a 1989 model in Brooklands green with Magnolia leather piped Spruce.

Bentley Turbo R 2 door Hooper

What is quite interesting about this advertisement is that it states that 10 Hooper 2 door cars were made. It is unknown it this figure is official, however it makes it interesting for Bentley Spotting.

A total of six 2 door Hoopers are pictures here, plus there are two more from America here, and a black one spotted in Japan here, and another for sale in Japan here, plus this one here, ohh that makes 11.

Keep them coming! They are certainly great cars to see.

Bentley Turbo R 2 door Hooper

What is really special is this photograph below. It was taken in Hooper whilst a 2 door was been coachbuilt.

Bentley Turbo R 2 door Hooper

It is certainly a very rare picture!

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Sunday, May 18, 2008

Bentley Brooklands Review Video

Video review of the Bentley Brooklands by Road & Track Magazine.

'Largest coupe interior in the world'

The panoramic shot from the back seat at 1.15 is just superb!

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Bentleys and Bikinis

A little trash now and again does pop up on bentleyspotting. Take a look here.

This is a double dose.

Bentley Continential GTC as shown by Patty Yu.



Bentley Continential Flying Spur as shown by Natazha. Yes that is correct, with a 'zee'.

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

Camargue Déjà vu

I like a good story. Especially one with a lot of speculation, a heavy dose of shadiness, through in an arms dealer who trades helicopters for coffee, a dodgy bank that bribes and how about tainting a Royal Family? Sounds interesting. Oh, and some Bentley spotting as well.

Lets start with some names. His Royal Highness King Hussein of Jordan, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, a one Mr Bilbeisi, Mann Egerton of London, Bank of Credit and Commerce International, Lloyd's of London, David the Bentley spotter and a 1977 Rolls-Royce Camargue JRH17364. Nice mix. There is certainly a plot in there.

Let me introduce the Rolls-Royce Camargue JRH17364. A nice number.



The Camargue was made in 1977 is currently for sale on ebay USA Item number: 290230910087. The Carmague is in Washington DC and it comes with a little bit of history.

A cynical RROC member will be nodding there head. Yes yes every Rolls Royce or Bentley has a story behind it. Get on with it.



You can tell that the car is not from around the DC area. It is right hand drive, and sports a UK registration plate. Only on the front that is, but unusually with the rear numberplate on the front. But please keep it there! It is the basis of why I am writing. TYO 826S mental note.



Now to the advertisement on ebay. It states "We have documentation from Mann Egerton of London England stating that this vehicle was purchased by a Mr. Bilbeisi for the late King Husain [sic] of Jordan. The vehicle was first registered in the United Kingdom 11.10.77. The car was driven in Jordan and was returned to Britain in 1986."



So it has been on adventures! I like it. Mann Egerton was a Rolls Royce dealer and coachbuilder who supplied their first body to a Rolls Royce in 1909. Documents from the company would be pretty solid.



Now it gets interesting. I wonder who Mr. Bilbeisi is. Google is your friend. It seems that the surname Bilbeisi is pretty popular in Jordan. Lets pick two.

You could guess that Mr Bilbeisi could be Mr Ali Bilbeisi or a relative, who is a founding member of Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan's Royal Health Awareness Society that is a 'newly formulated non-profit organisation which was established to promote health awareness among a wider public focusing on comprehensive access to information and help raise healthy and socially-responsible citizens, living in harmony within a safe environment.' Keep up the good work. From Queen Rania's website here.



But that sounds too realistic for a Rolls Royce history story.

Google directed to a York York Times article about another Mr Bilbeisi of Jordan called Munther Bilbeisi. A much more shady character. Most likely not associated with the Royal Family of Jordan at all, but the story would not be as exciting.

How about a Guatemalan - Jordanian coffee deal that involved a sketchy $30 million dollar loan from a dodgy bank who bribe in helicopters? Oh and some jet fighters thrown in with bombs and then been over charged? Sounds like this Mr Bilbeisi was a bit more interesting.

Read the article in the New York Times here.



And in mentioning jet fighters, the Camargue dials are just superb. Cockpit control. I would take one.



Now this is a bit unexpected. A Hooper and Co name plate. I do not know what modifications they did to this Royal car, but my guess wound be interior, there is a glimpse of a leather rear parcel shelf and is that a Hooper steering wheel? Hopefully the Mann Egerton documents will state what Hooper carried out.



Now to the pièce de résistance David the Bentley spotter. He was there. Taking photos of Rolls Royce and Bentley cars in the late 1970's and 80's.

Out the front of Mann Egerton.



And also happen to spot TYO 826S. Yes this exact car for sale on ebay, spotted when it was brand new in London. Simply amazing!



Was the King inside? We will never know.

A previous post about another Bentley spot that David found a modern picture of is here.

A big thank you to David for sending in his pictures of his Bentley spotting days from the late 70's and early 80's and for noticing the ebay ad.

If readers have old pictures or article ideas, please send them in.
bentleyspotting@gmail.com

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

Take a look at this view. It is special. It is coach building. It's not from the factory at Crewe.

The rear window. It is a little different. It is known as a privacy, or a discrete rear window and was made by that famous coachbuilder Hooper and Co. in the 1980's and 1990's.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

The window was designed to restrict the view inside the cabin from those peering in from the rear. Very much a don't read over my shoulder moment.

Also the impact is that the interior feels more homely and cosy, as the occupants are not as exposed, and it gives a greater sense of security in the cabin.

As to not make the interior claustrophobic, sometimes a rear sunroof was added to open up the light. Architects will tell you light is the only free thing in this world.

Here is a seemingly naughty peek inside the State of Qatar rear cabin of a Hooper and Co installed rear privacy window. Certainly nice and cosy.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

For those into engineering, take a look at this amazing picture. It is the privacy window mid construction at Hooper and Co. It is not something you see everyday on the internet.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

If you want one you are not alone. And they are sometimes a little hard to find. But they are out there.

Here is an example. Currently for sale by O'Loughlin Motors in the UK is this beauty.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

It is a 1989 Bentley Turbo R by Hooper in Brewster green.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

The rear window is certainly the attractive feature of the car.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

It really sets it apart from a standard Turbo R.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

The Hooper interior is also impressive. It has St. James red leather, and also has a leather leadliner and rear back parcel shelf.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

It has all wood veneers courtesy of Hooper, and comes with rugs and footrests.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

The asking price is £13,995.

Bentley Turbo R by Hooper

Pictures courtesy (Hooper, O'Loughlin Motors)

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Multi-Tone Bentley Mk IV

It's called a Bentley. It's beautiful. It's bodacious and it is bountifully low.



Multi-tone. With no insides.

Oh, for those who are not part of the target audience market, this is an advertisement for a new record being released by a hip hop group.

Though it would certainly be an experience buying a Bentley from these chaps to drive across America. Top dinner party conversation.

"I once bought a Bentley off a gentleman who called himself Raphael the sperminator who had sixteen children...."

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Saturday, May 10, 2008

The Bentley Rapier

Here is something very very special. A Bentley Special. But not on the same level as the standard Bentley Special made in the shed out the back from a rusty Mark IV.

The car is so special that it is just a Bentley model that you have probably not heard of. It is presumed to be the 1996 Bentley Rapier.

With the number plate JB 3 it does not stand for James Bond, but rather Jefri Bolkiah. That is Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother to the Sultan of Brunei. The playboy prince. Yes, the one who has a mega yacht called SS Tits, with tenders Nipple I and Nipple II.

Bentley Rapier

It is claimed that Prince Jefri Bolkiah spent three quarters of a million dollars a day every day for a decade. You would get a sore hand from swiping the credit card.

I certainly do not mind because we get to look at this. The Bentley Rapier.

Bentley Rapier

The Bentley Rapier was made in 1996 at the height of Prince Jefri's spending spree. A total of six Rapiers where made and all have successive VIN numbers.

Bentley Rapier

The Rapier is a coach build car made in Crewe on the special Sultan 'ZH' chassis. The ZH chassis was the bases for a number of other coach built cars from Crewe that were delivered to the Royal Family of Brunei.

Bentley Rapier

The car features a 6.75 Litre V8 single Garrett turbocharger non-catalyst engine, and has twin air bags and has right hand drive.

Bentley Rapier

The Bentley Rapier has the same alloy wheels as another coachbuilt car on the ZH chassis called the Bentley Buccaneer which can be read about here.

Bentley Rapier

It is a very rare sight to see the Rapier on the streets of London. The six were first registered in Brunei, but it is pretty easy to move cars around the world when you have 17 planes and many boats. The number plate JB 3 was previously on a Bentley Continential R also owned by the Royal Family of Brunei.

Bentley Rapier

Here are the six cars VIN numbers, name and Brunei registration plate numbers.

SCBZH16D7TCH00428 Bentley Rapier KF 9111
SCBZH16C7TCH00429 Bentley Rapier BP 220
SCBZH16C6TCH00430 Bentley Rapier KF 9991
SCBZH16C8TCH00431 Bentley Rapier KF 9555
SCBZH16CXTCH00432 Bentley Rapier BQ 7592
SCBZH16C1TCH00433 Bentley Rapier KF 9996

There are very limitied photographs of these Bentley Brunei Specials and here are some other known images of the Rapier in very low resolution.









For more on Royal cars on Bentleyspotting filter posts by the label Sultans, Shieks, Kings and Queens.

Special mention to Basman007, a Brunei car addict.

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Sunday, May 04, 2008

1924 Bentley 3 Litre Le Mans Wining Team



Frank Clement, WO Bentley and John Duff.



Now behind the wheel. There are some happy faces.

Pictures are high resolution. Click images to in large. Good for printing.

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