High Speed Run in a Continental GTC Speed

The Bentley Continental GTC Speed is the fastest four seater convertible in the world.

Here is a nice video by Autocar of the Speed speeding.

Will it hit 200 miles per hour? Roof up or roof down?

Faster? Well loose the camera man - that saves an average of 85 kilos, plus matey, you could loose 40-50 kilos, then go for it with limited fuel in the tank and you could squeezes out a couple more miles... or maybe it is just the aerodynamics.

Try that on the high street! Maybe not.

Toronto Stash

It's always a little cheeky to hide things away. Especially from the wife. But on occasions it is nice to let people see.



Well one good boy in Toronto stashes his toys away in the basement. Or is it a barn?



And it's a stash of Rolls Royce and Bentley cars. Nice toys!



David Irvine was quite a lucky chap today and got to view these toys and made this little video.

A couple of Turbo R's, a couple of Corniches, a couple of Clouds, a Silver Spur, a Silver Shadow and a Camargue I think! Very nice collection!

Rolls Royce Mulliner Park Ward Limousine

Nowei, wei. Yes. It is my favourite limousine.

The Rolls Royce Silver Spur II Touring Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward.



Spotted in the back streets of Hong Kong. Just the name of this car sounds like it is going places.



Apparently 91 were made, a lot larger number than I expected.



And this one is for sale.



Vincent Motors of G/F, 8 Dragon Road, Tin Hau, Hong Kong currently has this car listed for $HKD780K. Quite a reasonable price.

I do like a good occasional seat!



Of the 91 Rolls Royce Silver Spur II Touring Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward made, I wonder just how many ended up in the hands of the Royal Family of Brunei?



Your Royal Highness.

Thanks Jurriën again for the link.

The King of Pop's Rolls Royces

It is well known that Michael Jackson was a good spender.

Something a touch intrusive to do is to have a look through the Auction catalogues of the Neverland Estate. Julien's Auction House was commissioned to sell all items from Neverland, but then of course there were legal disputes and the auction never took place.

That was in April of this year. The catalogues are still available for viewing here. A number of the decorative arts MJ collected do have themes, there where are quite a number of cupids, standing male youth holding a posy in white marble, bronze boy playing the pan pipe, marble statue of boy with mouse trap, bronze statue of boys catching crabs, that kind of thing. Who would have thought!

His car collection was also going to go under the hammer. And he had two Rolls Royce chariots.

Firstly this beautiful 1999 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph stretched limousine.



From the coachwork it looks American, bit I am unaware of the coachbuilder.



But this car is not so much about how it look from the outside, it's the interior that counts!

It is a jaw dropper! Talk about a neo-baroque spectacular! Wow!



It's not for everyone, but it's not meant to be. I think it has progressed from being so ridiculous to a sensory spectacle. Just take a look at the details.



There is a French Ormolu clock, which is most likely worth a lot more than the car. And look it's cupid.



Just look at the urns!



That is the Spirit of Ecstasy on both urns. Very customised. You can't just buy them off the shelf. Apparently Michael designed the interior.



The ceiling detail does suit the car. It is not a complete illusionistic ceiling painting that we have seen before, but it is very nice.



The second Rolls Royce chariot of Michael Jackson is a 1990 Rolls Royce Silver Spur II stretched limousine.



It does have a raised roof, so quite a bit of coachwork has been undertaken, and it does look well proportioned.



The interior is a touch disappointing after the Silver Seraph, but still with the appropriate curtains for proper privacy.



I wonder what MLS stand for?



This photo appeared in the Crewe Chronicle this week. Les Powell a Rolls Royce Motors employee remembers when the Jackson's come to Crewe, and dug up a photo of them inside the factory.



Michael's not in the shot though, but it still is a rare site! Nice V8.

Derby Bentley Factory

Every been interested in having a bit of a look around the old Derby factory?

Well, why not say - right now?

Here is the Derby Factory from above. Zoom in a take a look around.

View Larger Map

And here is it from the street. Again, use the controls to walk around the factory, and have a look at the boarded up buildings!

This is the main entrance.

Go on click on the image below and have a look around.

View Larger Map

And one of the side gates. Not the most hospitable entrances.

View Larger Map

It is quite interesting. I'm just happy that architectural styles develop and grow, and as for me the Derby factory is a touch dull and dreary. I think the psychiatrists would have made a lot of money. But that would not be proper. There was probably a keep calm and carry on attitude amongst the workers I'm sure.

Bentley Mk V for sale.

P.A. Wood are renown for their superb cars for sale, and this one is no different.

It is a Bentley Mk V Park Ward 4-Door Saloon from 1939.

Yes a Mk V, a total of which 11 were completed with bodies and 4 additional chassis were also made. Some were lost in the war.

It certainly is a very rare car indeed.



The ad reads, "Dark Blue and Grey with Grey hide upholstery. Experimental car with a most interesting history."



"Amazing performance for a pre-war car. Chassis No. 1R1."



I'm sure the history will be quite interesting! Definitely one for a collection.

Bentley Arnage RL 728

I have to admit that I am a bit of a fan of the Bentley Arnage RL 728.



It is like a stately home. It is about as large, and contains just about the same amount of trees.



And customised furniture as well.



It is an object that would get passed down from generation to generation with stories to go with it, like my great grandfather that once made the driver take every person in the pub home in it one night, or the story about my youngest sister who was born in the back - that kind of thing.

Certainly something that you would never sell. It would be a discredit to the family name and look quite bad with the neighbour.

But really, it is a hard car to take down to McDonald's drive through during a recession.

Well one Russian is getting rid of his.



This 2003 Bentley Arnage 728 Limousine is currently for sale at Bentley Москва 8-й км Рублево Успенского шоссе Московская область. The dealership is located in the 'Барвиха Luxury Village'. Nice. How much for your daughter?

Thanks Jurriën for the tip.

Bentley Turbo R Hooper

Here is a Bentley Turbo R Hooper currently advertised in Germany.



It reads that it is a Bentley Turbo R Plus - and unusually does not mention Hooper in the ad.



But one can certainly tell by the additions to this car. The rear Hooper window is a dead giveaway, as are the colour coded bumpers.



The chromed alloys with a black B are not from the factory, and if you look closely there is the Hooper extra chrome strip between the rear lights.



The interior is a bit special as well.



All the extra wood is very nice.



And take a look at that centre console. The installed phone is quite a period feature!



It is one to take along to a drivers club, owners or enthusiasts meet. It would start conversation.



It is for sale by MK Automobile & Boote for 17.990 EUR



It is an 1989 model by the way. Special.

New grand Bentley Eight?

So what is in a name? Well, when it comes to Bentley Motors and the naming of cars, there is certainly a lot of history, precedent and expectation, with a healthy does of innovation, but all in all it is certainly not a predictable course.

But the hints have been mountain up.

My guess is that the new grand Bentley will be called the Bentley Eight.

The new grand Bentley will be the first 100% grand Bentley since the 1931 Bentley 8 litre.

And what have been the latest names? The Speed, the Super Sport, the Brooklands, the Azure, Flying Spur - no Bentley since the split from Rolls Royce has had a new name. They all have been named after previous Bentley cars.

In the latest Bentley Magazine they said that only a great car can be called Eight, and compaired the 8L to the new grand Bentley. Also Bentley Motors apparently just purchased W.O's old Bentley 8L as well.

It certainly would make a good marketing strategy.

Now lets look at the lastest teaser video on th new grand Bentley.

Here it is. Dirk Van Braeckel having a yarn about his design. And yes it features a comparison to the 1931 Bentley 8L, registration No. GW2386, Chassis No. YM5038 with Engine No. YM5038.

We will soon see if it will be called the Bentley Eight.

Parts Junket at Crewe

Now this is a very unexpected press release from Bentley Motors.

It reads:

RARE GLIMPSE INSIDE BENTLEY AND ROLLS-ROYCE 15 July, 2009

Owners, enthusiasts and traders invited to Bentley Motors (26-27 September) for unique parts and accessories sales fair.



One of the motor industry’s hidden treasure troves will be opened for the first time in September when Bentley Motors holds a one-off parts and accessories sales fair.

The famous Crewe-based manufacturer will be offering professional traders and owners of both Bentley and Crewe-built Rolls-Royce cars, as well as enthusiasts of these iconic British marques, the opportunity to purchase anything from a V8 engine block or replacement gearbox right through to an indicator bulb or pristine, beautifully illustrated 1950s handbook.



Bentley Motors holds over 55,000 part lines for all Bentley models (1955 onwards) as well as Rolls-Royce cars built in Crewe (1955-2002) at its state-of-the-art 143,000 square foot warehouse on the outskirts of the Cheshire town. This equates to an astonishing 7 million items - all stored and catalogued on the company’s database.

The September sales fair will enable Bentley to create additional space for parts and accessories for upcoming cars like the Continental Supersports and the much anticipated all-new Bentley which is due to make its debut in California this August.

“Even Bentley employees describe our parts and accessories operation as a ‘goldmine’ and are slightly overawed by the sheer number and variety of parts and accessories we can supply”, comments Steve O’Hara Director of Aftersales at Bentley Motors.



“However with so many Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars enjoying far longer lives than a typical vehicle and owners seeking to keep them in the best possible condition, we need to be able to support these customers and many more generations of owners. We take real pride in being able to provide anything from a humble speedometer cable through to replacement body panels anywhere in the world.

This event will be a real one-off. It is very rare for us to be able to open the doors like this so we hope that Bentley and Rolls-Royce aficionados will make the most of the opportunity.”

Over the weekend a range of Bentley’s factory trained experts will be on-site to provide visitors with advice on identifying and sourcing the correct parts for their car. All the items will be clearly catalogued and displayed by model type with a range of systems available to source the perfect part.

Unlike a typical ‘autojumble’, all the parts available will be original and unused, backed with a manufacturer warranty and many provided in branded packaging. Bentley’s official logistics partner will also attend the weekend to support any customers needing parts to be shipped.



Richard Lawrie, Heritage Parts Manager at Bentley Motors, comments:

“We will be providing a large marquee to display the parts and hope that the selection will meet the requirements of specialist companies who restore and service these remarkable cars as well as the owner enthusiast seeking a rare item and the opportunity to buy directly from the warehouse.”

Anyone wishing to attend this unique Bentley parts and accessories can register their interest by contacting the team at heritage.event@bentley.co.uk by 21 August 2009.

[ends]

It unusually does not mention cost. It does not say they are discounted Crewe parts, just that they are opening their doors. Well unzipping the marquee. Maybe.
We'll see.

Send in your pictures of the event!

The Car's the Stars

Now this is a great video.

The Shad! Go the Shad!

It is just me, or is that AX201 leading the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow through the streets of New York?



I think it could be!

Modest Down Payment

I'll show you the air-conditioning.

Nice.

W.O. Bentley's dream is coming alive.

Today Bentley released the following press release and photograph.

"Crewe: Wednesday 8 July. Bentley Motors today celebrates its 90th anniversary and confirms that its all-new Bentley will be revealed - and named - in August at the Pebble Beach Concours D’ Elegance in Monterey, California where the company is a featured marque.



Founded by W.O. Bentley in 1919, the company’s first production car, the 3-litre was delivered in September 1921. Over the next ten years, Bentley went on to produce an array of iconic motor cars. At the same time, the exploits of the immortal Bentley Boys – a select group of businessmen, sportsmen and bons vivants – forged the company’s proud sporting pedigree both on and off the racetracks of Europe. The Bentley Boys made the legendary Le Mans endurance race their own, winning five times between 1924 and 1930.

The all-new grand Bentley captures the 1920s ‘grand touring’ spirit of the Bentley Boys, delivering the effortless driving, exclusivity and adventure desired by the real motoring enthusiast. A unique fusion of elegant design, hand craftsmanship and technological innovation, the new model embodies the potent yet luxuriously refined driving experience that is ‘pure Bentley’. These have been the hallmarks of a Bentley since that first test drive in 1920.



It is fitting that the 90th anniversary of the Company will be marked by an all-new car. Such events are rare milestones in the Company’s history. Designed, engineered and built in Crewe, which has been home to Bentley Motors for over 60 years, it has been a ‘once in a career experience’ for many involved. The car and its name, which will be revealed at Pebble Beach on 16 August, signal a new era in British luxury motoring."

And also Bentley released another video is the 'grand new Bentley' series:

"W.O. Bentley's dream is coming alive."

Five more videos to go.

the grand new Bentley S1 or S2

The cheeky people at Car Magazine have pulled off a major scoop and have published these pictures of the new grand Bentley!





First impressions after Wow! - is that is looks like a reinterpreted Bentley S1 or S2!! Don't you think?

The major single headlight and a lower outer smaller headlight. It fits the bill for the new grand Bentley.



Here are the headlights up close. They are very modern as expected using LED technology.



This is the only official released photograph so far.



And now the Car Magazine side photo of the new car. It certainly is the same.



These unauthorised photos have been taken inside Crewe, and that black blob above is actually a person in the photo. Lets lighten it up to see more.



Back of the head only. And the date stamp on the camera it obviously wrong. But I do think that this gentleman will be spoken to at Crewe on Monday.

This is the final photo that has been released so far by Car Magazine. There is more to come on Monday.

It does look a little weird, as I do not see any roof on the car! Is it actually an Azure? I'm not sure.



The car in the background of this photo also looks like a a convertible. All will be relieved shortly I'm sure.



The front grill is as expected.



The under bumper grill certainly does remind me of the Zagato Bentley.



There is talk that the car will be called the Bentley Grand, but no one really knows so far. More on Project Kimberley on Monday.