Bad insider tip

Okay, so back in 1979 you have a nice Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

You get an insider tip (from a fortune teller maybe?) that in twenty years' time Volkswagen may take over Rolls-Royce and Bentley -which actually did turn out to be half right.

What do you do ? Dump the Roller and buy a VW.

I think they jumped the gun. (Stock, silly, not vehicles)

 

Two real photos taken two years apart in London.

What were they thinking...?

 

(posted by David Irvine)

Bentley R Type Continental on Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel reviews the Bentley R Type Continental.

"Built when tea was still being rationed in post war Britain, the Bentley redefined luxury and still managed to be the fastest four seater in the world."

Bentley Book Spotting

Let's take a look at a preview of a nice little book called "The Essential Buyers Guide Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Bentley T-Series: Including Corniche, Camargue, Silver Shadow II & Bentley T2: 1965 to 1995" by Malcolm Bobbitt.



Quite a long title for quite a little book. Quite useful thought.

As it is a Google Book Preview not all of the book is available. If you can not see it above, upgrade you browser or check it out here.

Old Ideas

In the early 1970's a series two Silver Shadow was being developed. The project considered major styling changes, but was soon abandoned and the subtly different Silver Shadow II we all know (and some of us love) finally came out in 1977.

This picture shows how the rear styling of a experimental model of the series II was to appear.



In my opinion the 1998 Silver Seraph ended up with this styling cue some twenty-five or so years later.



I do think I'm entitled to an opinion, and certainly others agree.

(Posted by David Irvine)

(Not so) Famous Flying Lady

Have you ever looked at The Spirit of Ecstasy up close?
She has a figure, a form , a face.
A work of art.



Designed by Charles Sykes in 1911 and modelled by Elenaor Velasco Thornton- Lord Montagu of Beaulieu's personal secretary (and lover, apparently)



- They produced an illegitimate daughter given up for adoption .
- where is she now?
(Ok, so she'd be 105 years old and probably no one is aware of how famous her mother was, or should I say is.).





Elenanor died on the 30th of December 1915 when the Germans (who now happen to own Rolls-Royce) in U-Boat U38 torpedoed the S.S. Persia on its way through the Mediterranean Sea to India.
Lord Montagu was with her , but survived , and was often quoted as saying "Poor Thorn..."







I actually know a Thornton and she was quite surprised to hear about the famous one that she'd never heard of....

(posted by David Irvine)

The New Bentley Continental GT Preview Video

Bentley has released this preview video of the upcoming new Bentley Continental GT.



If you can't see the video, upgrade your browser to a HTML5 one, or follow the link here.

They even have a countdown ticker on the site.

T Time

As well as Camargues, I also have a soft spot for the 'Project Tibet/Burma' series or the 'S.Y.' model.





A.K.A the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T series motor cars.





The Tibet project started in 1958 as a replacement for the ageing Silver Cloud and S series cars.



The final product came out in 1966.



More on this project will follow at a later date.



This particular car is a really nice 1967 Bentley T series spotted at the annual British Car Day in Oakville, Ontario, Canada two years ago.







(Posted by David Irvine)

Touring Down Under with the Bentley Drivers Club

The Bentley Drivers Club boys and girls have certainly been a busy mob for the last few months in Australia.



And I really do mean the last few months.



Firstly there was Over the Top Tour of Western Australia.



The Bentley Drivers Club of Western Australia hosted the tour and it set off on 18th June and arrived in Darwin on the 12th July 2010.



Alastair and his wife undertook the tour in a 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Coupe and kindly sent in these photos.





Foreigners just do not quite realise just how large Australia is. True blue. It's bloody big mate.



Just that little drive from Perth to Darwin was 5333km. That is over 3300 miles.



To put it into context, it is further than driving from London to Moscow and back again. That's right and back again. Bloody far.



A total of 44 other cars took part in the Over the Top Tour of Western Australia.



Amazing.



Being Australian, there are always a few people who like to take it that little bit further. And some did.



That's right, the next day after going Over the Top of Australia, they went Done the Side.



Down the side from Darwin to Brisbane. Make that another 3580km.



That tour went from 13th July to the 29th July.



Then on the Friday 30 July till Monday 2 August the Bentley Drivers Club Australian National Rally was held.





This was hosted by the Queensland branch of the Bentley Drivers Club and was centred around Sanctuary Cove.





Brian Carson was the official photographer for the National Rally and sent in these beautiful photographs.



It must have been quite a memorable trip, to say the least.



Thank you to Brian and Alister for sending in photographs, and congratulations to all those who took part and organised such a significant event.

I so want to go on a grand Bentley tour one day.

Game Hunting Bentley

Before climate change, before the hole in the Ozone layer and before political correctness there was tiger hunting.

Plenty of slaves would be there to help you as well, or were they servants?

Lets take look at an article published in The Motor on September 7th 1926 about a Bentley with many novel features.

(click on image to enlarge)



The detachable search lights with 100 yards of cord would be quite convenient in searching for fallen game.



What game you may ask? Tiger hunting. Not you are going to go watch a tiger hunt, but you are going to hunt a tiger.

Here is the trophy you get when you complete the game.



Very, very wrong. Very wrong.

Parts for sale

This is Terry Lee, the man in charge of Crewe Genuine Parts (left) with Superstar Richard Charlseworth (Director of V.I.P and Royal Relations for Bentley Motorcars) . I first met Richard 30 years ago at the Ulster Motor Show in Belfast as a pimply 17 year old when he was the man in charge of sales for Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland and Scotland back in 1980. I had the pleasure of meeting them both (Richard again) at the RROC National meet in Toronto last month.

Both are real characters and super guys who put on a wonderful show at the Bentley Overview meeting. Terry's a good contact if you have an order for pre Goodwood Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts. He certainly knows his stuff. Richard is full of good stories.

Being around these cars for 30 odd years can do that to you...

Yes, there's that 1800TU plate yet, again.

(posted by David Irvine)

1972 long Wheelbase Saloon Silver Shadow

This is New Yorker Scott Eddy's beautiful Velet Green LWB Silver Shadow.





Yes, it has a division.



With a nice personal radio for the rear.



Note the lack of the quarter panel rear inside mirrors, replaced by extra vents.



These extra vents are serviced by exterior air intakes in front of the boot lid.





Quite a nice car.



And here is Scott with his ribbon. Lovely.



(posted by David Irvine)