The Bentley Phoenix by Pininfarina

The Bentley Phoenix by Pininfarina.

Crewe Project Code P105 Bentley Phoenix for the Royal Family of Brunei.

The Bentley Phoenix was a joint project of Crewe (Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd & Bentley Motors Ltd) of Cheshire, UK and Pininfarina S.p.A (Pininfarina Studi E Ricerche (PFSR)) of Turin, Italy.

For context, prior to joint projects between Crewe and Pininfarina, Pininfarina had been working with Alfred Tan of Hong Seh Motors Pte Ltd of Singapore.  Alfred Tan had been supplying Bentley Continental R and Turbo R cars to Pininfarina for coachbuilding into exclusive cars. These exclusive cars were then supplied through Hong Seh Motors of Singapore to the Royal Family of Brunei.

These Pininfarina specially built cars include the Bentley Turbo R 4-door Convertible, the Bentley Turbo R 2-door Convertible, the 1994 Bentley B2 and the 1994 Bentley B3.

Following these cars, the Royal Family of Brunei, most likely HRH Prince Hakeem Jefri, HRH Prince Jefri's son, where HRH Prince Jefri is the brother of HM the Sultan of Brunei, actually wanted ex-works exclusive cars from the factory at Crewe, and not just from an external coachbuilder.

So this bought about the joint working projects of Crewe and Pininfarina of exclusive cars for Royal Family of Brunei, presumably overseen by HRH Prince Hakeem.

Mr Paolo Garella from Pininfarina was the contact for Crewe on this project, who head of Special Projects at Pininfarina.

The first joint project was Project CONTAN, where the codename CONTAN stood for CONtinental R Convertible for Alfred TAN. This code name was later changed to P100, where P100, the Bentley Continental R Convertible would later become the production car, the 1995 Bentley Azure.

However, Brunei wanted exclusive cars, not cars that Crewe were going to make production versions of, and this was a problem for the Continental R Convertible.

So - here comes the rumours - the story goes apparently Crewe possibly made a deal with Brunei to supply them with the Bentley Phoenix and the Bentley Spectre, in exchange for P100 to become a production car, the Azure.

We can certainly thank the Royal Family of Brunei for the Bentley Azure.

So back to this car, the Crewe Project Code P105 Bentley Phoenix.

Both Crewe Project Code P105 Bentley Phoenix and Crewe Project Code P104 Bentley Spectre were constructed at the same time.

The yellow car is the P105 Bentley Phoenix and the black car next to it is P104 Bentley Spectre.

The first order was for 6 cars of each, then later a repeat order of 3 cars of each type was made.

• 6 x 1995 Bentley Phoenix
• 3 x 1996 Bentley Phoenix - a repeat order

The cars were made on the Bentley Continental R chassis, where Pininfarina made the body into a convertible, then build the new Phoenix body of the car. 

Part were supplied directly from Crewe to Pininfarina.

The roof is the same as CONTAN/P100 (Bentley Azure) made by Pininfarina and was installed by Pininfarina.

The rear lights are quite unique, as it the shape of the boot.

Unlike the CONTAN/P100 (Bentley Azure) cars, the Bentley Phoenix cars were shipped back to Crewe for final assembly after Pininfarina had made the body and convertible roof.

Apparently special block out sight screens were used at Crewe on the production assembly line, to literally hide the assembly of the Bentley Phoenix and the Bentley Spectre from view. These cars were kept secret from the rest of the Crewe workforce and were not to be seen by people who did not need to know.

Of special note is that the 1995 Bentley Phoenix and the 1995 Bentley Spectre were the first Crewe cars to ever be installed with electronic traction control.

Also, the wheels where custom forged for this project, and are of different designs for P104 Bentley Spectre and P105 Bentley Phoenix. The cars use Avon TurboSpeed CR228D tyres of size 255/55WR17.

The Bentley Phoenix VIN is coded as a Special Project model with "H" identifying it as a Crewe Special Project for Brunei.

SCBZH04A7SCH00141

• SCB = UK; Bentley Motors
• Z = SZ chassis (Turbo R/Conti R/Silver Spirit/Spur), 
• H = Special model for Brunei (HM Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah - in Malay culture a person's first name is used)
• 04 = 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbo, non catalyst - however Crewe Project Code P300 Engine was installed with twin turbos at 527bhp, and exclusive engine for Brunei.
• A = Active Seat Belts
• 7 = Checksum
• S = 1995
• C = Crewe factory
• H = Home market (Right hand drive)
• 00141 = chassis number - this number is a series for "H" Special Model cars for Brunei

Take a look at the P300 SuFaCon Engine - the Super Fast Continental Engine for Brunei. The twin top mounted turbos look quite cool.

Check out the special Brunei Plaque on the engine value cover. 

Here are the details of all the 9 Bentley Phoenix cars made.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	M1NTS	1995	SCBZH04A7SCH00141
Bentley	Phoenix	BN99	1995	SCBZH04A9SCH00142	Green
Bentley	Phoenix	BN5005	1995	SCBZH04A0SCH00143
Bentley	Phoenix	unknown	1995	SCBZH04A4SCH00144
Bentley	Phoenix	BN5225	1995	SCBZH04A4SCH00145
Bentley	Phoenix	BN5335	1995	SCBZH04A6SCH00146	Grey
Bentley	Phoenix	BP9969	1996	SCBZH04C6TCH00473	Black
Bentley	Phoenix	BP502	1996	SCBZH04C8TCH00474	Yellow
Bentley	Phoenix	BP1928	1996	SCBZH04CXTCH00475	Blue

We know there is another Black coloured Bentley Phoenix either SCBZH04A0SCH00143 or SCBZH04A4SCH00145. A red Bentley Phoenix is also know.

Let's take a look at individual Bentley Phoenix cars.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	M1NTS	1995	SCBZH04A7SCH00141

The registration is cool, it's M1NTS - I really hope it is a green car, but it is unknown. This car was registered in the UK - but the DVLA says to call them. 

Gday mate - yeah, I'm calling on behalf of the Sultan of Brunei - you guys know what happened to M1NTS? 

It's a Bentley Phoenix.... yes correct, it's not in your database...... yes, it is a real Bentley..... yes I'm sure it's called a Phoenix.... yes it's like an Azure, but the 5th digit of the VIN is a H - so it's a Special Project car... it's like a custom car... no it's not a kit car.... no it's not made in a shed... 

Hopefully the M1NTS were not eaten.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	BN99	1995	SCBZH04A9SCH00142	Green

Here are pictures of SCBZH04A9SCH00142.

Notice how the convertible roof is the exact same as the Bentley Azure, it was on this car before the production of the Azure.

Check out the unique alloy wheels with Avon tyres on the Bentley Phoenix.

Take a peek at what's behind and around. That's a Bentley B2 by Pininfarina. Actually to the right is another Bentley Phoenix, same unique alloy wheels. To the left is a Bentley Pegasus Coupe.

.

The car is located is Garage 1 Upper Floor in Jerudong, Brunei.

The interior is very much Continental R, though the door cards are unique.

The front seats I think are BMW, or could be Mercedes-Benz, they were used as for their seat mounted seat belt attachment. I can't remember the exact model of seat, I'll look it up later, or someone please let me know. 

Here is a picture of the Bentley Phoenix behaving like a Phoenix basking out and about with the top down in the sun.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	unknown	1995	SCBZH04A4SCH00144

This car SCBZH04A4SCH00144 was not on Brunei Master VIN list, which is a leaked Excel document containing data on the 1000s of Brunei cars.

That means it's either in the UK, or located in another Palace of a Royal away from the main garages.

It is known that this car was built.  

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	BP9969	1996	SCBZH04C6TCH00473	Black

Car SCBZH04C6TCH00473 is also located in Garage 1 Upper Floor in Jerudong, Brunei.

There are many, many coachbuilt Bentley cars in this garage.

Those are standard Continental R rear view mirrors.

To the left of this car out of frame is the Bentley Phoenix car above.

Black on black, classic spec.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	BP1928	1996	SCBZH04CXTCH00475	Blue

This blue on blue spec Bentley Phoenix is also located in Garage 1 Upper Level.

It is next to a Bentley B2 and behind a Bentley Imperial.

Let's take a look at the remaining 4 Bentley Phoenix cars made.

3 are located in the Black Room Car Gallery of Brunei, and the 4th it's not known where it's located and not pictured.

So 3 of these 4 cars are in the Black Room.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Bentley	Phoenix	BN5005	1995	SCBZH04A0SCH00143
Bentley	Phoenix	BN5225	1995	SCBZH04A4SCH00145
Bentley	Phoenix	BN5335	1995	SCBZH04A6SCH00146	Grey
Bentley	Phoenix	BP502	1996	SCBZH04C8TCH00474	Yellow

To make it a bit more interactive - and to attempt to document every photo of the Bentley Phoenix, I've made a layout map of all the cars in the Black Room - and below is all the photos of the 3 Bentley Phoenix cars in the gallery.

What is funny is that they did not take direct photos on 1 of the 3 Bentley Phoenix cars in the room, however you can see the car in the back ground of 2 other images.

Have fun looking around the Slide show. 

Click on the Arrows to see the photos of the Bentley Phoenix cars in the Black Room.

You can check here all the cars in the Black Room Gallery, and the crazy path the photographer took.

A Bentley Turbo R Emperor Non-Division Limousine by Hooper & Co.

This is a rare one. I don't think this car has ever been described before.

A Bentley Turbo R Emperor Non-Division Limousine by Hooper & Co.

I think that name sums up this car quite well.

Calling it just a Bentley Hooper Emperor or Bentley Emperor by Hooper is not descriptive enough, as it does not indicate which Bentley it is based on.

Having a limousine with no division is unusual, and is also generally noted in the description. It's not an Emperor State Limousine by Hooper, as it does not have the extra glass panel in the rear door like the State limousines do.

So I think I'm on track calling it a Bentley Turbo R Emperor Non-Division Limousine by Hooper & Co.

It has a Sony Trinitron 5" colour TV and VCR to the rear of the front centre console, an additional VCR on the rear parcel shelf.

It features a drinks cabinet with 4 cut crystal glasses to rear passenger seat, a drinks cabinet with 2 cut crystal bottles and 1 silver shaker to rear drivers seat and picnic tables above the drinks cabinets.

The picnic tables and drinks cabinet are framed together, faced in book-matched burr walnut with inlay.

The doors have burr walnut cards and caps with inlay, as well as burr walnut magazine storage.

What I have not seen before is that the front door card wood panels have been perforated in the shape of the Bentley B logo, presumable to house additional speakers to the upper section of the doors.

The dashboard interesting does not have inlay, where Hooper has not touched the Crewe install wood. 

The front centre console is Turbo R and the instrumentation is standard from a post 1990 30000 series Bentley.

There is a two bottle refrigerator to the rear centre console, with walnut cup holders to the underside of the fold down cover.

Under the seat section of the rear centre console houses a vanity cabinet, containing two perfume dispensers, a brush, vanity mirror and mostly likely a grooming set in a leather fold out container.

Tread plates by Hooper & Co are also present. 

As expected, the coachwork consists of a Hooper reduced rear window and has an extension by 550mm and a raised roof by 60mm forming the Touring Limousine body. 

The wheels are alloy Turbo R standard specification, the bumper bars have had the usual metal surfaced painted in black, and the grille vanes have also been painted black. 

For the Bentley Spotters - yes, that is the front of a Bentley Java facing the Bentley Turbo R Emperor Non-Division Limousine by Hooper & Co.

Yes, just be amazed at the amount of SZ Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars located in Garage 1, Ground Floor. There are 3 lanes of cars to the centre, mostly SZ limousines by Hooper, Jankel and MPW, and to the sides of the centre lanes there are two cars parked in tandem. There is also Floor 2 above this which houses many, many coachbuilt Bentley cars. Check out this site for more about them.

The numberplate is DPD where DPD stands for "Di-Pertuan Digadong", which is an abbreviation of the Malay title "Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Di-Gadong Sahibul Mal" loosely translating to 'His Royal Highness, Prince, born of the First Clan, Principal Minister of the State under the Sultan' - a title given by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei to his brother, HRH Prince Jefri. In short "DPD = Jefri's car".

I like to provide the VIN numbers for these cars, however as this car is by an external coachbuilder, the VIN number decodes to a standard model, and I'm unaware if all the Hooper records are available. 

I have filtered down the options for this car being one of the 40 cars below. 

That is post 1990 car, of either Turbo R or RL as Hooper is known to have used both the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur for Emperor Limousines, where the car has a DPD numberplate.

The Black Room Car Gallery of Brunei

Let's experience the Black Room Car Gallery of Brunei.

Simply the most secretive, unique and expensive car gallery in the world.

28 cars are in the gallery

• 19 Bentley > Java Estate, Rapier, Phoenix, Spectre, Grand Prix, Buccaneer, Continental R 4-Door LWB, Pegasus Coupe, B3, Silverstone, Monte Carlo, Continental R Convertible
• 5 Ferrari >  FX, 456GT Sedan, 456GT Coupe Night Vision, F90, Mythos
• 3 Aston Martin > Vantage Special Coupe, Lagonda Sedan
• 1 McLaren > F1

27 of the 28 cars are unique coachbuilt cars only from Brunei with the exception of the McLaren F1.

121 photos were published and are included in the Google Slide

• Canon PowerShot G1 was used at 2048 x 1536 resolution
• 2 hrs 26 mins was spent in the gallery
• First photo at 23:10 on Saturday 08/12/2001 IMG_1329.JPG
• Last photo at 01:36 on Sunday 09/12/2001 IMG_1477.JPG
• 148 photos taken
• 27 pictures not uploaded - random images throughout sequence
• 4.3 average photos per car

Yes, the path the photographer took is a bit crazy, but you can follow it and click on any of the arrows that show the exact location and direction that the image was taken from.

The seemingly erratic nature of the path taken caused the photographer to miss taking direct photographs of one car. You can see this car in the background of other images.

Can you see which one?

The Bentley Continental R Touring Limousine for the Royal Family of Brunei

• A Bentley with a Rolls-Royce VIN? - Yes
• A Continental R on the front of a Silver Spur? - Yes
• As a Touring Limousine? - Yes
• The middle row seats facing forward? - Yes
• No central division? - Yes
• Only make them in black? - Yes
• Make 10 of them? - With Pleasure
• Let's describe the Bentley Continental R Touring Limousine

It's fun to discover new things about Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.

To describe a Bentley model that I do not think have every been described or published before is not an everyday occurrence.

Let me introduce the Bentley Continental R Touring Limousine for the Royal Family of Brunei.

The funny thing about the Bentley Continental R Touring Limousine is that the data about this car has been right in front of us for 17 years, and I don't think anyone has decoded it.

A bit of background. In 2007 an Excel document containing 492 Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars owned by the Royal Family of Brunei was leaked. 

I got a copy straight away and started to analyse the information. That's when I wrote about all the previously unheard of names of the coachbuilt Crewe cars and published the collection of all known leaked images of these vehicles.

In the more recent years Marinus Rijkers through his amazing research was able to definitively describe the coachbuilt cars of Brunei and publish factory documented photographs.

Last month a set photographs taken in 2001 in Brunei was leaked, where we could now see many on these cars in situ for the first time. This has sparked a renewed interested in the information available.

• 492 RR&B cars in the Master VIN list 
• 106 cars described as CONT.R
• Of the 106 cars - 8 do not seem quite right

Data of Master VIN List:

BEN CONT.R DPD SCAZW00DXPCH80052

BEN CONT.R DPD SCAZW00DXPCH80049

BEN CONT.R DPD SCAZW00D2PCH80045

BEN CONT.R DPD SCAZW00D6PCH80050

BEN CONT.R DPD SCAZW00D8PCH80048

BEN CONT.R DPD SCAZW00D8PCH80051

BEN CONT.R NONE SCAZW00D1PCH80053

BEN CONT.R DPD SCBZW00D6PCH80047

Just by looking at this list of 106 CONT.R cars, it's easy not to notice that something is not quite right. 

The models are just described as Bentley Continental R cars - so they are not exotic like the coachbuilt cars with unusual names where these cars have simply been looked over.

Let's work out what is not quite right. 

• BEN = Bentley
• CONT.R = Model
• DPD/None = Numberplate, where DPD stands for "Di-Pertuan Digadong", which is an abbreviation of the Malay title "Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Di-Gadong Sahibul Mal" loosely translating to 'His Royal Highness, Prince, born of the First Clan, Principal Minister of the State under the Sultan' - a title given by the Sultan of Brunei to his brother HRH Prince Jefri. In short "DPD = Jefri's car".
• VIN = Crewe issued 17 digit VIN.

But the VINs are wrong - that's not a Bentley Continental R VIN! 

There are the occasional typos in the list of 492 cars, but there would not be 8 wrong VINs and car models - something is up with this.

Let's decode the VINs. I've written an article how to decode Bentley VINs here.

Read more »

The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque Phantom Limousine

The Silver Cloud is a classic Rolls-Royce with timeless elegance, great lines and a true product of the 1950s and 1960s.

The 1959 Silver Cloud II marked the introduction of the legendary L-Series V8 engine and had the longest production run of any engine in a production car, where Bentley only stopped making them in 2020 with the conclusion of the Bentley Mulsanne.

Rolls-Royce Cloudesque named this project P240, or Project 240 at Crewe. Later  due to the proportions people thought it was a Phantom, so the car could also be referred to as the The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque Phantom Limousine, or even the Silver Cloud Limousine. However in the Brunei records the car is called the Rolls-Royce Cloudesque.

The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque was styles by Futura Design in Birmingham and but build by Tickfords in Milton Keynes.  It was build as a unibody car, similar to the Rolls-Royce Touring Limousine, and has modern running gear from the 1995 Silver Spirit III.

Initially two were ordered in 1995, then another order was recieved for a fur two in 1997. 

Here are the known details of the cars made.

Marque	Model	Rego	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	N282AMP	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00061	Special Grey
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	KF7899	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00062	Special Grey
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	BQ6363	1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00468	Black
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine		1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00469

Marque	Model	Rego	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	N282AMP	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00061	Special Grey

The first Rolls-Royce Cloudesque was registered in the UK with number plate N282AMP.

It was registered as a 1996 Rolls-Royce in Grey, and did not list the model.

The date of last V5C (logbook) issued was 19 November 1996 and Tax is due 11 November 1996. so they are a little late with this. It is not known if this car is still in the UK, or if it is in Brunei.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	KF7899	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00062	Special Grey

The second Rolls-Royce Cloudesque is in Brunei, and we have photographs.

Here it is. Certainly a modern interpretation of a Silver Cloud, but larger like a Phantom.

You can see the length in this image.

That is all 1995 Rolls-Royce switch gear!

Interestingly this car does not have occasional seats.

Those chrome bumper bars do not look like a 1995 car, but it is.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	BQ6363	1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00468	Black

Here is the tried car made, from the second batch of cars in 1997.

Let's start with the back seat. 

Seatbelts for two - with 6 pleats either side of a central 2 pleat folding arm rest.

Look at the size of the picnic tables - they are very large, more like drawing tables.

Notice the Asprey clock? Yeah, HRH Prince Jefri who order this car also bought Asprey.

Those are standard bullseye aircon vents, as still used today in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.

Notice the different centre console between the 1995 car and this 1997 car?

The 1995 car has the centre console that look like a Rolls-Royce, and the 1997 centre console looks more like a Bentley with continuous console to the centre arm rest.

I would presume that by 1997 Rolls-Royce now knew the customers preferences and made it more exacting.

With this image you can see the proportions and the Silver Cloud-esque, hence Cloudesque shape.

It even has the lover under head lamp vents as per the Silver Cloud and Silver Shadow cars/

It does looks large like a Phantom.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	unknown	1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00469	unknown

The fourth and final car is not on the Brunei Master VIN list. This implies that it is not in Brunei, or that if it is, it is held in one of the Palaces and there is no record of it. It may also have been delivered to the UK and not registered. 

Or, as it was a 1997 potentially it was not delivered to Brunei as the money stopped around this time.

The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque seems very much like a folly.  It does not have occasional seats to take the children, it's formal enough, but not as much as a Phantom, it's not a car to drive as it has a division, so it's pretty much as car to be taken to the shops in, where people hopefully just think it's a Silver Cloud, and have no idea that it's a 1997 car where the radio is too complex to use.