Bentley's Racing at Le Mans: Past, Present & Future?

Here is a good video relating to Bentley's Racing at Le Mans.



I've got the Team Bentley flag.

The Blue Train at The Savoy

This would have been a bit of fun!

Many thanks @TheSavoyLondon for helping us to capture the spirit of the #Bentley Boys with the Blue Train car - pic.twitter.com/CuCMkGwpzH

— Bentley Motors Comms (@BentleyComms) December 2, 2013

Bentley Spotting from the 60's

Here is a nice pic of a Mk VI in Oxford in the 1960's.

A 1948 #Bentley MK VI driving down High Street in Oxford in the 1960’s. #TBT #BentleyHeritage pic.twitter.com/jL3YtDRgm7

— Bentley Motors, Inc. (@WOBentley) December 5, 2013

At Crewe building the Bentley S3 and Silver Cloud Mk III

This photo is cool.

From the factory floor at Crewe building the Bentley S3 and the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Mk III.



Send you old factory photos this way!

Bentley Continental GTZ by Zagato Spotted

Talk about a rare Bentley to spot!

That's right is it modern coachbuilding at its finist.

A Bentley Continental GTZ by Zagato.



A spotter at Autogespot called Dufornee & MageTwan managed to stubble upon this very special car.



Take a look closely. It is a right hand drive version. The only one right hand drive version made.



UK registered 123MG with Mulliner wheels.



It is just so amazing to spot this car on the street. It was spotted out the back of Jack Barclay's I think here.



So do you really want one? Check ebay or course! One is for sale for US $1,450,000.00 in San Fran here.

But for that money, probably call up Zagato directly and get one tailored to your likings.

Here is the entrance to the Zagato factory.


View Larger Map

Call Zagato on +39 02 9346621 or email at info@zagato.it You know you want to.

Bentley Val D'Isere Spotted

Quite a nice Bentley Val D'Isere by Jankel, spotted in London, Dec ’11.



More Bentley Val D'Isere info here and here.

Thanks Daan for sending in the picture.

Bentley Turbo R 2 door by Hooper & Co Ltd

Another one resurfaces for sale.

That's right, another Bentley Turbo R 2 door by Hooper & Co Ltd is on the market.



This time in Belgium.

It is thought that around 12 Bentley Turbo R 2 doors were made by Hooper in the late 80s and early 90s.



I do like the bonnet pressings. The look cool, and provide just that little bit of functionality by providing a little bit of air to the engine to be justifiable.



This one has all the features you can ask for. The small Hooper rear window for example.



Take a look at the wood - and length of that door! It is impressive.

Also notice that the ash trays are in the door sill wood.



The interior looks great. The bent wood centre console is quite impressive.



As in the Hooper steering wheel.



The switches inlaid directly into the wood with no metal surround is different.





With an appropriate Hooper cocktail cabinet!



The ad says it is an 1987 car, but from the engine, this is a carbi model from 1986.



It is certainly one impressive car! If it only was a right hand drive...



For sale at Flying Red Baron in Antwerp here.

The Bentley Magazine Summer 2011 Issue 38

Here is issue 38, the Summer 2011 edition of the Bentley Magazine.



If you would prefer to read the magazine as a *.pdf document, download it here.

Bentley Hooper Empress II Unfinished

This car is very interesting.

Not just because it is a Bentley Turbo R based Hooper Empress II, made by Hooper & Co Coacbuilders Ltd, but these photos actually raise some questions and show interesting details.

It is the state of the car that raises questions.

Lets take a look.

It is pretty obvious that it is unfinished. Like proper unfinished.

The doors have not been skinned yet, no glass and there may or may not be an engine in there.



But what I'm most interested in is the unexpected additions to the car.

Have a look at the front lights. It looks like they were building twin circular lights into the design, not the standard GM like front lamps on other Bentley Hooper Empress II cars.

Now look at the wheels. Well they certainly are unexpected. That is because they were designed well after this car would have been expected to be made.

They are late 1990 wheels on a car that I would have thought would have been built in the late 1980s. In deed the picture description from the Motoring Picture Library states that it is a 1989 car.

Now take a look at the side skirts. They are of quite a different updated design to all the other Bentley Hooper Empress II cars made.

They are of a Mulliner like design, which is quite impressive, and makes to car look quite new.



For comparision, below is a standard Bentley Hooper Empress II, and it looks dated when compared to this unfinished one.



I'm thinking it was an abandoned project once Hooper & Co Coacbuilders Ltd was closing shop.

Pity. I do hope it gets completed one day. I wonder where the picture was taken.

For more info on the Bentley Hooper Empress II, I have written these previous posts below -

Bentley Hooper Empress II Market Wrap
Bentley Hooper Empress II in Production
Bentley Hooper Empress II at Geneva Motor Show 1987
Bentley Hooper Empress II For sate in California
Bentley Hooper Empress II For sale in France
Bentley Hooper Empress II For Sale in the USA from Japan
Bentley Hooper Empress II Spotted in Monaco
Bentley Hooper Empress II Hi Res Black and White Ad
Bentley Hooper Empress II Original Advertisement
Bentley Hooper Empress II bodied Bentley Turbo R

PS- The above photos are hotlinked from the Motoring Picture Library and I do not have copies of them.

Rolls-Royce Camargue Limited

Here is the Rolls Royce Camargue Limited.



It is limited, not only because it says it on the badge, but it is a limited or special edition run of just 12 cars.



Why you may ask? Well luckily the plaque tells me so.

"The Camargue Limited Edition is one of 12 special motor cars built ro celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first sale of a Rolls-Royce in the United States."



It actually does say 'Limited' on the badge which is slightly unusual.

Usually limited or special cars have a different coloured badge, not something else written on them.



All 12 cars are to the same specification. White with red and white interior, colour coded bumpers and alloys.

Of the 12, not all have ended up staying in the United States. One has been spotted in Monaco here, one has come up for sale in Japan, and is pictured below.



One was even made into a hard top convertible, but that is another story.

Bentley Ultimate Factory

This is National Geographic's Ultimate Factories show.

One episode is dedicated to the Crewe Factory, where you see the construction of the new Bentley Mulsanne.

The first 10 mins has already been removed from Youtube, but the rest of the show is well worth it, even with annoying enthusiasm of the voice over guy.

Just pretend you turned on the telly and missed the start.

Practical Yellow Bentleys

Let's just say that this is a quite unique collection of Bentley motor cars in yellow.

Let's take a first glance at this magnificant Bentley Continental. It is amazing.



It you want a more practical car than a Bentley Continental by Mulliner Park Ward, get a station wagon or estate made for you.

Or even a Bentley van. Go on.



Something more standard? Go a yellow Bentley Turbo R. This is a 1987 model, that was for sale a couple of years ago. I really like it.



If you really prefer open top motoring, in a Bentley Turbo R, you still can. The solution? Get one made for you. This one is by Salvatore Diomante.



And again, want something more practical in the Bentley Turbo R format? Go a station wagon for the Ikea runs. It does work well. This one is a Bentley Val d'Isere by Jankel.



Perfer a two door? How about a Bentley Continental R. This example is from the Personal Commission series. Looks rather nice doesn't it.



If you want the drop head coupe variety, go for the Bentley Azure. It's even got a for sale sticker on it for you.



Still not convinced that the Bentley Continental R or Azure is for you? Well then call up a coachbuilder and get something else made to how you see fit. Pinniafarina did this one for the Royal Family of Brunei. It is called the Bentley B3.



Live on a farm? Care for a Toorak tractor? Bentley along with the help of Land Rover made this Bentley Dominator also for the Royal Family of Brunei.



See, yellow is certainly a very good colour for a great range of practical Bentley cars.

Go on, get one made for yourself. Make it yellow.

PS.

If you must, go get yourself a Bentley Continental Supersport.



Can't find a new Bentley Mulsanne in yellow yet. Send one in if you have photos!

Bentley Turbo R 2 door by Hooper

Now this was a big surprise today.

A very are Bentley Turbo R 2 door by Hooper.



One of about 12-15 cars ever made.



This one is a 1987 model, made to Arabic spec and was sold in Japan to an Australian, and ended up in Canberra today.





Looking very nice.



This is SCBZSOTO7HCX20650.



With the name plate.



And why not a video.



A big thank you to the owner for having it on display.

Bentley Brooklands by Anderson Gernamy

The number of companies that will sell you plastic stick on bits for your Bentley Continental GT is probably more than all your phalanges.

Anderson Germany, in Düsseldorf otherwise known as DA Premium Cars UG certainly does that with a number of 'editions' of Bentley body kits for your GT.

However they have also played with a Bentley Brooklands.



Not too often do tuner companies have a go that the Brooklands.



Slightly surprisingly they have left off the carbon-fibre look F-111 wings and the rear machine gun mounts.

I think they have only changed the wheels, which look totally legitimate.



What they have spent time on is the interior. And what a result!

It looks like the work of Mulliner, which some of it may have been, but the end result is very good.



That drinks cabinet is just superb. It is so much better having a drink out of some Wedgewoods in the back seat, compared to the standard paper cut and plastic straw large diet coke.



I wonder if it has a fridge.

Bentley Azur 2 Door Spyder by Jankel

Every time I see photos of this model of car I smile.



Is it a matter of people being able to obtain simply what they want.



I want a convertible Bentley Turbo R please.



As Australians say, 'No worries, mate.'

Speak to Mr Robert Jankel and he will make you one. He calls it a Bentley Azur 2 Door Spyder.

And do you want one?

Yes? Well pop yourself on ebay Item number:280598821409 and pick one up from Kyoto, Japan.



Here it is.



It is a very rare sight, in quite a nice colour.



I do wonder what the Badge to the right says? Azur Spyder? Jankel? I'm not sure.



The ebay ad says "1980 Bentley CONVERTIBLE"





"SUPECIAL ORDER MADE 2 DOOR CONVERTIBLE"





"SUPER LOW MILE RUN ONLY 12000KM"





"SUPER RICH ONE OWNER FROM NEW COST U$650000 WHEN NEW"



Now I can not say that this rear seat is quite standard on a Bentley!





Now to the Chassis number SCBZE02B3KCX26706.



So in fact it is not quite a 1980 Bentley as the ad states, but a 1989 Bentley.



And talking about models, it is actually not a Bentley Turbo R, but a Bentley Eight.



There is no Turbo, but it does have a 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated with a catalytic converter.



It certainly one special car.



The ad concludes with "NOW US$62000 INCLUDE SHIPPING FEE TO YOUR BEST SEA PORT japan@i-ml.com"



I would love to own it, but the steering wheel is on the wrong side.

Check out a previous one for sale in Japan here, and a Rolls-Royce version also in Japan previously for sale here.

Good luck to the person who buys it, and thank-you to Lee for sending in the link.