Bentley Zagato Continental GTZ

Back in January 2009 there were rumors of a right hand drive Bentley GTZ by Zagato about to be commissioned.

And ladies and gentlemen, here it is!



They are Mulliner wheels, so I'm not too sure if the car will get a set of the Zagato wheels, however it does indicate that the base car for this GTZ was not a Speed or Supersports model, but a standard GT. But you never know.



What is also interesting is that with these wheels, the rear wheel arches look like they are a little too wide, or that the wheels are a little to narrow!

I don't really care though, because it is amazing to see a modern coachbuilt Bentley - even with a double bubble roof! Classic Zagato.

I am so happy that there are people around who are totally prepared to spend the money on beautiful cars like this.

Would you take 7 Continental GTs or 1 Continental GTZ?



That's the difference in price!

Apparently there were plans to build 10 Bentley Zagatos. 8 more to spot if they get built!

(Thanks to Joshy for spotting it)

Rolls-Royce Cabrios by Carrozzeria Touring

I do like it when people help me out with Bentley Spotting. David Irvine has been such a great help and continues to deliver interesting posts.

Another who provides top assistance is Andy. Andy is a great asset for research for special coachbuilt cars, especially those on the continent and in Japan.

Andy delivered the goods with these 3 Cabrios that are for sale in Switzerland. Gee they are good!

The Camargue and Silver Spirit Cabrios are all by Carrozzeria Touring.



Thats right, the coachbuilder who recently bought us the Continental Flying Star shooting break based on the GT.

Well, this is their work from the 1980s.



It is certainly a great statement in 1980s customisation and coachbuilding of cars.





I'm pretty sure that is a plastic rear window. Asking for glass would have been even more of a challenge.



Now with the roof down. It does look a little bit better with the roof down.



What is so good about these cars is the interiors.

Just amazing.

Button seats work very well.



Even with custom picnic tables. It is just great!



Buy it from Brigal AG for CHF 135'000 here.


Now on to the next one.



This time a 1984 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Convertible by Carrozzeria Touring.



Roof up, it looks slightly large to the rear, but I certainly would get used to it if I stared at it for a bit.



And these cars a very much for looking at.



You just can't go past two tone gold and silver wire wheels.



Their choice is a given on any respectable 1980s coachbuilt wonder.





Now to the interior. Again amazing.

What a stand out colour!



Equipment level? Outrageous!

Televisions in the front and back. Tape and VHS players everywhere.

But look at those picnic tables!

I have never seen side/door mounted picnic tables before, and these work so so well.

I want them! How convenient a feature.

Thinking about it, these could even be more than a picnic table, they are writing desks!

That's right, this car comes with a couple of desks in the rear so you can do your homework whilst watching telly while Dad is driving you to soccer practice. A perfect car to do almost anything in, especially on a sunny day.



This one has done 13000kms, that's under 500km per year. This car really is for looking at. It's for sale from Brigal AG for CHF 95'000.- here.


Now to the final Cabrio for sale.

This is also a Silver Spirit, this time a 1987 model, built with Italian flamboyance on an English base. Is that not the best combo?



Just take your time to look at the two tone. It is so unusual, but works so well.



It's around the front.



Above the coachline.



Around to the rear, joins at the back, but not the boot or bonnet. Quite different just it works!



From this angle you can really see just how good this car is.

I would leave the top down the whole time.

Mainly to give everyone a view of your spectacular interior!



That's right. Look closely. Crocodile skin interior. The business!



It just looks so amazing! I want it!



Again with the door mounted rear desks. Also with TVs, cabinets, a bar and probably a kitchen sink.



This one has an asking price of CHF 120'000 and has travelled 19000kms. For sale from Brigal AG here.

Price wise I think these care quite reasonable. Given they would have cost 10 times the asking amount, and the amazing features these cars have, and the fact that they were make by a significant coachbuilder and they are period perfect, they certainly tick all the boxes for museum pieces.

It's just a little pity for me, as they are left hand drive. It they were right hand drive, I'm sure a number of my fellow Aussies would have been more interested!

Let me know if you buy one!

Chop Tops Royces

Look at these interesting cars!

They are all for sale at Oldtimer Galerie International GmbH Guerbestrasse 1, CH-3125 Toffen, Switzerland.

Quite interesting.



They certainly look like all the same coachbuilder, I just do not know which one!



Love the semi gold plates wire wheels. Not excessive at all!

And why not chop the top of the Carmargue. It is calling out for it!



If anyone knows any more information about these cars, please do send it in!

Spoiled

Take a look at the front of this pre 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

Now have a look at this 1977 to 1980 Silver Shadow. Notice it?

Yep the front air damn.

It's amazing what a difference the 1977 to 1980 front air dam does makes to a Shadow series rubber bumper model (which could be as early as 1973 in the U.S.A. - except that year did not have the flared arches).

Covers up all the nasty unsightly bits under the front bumper.

Right now Rodd Sala has one with the air dam, on ebay a Wraith II for auction here.

Nice. Gotta get one....

(Posted by David Irvine)

Bentley MkVI Cresta Coupe by Facel/Farina

Here is another very interesting Bentley Coupe. This time with English/French/Italian design and construction.

One of these cars was for sale recently at Frank Dale and stepsons   www.frankdale.com

 

Here's what they had to say:

 

"When the first post-war Paris Salon opened in 1946, a result of World War II was that no manufacturers from the countries that had been enemies were permitted to exhibit. Despite the ban Battista Pinin Farina brought two of his creations to Paris and achieved some publicity by parking them outside the Grand Palais.

However a way round this situation was offered in the form of an agreement with Frenchman Jean Daninos who owned Facel-Métallon; a group of companies that included coachbuilding premises. Daninos asked Pinin Farina to design a two door fastback saloon on the chassis of a Bentley Mark VI. Some input also came from ideas by Walter Sleator, head of Franco Britannic, Rolls-Royce's agency in the French capital at the time. He had been a vocal driving force to create out-and-out performance Bentleys several years earlier and was keen to see his visions become a reality.

The importance of this order for Pinin Farina must not be understated, because a coachwork design commissioned by a French customer wouldn't be excluded from exhibition at a future Paris Salon and his company was in urgent need of cash, because in December 1946 fire had destroyed their factory in Turin. The most attractive coupé he created, code-named "Cresta" met with much acclaim.

When shown at the 1948 Paris Salon several prospective purchasers showed their interest and further orders followed when early in 1949 the car was exhibited at the Geneva Salon. Jean Daninos decided to arrange for a series to be built by his company Facel-Métallon. His decision was made much easier by the manufacturer at Crewe who offered their full support after modifications were made to the original radiator design by Pinin Farina so that it was "nearer to series standard" to silence previous rumblings in the boardroom at Bentley following the 1948 Paris Salon.

Bentley then delivered a Mark VI in the form of chassis cum engine with a special steering rake suitable for coachwork with a low roofline. The Cresta was to have a lower radiator header tank and scuttle, and a shorter more raked steering column. A higher final drive ratio also hinted at the cars high speed ambitions.

The prototype (chassis number B323CD) had been made completely by Pinin Farina in Turin. The series was produced by Facel-Métallon and the first car that was finished was Chassis No B447CD to the order of Count Manuel A. Matos.

Reportedly a total of seventeen cars were made, however only eleven can be identified beyond doubt by their chassis numbers. The cars were built in workshops seperate from mainstream Facel production until 1950 for an international clientele. This rakish two door four seater coupe bodied in aluminium and steel could be described as one of the most important Bentleys ever created and arguably provides the missing link between the pre-war Bentley Corniche and the post-war Bentley Continental. "

Story by Frank Dale & Stepsons

 

 

To quote from the www.Coachbuild.com site:

Pininfarina Bentley Mk VI 'Cresta' by Facel-Métallon

"This Bentley Mk VI is a Franco-Italian co-operation, because it has been designed by Pinin Farina and built by the French Facel-Métallon. The double "ff" badge on the door signifies this. The reason for this was that when the first post-war Paris Salon opened in 1946 no manufacturers from the countries that had been enemies were allowed to exhibit. Battista Pinin Farina performed a trick by showing two of his latest creations outside the Grand Palais in Paris.

Frenchman Jean Daninos, owner of Facel-Métallon, had asked Pinin Farina to design a 2-door fastback saloon on the chassis of a Bentley Mark VI. A body commissioned by a French customer wouldn't be excluded from exhibition at a future Paris Salon.

The best looking coupe he created, code-named "Cresta", achieved much admiration. When shown at the 1948 Paris Salon several prospective purchasers showed their interest and further orders followed when the car was exhibited at the Geneva Salon in 1949.

The prototype was built by Pinin Farina in Turin. It had a wider radiator than the series model, but was modified shortly afterwards on request of Bentley. The series was produced by Facel-Métallon. Reportedly 17 cars were made, however only 10 are identified by their chassis numbers. "

Posted by David Irvine

 

 

 

Bentley T1 Coupe by James Young

Now here is a rare one.

It is a 1967 Bentley T1 Coupe by James Young.



That's right, the other coachbuilder of the Silver Shadow/T based cars, besides H.J Mulliner Park Ward.

James Young made 15 Bentley cars and 35 Rolls-Royce cars in 2 door form, then called it quits.

This one has popped up for sale at the impressive WAKUI MUSEUM in Japan famous for having 'Old Mother Gun' parked in the garage.



Coachbuilding on monocoque chassis does not really work when you start to talk about money.



You can buy it here.



Lets take a look around the inside of the museum.



Good luck to the new purchaser. I did recently learn that one of the 15 Bentley cars was in Australia a few years ago. It maybe still in Melbourne.

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Isn't that a movie...?

So it's not just our Willie and Katie who used a Bentley in their amazing wedding (mind you, they did have a big Roller, a few horses and carriages;and an Aston too, but never mind that).

Oh, and a lot of security. The Royal Wedding this past Friday was great, by the way.



(posted by David Irvine)

Flying B for the boy and a Flying Lady for the lady.

So I think we all know who got married today, so lets take a look at the ceremonial cars from Crewe.

Well, the boy arrived in a flying B, the Bentley State Limousine.



Here is the video of the boy in his grandmother's Bentley leaving his house, then going to the Abbey to get married.



What is quite rare is that the Bentley State Limousine was appropriately configured for full ceremonial purposes.

Configured you may ask, how?

What is not that well known it that the Bentley State Limousine is actually a glassed Landaulet.

That is, that the rear of the car can be converted to a glass roof by removing external panels.

Lets take a look.

Here is the standard configuration of the Bentley State Limousine, noting the size of the rear window.



Now here is the car as it was configured for the Royal Wedding, in its converted state as a ceremonial Landaulet.



This car is just so appropriate for this exact function.

If you are going to have millions of people watching you, have a car where you can configure it to have an excellent amount of light let in and great viewing from so many angles.



Like these from above, just look how huge the glass rear window actually is. It is so well designed to preform ceremonial functions like this.



Now to the Flying Lady on the lady's car.

The lucky lady borrowed her grandmother-in-law's 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI chassis # PGH101 for her big day.



Here is a video of her daddy taking her to the Abbey to marry the future King.



Now arriving at the Abbey, it certainly looks very nice.



And guess what? The grandmother-in-law's older car was also appropriately configured for this ceremony.

That's right, it also is a glassed Landaulet, which gives amazing views of the occupants.



Here is the car in a significantly less ceremonial incident where it was appropriately configured in its standard way.



Very good work to the lads who bought this car back to its proper state for the world wide public to enjoy.

Now back to the Abbey. It is great to see the convertible in action. It is moments like these where it is the peoples turn to have a look and celebrate. The Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars just deliver in enabling people to see what is going on, whilst keeping the occupants protected from the elements, looking good in style and in comfort.



Now the video of the daddy and daughter arriving at the Abbey.



She does look stunning.



With an appropriate mode of transport in the background of course.



After the wedding I noticed something that I'm guessing not many people did, or in fact had any interest in what-so-ever - however I did, so I'm going to report it.


On the procession to Buckingham Palace from the Abbey, the principal dignitaries rode again appropriately in the horse drawn State carriages.

Here is the video.



Notice it? The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was converted back into its standard configuration during the wedding!

The rear compartment external panels are now back in place, appropriately of course, as it does not contain the principal dignitaries.



Where did they store them? In the boot of course.

Here is a diagram from the manual of Phantom VI chassis # PGH101 on how to store the panels in the boot of this car.



It's the details that make the British the best in the world at hosting ceremonies.

Good luck to the happy couple.

Then of course this happened.

The boy borrowed his Dad's car and drove his bride back to his house for presumably some after wedding action.



Here is the video from the Palace.



And from a news provider.



Again, British ceremonies are the best.

To the future King and Queen of Australia. Hopefully. Maybe.