1998 Bentley Continental R Mulliner Wide Body - #1 of 68

Inspired by the highly collectible Continental R-Type of the 1950s, the elegant two-door coachwork was styled by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley, a duo whose résumé included sports cars like the Aston Martin Virage. Introduced in 1991, the Continental ‘R’ was the first Bentley in 26 years to not share a body style with a concurrent Rolls-Royce. Five years later, Bentley introduced a short-wheelbase version dubbed the Continental ‘T’ that was equipped with an uprated engine developing 420bhp and an impressive 650lbs/ft of torque available at only 2,200rpm.

Customers expressed interest for similar styling and the T’s more powerful engine and so the Continental R Mulliner was consequently introduced at the 1999 Geneva Salon. The nomenclature was an homage to H.J. Mulliner, the British coachbuilder responsible for the original R-Type’s breathtaking fastback bodywork. The best of both worlds, the R Mulliner’s wide body configuration offered a spacious interior, especially for rear passengers, whilst the turbocharged V8 could rocket the car to a top speed of nearly 170mph, with just 5.6-seconds to 60mph from standstill. Often quoted as the fastest four-seat car of its time, many have been lulled into complacency on the motorway by the exquisite wood, comfortable seats and smooth ride, with very high speeds barely noticeable.

Individually tailored to a customer’s order, the R Mulliner was Bentley’s ultimate 20th-century combination of luxury and performance, produced in a modest total quantity of 148 cars with 63 in right-hand drive. This fabulous example was the first production right-hand drive car, manufactured in late 1998 (for the 1999 model year) and the first of the proceeding model’s #XCH63160 numbers across both left and right-hand drive variants. Supplied by Jack Barclay in Silver Tempest with Magnolia hide at a cost of £280,000 or a whopping £400,000 in today’s money. The contrasting dark blue leather roll-top and carpets with cream over-mats provides a lightness to the cabin and beautifully offsets the acres of polished Walnut.

Bought by our enthusiast vendor in 2016 after a long search as a retirement gift to himself, he appreciated the rarity and craftsmanship, having sold gold cigar lighters to the likes of Sir Roger Moore as part of the management team at luxury goods firm, Dunhill. An active member of the Bentley Owner’s Club, the car has often been on display and driven with pride to many club events. The service history is the usual mixture of main dealer and marque specialists, amounting to some 17 stamps with invoices for servicing less than 500 miles ago, and the odometer reading was 71,108 miles at the time of cataloguing. The car benefits from front and rear parking sensors, a Pioneer flip-out touchscreen Bluetooth and Sat-Nav system concealed in the dashboard.

Presented to auction with handbooks, service book, myriad receipts, three keys, two Bentley alarm fobs, C-tek trickle charger and an MOT valid until January 2025.

A true 'modern classic' from an era of Bentley never to be repeated.