With a price tag of over $1,400,000 in today's money, the Bentley Continental R was once the most-expensive car in the world
This turbocharged ball-tearer is fast, suave and luxurious
This is the top.
The end result of playing all the games and winning all the prizes. As the most expensive car in the world in 1993, the Bentley Continental was the choice of monarchs, CEOs, and the world’s elite.
It was the first bespoke-bodied Bentley since the 1960s and the first that didn’t have a Rolls-Royce equivalent. The Continental’s design embodied the essence of a Bentley, echoing the brand’s original reputation for swift and opulent grand tourers.
With a 3.0-metre-long wheelbase sitting under a 5.3-metre hand-built body, it exudes class. Where all other Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars from this era are slab-sided and bulky, the Continental R is swoopy and elegant.
But that’s where the pleasantries stop. Powering the aerodynamic coupe is Bentley’s legendary 6.75-litre turbocharged V8. Tracing its roots back to the 1950s, this old-fashioned torque monster has become just as legendary as its bodywork.
Over the years it’s garnered a reputation as a bit of a workhorse, too. Known for functioning well past 300,000 km, its old-school nature makes it relatively simple to keep on the road.
Given its high price tag, only 76 Bentley Continental Rs saw production in 1993. Only 76 examples, including this one, saw production in 1993. It was one of a handful ordered and delivered new to Japan by its sole licenced agent, Cornes Motors.
It is an exceptionally rare car globally and only-of-only 544 right-hand drive examples ever built over an 11-year production run.
The car pictured – Bentley Continental R
This Bentley Continental R was ordered new in Japan and delivered to its Tokyo-based owner in hero Brooklands Green, complemented by a tan and green-accented leather interior.
Another unusual option is the exotic timber inlays, which feature Bentley emblems. The vehicle was kept by its original owner for its entire life before being sold via auction at USS Tokyo.
Graded 4.0B, it was certified as a one-owner car that was ordered and delivered new by Bentley’s licenced Japanese agent. It comes with its owner’s manual, log books, two keys and paperwork.
It presents in excellent condition for its age both inside and out. It is corrosion-free and all electronics and functions work. The 6.75-litre turbocharged V8 is still potent, and the GM four-speed automatic shifts crisply.
It shows evidence of being carefully and consistently maintained.
Quick facts
- 1993 Bentley Continental R
- Coupe body type
- One-of-73 made in 1993, one-of-544 ever built
- One-owner car with service history
- 6.75-litre V8 turbo
- Brooklands Green with a tan and green-accented interior
- Exceptional condition inside-and-out
- All functions working including air condtioning
- A true modern classic – once the most-expensive car in the world and a watershed moment for Bentley as brand
- Globally-rare vehicle
- Vehicle comes with three-months NSW registration
- Vehicle comes with engineering compliance certificate
- Vehicles comes with NSW raodworthy
That V8 is the strong, slow-beating heart of the Continental R Mulliner and fundamental to its appeal all these years later. It’s a car with a monumental quality, arguably the ultimate expression of a line that can be traced right back to the late 1960s. A car of unique character. The full English.Evo Magazine, Peter Tomalin,
