RM Sotheby’s next auction in London is bursting with Bentleys for almost every budget. An even dozen examples will go up for sale on November 1-2 in the capital, with estimates ranging from as low as £30,000 to as high as £950,000.
If you’re looking for Bentley bargain then the choice is between a 1935 3 1/2-liter Drophead Coupe by James Young (above left) or a 1934 3 1/2-litre Tourer with Park Ward coachwork (above right). Offered without reserve and with a low estimate of £30,000 the Drophead needs some love, but at least all the parts to restore it appear to be present. Estimated at £50,000-£70,00000 the Park Ward car also requires restoration, although it looks to be in better shape, hence the higher valuation.
Step up to around £100,000 and you can pick from a 1961 S2 Continental Flying Spur with H.J. Mulliner bodywork (above left) or a 1935 3 1/2-litre Airline Coupe (above right) by lesser-known coachbuilder Freestone and Webb. While the Mulliner vehicle presents well, the Freestone and Webb car is being sold part-way through its restoration, with an unpainted body and no interior.
Double your outlay and the options grow to include a 1953 R-Type Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner (above left), a 1939 4 1/4-litre Drophead (above right), and a 1956 S1 Continental Fastback, also by Mulliner.
Step over the £200,00 threshold and you’ll find a 1924 3-4 1/2-litre Speed by Vanden Plas (above), a 1947 Mark VI Cabriolet by Franay (above left), and a 1952 Mark VI Drophead Foursome by Mulliners of Birmingham (above right). At this price point all cars look pristine, of course.
At the very uppermost echelons of the auction sit two charming Continentals. For between £48,000 and £600,000 there’s a 1954 R-Type Fastback Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner (above) that was fully restored around 20 years ago, while a 1958 S1 Drophead Coupe by Park Ward (below) could see a sale price as high as £950,000.
There are few details about this breathtaking batch of Bentleys at the time of writing, so expect more information to be revealed in time for the sale. In the meantime, enjoy window shopping.
It is a testimony to the permanent excellence of Volkswagen that a car with the name Continental can change hands for the price of a VW Fox.