A high-performance luxury vehicle with muscle car performance. Bentley crafted this model from 1985 to 1999 and over this period 7,230 were produced. All cars were assembled in the Rolls-Royce Crewe factory in Cheshire, England.

The “R” stood for “road holding” and Motor Trend declared the car “the first Bentley in decades deserving of the famous name”.

The new R had supreme handling thanks to vastly improved suspension when compared to the previous model. The 1993 model was further improved with adaptive ride control.

Power came from a fuel injected 6.75 litre turbo Bentley V8 which was coupled to either a 3 speed TH400 or 4 speed 4L80-E automatic transmission. Official power figures were never released but is was estimated the R put out 221 kW (296 HP) with 660 Nm of torque.

The car was lauded by the press for delivering almost supercar-like performance including a 0-100 kmph time of around 6.6 seconds and top speed of 235 kmph. Not bad for a car that weighs 2.45 tonne.

The cars were built to the highest standard and came with very option available at the time. Owners were pampered with premium hand-finished, luxury appointments including beautifully soft leather seats and lashings of bespoke wood grain. The cars are more comfortable than most lounge rooms and beautifully roomy.

THE CAR

This is a three owner vehicle that was originally Australian delivered to Fremantle, Perth. The second owner purchased it from an estate in 2016 and brought it to South Australia. The current owner has held the car since 2021.

The car has all original books, service history and its original build sheet.

Finished in sparkling white paint with soft grey leather interior and light burr elm wood treatment including rear picnic tables, it is a stunning combination.

This is a “green label” car with all Bentley badges being ordered in the colour green rather than the traditional red as a tribute to the Brooklands Bentleys of old.

The engine is strong and the car handles and brakes exceptionally well thanks to the adaptive ride control.

Extensive work has been undertaken over the past seven years including installing a new windscreen, hydraulic hoses and rebuilding the gearbox. In addition, the gearbox has been overhauled, the adaptive ride control unit has been overhauled, the cruise control has been serviced and new speakers installed in the doors.

In addition over $3,700 was spent on new Dunlop Avon Turbo Speed tyres in 2021 as per the factory’s original specifications.

The current owner is fastidious and the vehicle is in fantastic condition.