This 1953 Bentley R-type Continental fastback, originally purchased by Ian Fleming for a World War II spy, is headed to Gooding & Company’s 2015 Pebble Beach auction where it may fetch nearly $2 million.
-Slightly more than 200 examples of the R-type Continental were built by Bentley starting in 1951. It was designed as a high-performance version of the standard Bentley R-type and, with a minimum top speed of 120 mph, was regarded as the fastest sedan in the world at that time. Early cars were fitted with a 4.5-liter inline-six, with a larger 4.9-liter engine introduced in July 1954. Most of the cars were sent to British coachbuilder H. J. Mulliner for completion, with the majority becoming fastback coupes.
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According to Gooding & Company, this particular Continental has an even more unique background. It was ordered by Ian Fleming for a close friend of his, British intelligence officer Ivar Bryce, who many claim was the inspiration behind the fictional character Felix Leiter, James Bond’s friend and CIA liaison in the fictional series, 007. Fans may also recognize the R-type Continental as the car Bond buys in the Fleming book Thunderball—he purchases a crashed example and retrofits it with a 4.9-liter engine from a late-model Continental.
-Sure to further stoke the bidding is the fact that the car is in unrestored condition, having recently been found hiding in a garage in Hollywood for more than 30 years.
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