Bentley
December 7th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company will offer nine one-of-a-kind vehicles in their salon-offering category on January 15-22, 2012 at WestWorld of Scottsdale, US.These rare vehicles include a 1947 Bentley Franay Mark VI Cabriolet, universally recognized as the most successful and expensive post war Bentley/Rolls-Royce automobile of all time with the Concours and auction record to prove it. In August of 1991 at the Rolls-Royce national meet, the Bentley Franay was judged by its peers as ‘Best of Show’ among all competing Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles from around the world. In 1999 it won the most coveted award that the RROC (Rolls-Royce Owners Club) could bestow, the Royce Memorial Trophy and top senior award ‘Best of Prior Best of Show.’Joining the Bentley Franay will be a 1948 Tucker Torpedo, an advanced automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948 with only 51 examples ever made. Also on the docket is a 1957 De Soto Adventurer Convertible powered by the famous 345hp, 345cid Hemi V8 with dual quads and an automatic transmission – a car once owned by King Mohammed V of Morocco.
Other vehicles being offered at the sale will be –
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupe. With only 4,149 Original Miles, this exceptional example is one of only 146 that were built in 1954 and is one of the lowest mileage Gullwings in existence.
1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow. The Silver Arrow caused a sensation when it was unveiled at the New York Auto show in January 1933. Only five were ever built.
1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Town Car – One of only four built. In the 1980s, Florida car collector Bill Lassiter had a complete restoration performed on the car.
1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Roadster Cabriolet by Castagna. With 13,350 original miles, this beautiful Isotta Fraschini is a Tipo 8A with wonderful coachwork by Castagna of Milan, Italy.
1928 Daimler P150 Royal Limousine – the largest British car ever built. 7.163-litre V12, steel-sleeve valve engine producing 150hp at 248rpm, a 163-inch wheelbase, 21-foot overall length and weighs 8100 lbs. This vehicle’s ownership history includes the Harrah’s Automobile Collection.
For more information about Barrett-Jackson and to purchase tickets to the event, visit www.barrett-jackson.com
June 17th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
A genuine piece of automotive history is going under the hammer this August at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Gooding & Company auction house is selling what is widely thought to be the very first production Bentley built – a 1921 Bentley 3-Litre with chassis number 3.
According to the history books Bentley originally built two experimental cars with chassis numbers ‘EXP 1’ and ‘EXP 2’ before the 1921 model pictured above was built. Chassis EXP 1 has been lost to the sands of time, while EXP 2 has been kept by Bentley. This third car was originally sold to a Welshman named Ivor Llewelyn who oddly is the father of Desmond Llewelyn, the man who played ‘Q’ in the original James Bond movies.
After Llewelyn sold the car it went through the hands of several owners in the UK, seemingly none of them realising its true value. The car was even raced during the 1940s until is was discovered by the Bentley Drivers Club to be the first production model to have a Bentley badge. By the 1960s the car had made its way to the States where it received a partial restoration. Surprisingly, this special car has retained its original body, engine and gearbox. Read the rest of this entry »
June 10th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
A 1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow long-wheelbase that has been owned by the unlikely pair of both Princess Margaret and Burt Reynolds is heading to auction as part of UK auction house Bonham’s Rolls-Royce, Bentley Motor Cars & Automobilia sale later this month.
After WW2 Rolls-Royce became the preferred choice of the Royal Family, and the long-wheelbase Silver Shadow was supplied to the personal order of HRH Princess Margaret in 1975. This regal roller has some special features requested by Princess Margaret, including leather trimmed door cappings, flat side indicators fitted in line with chromed body mouldings, Nuella Black hide interior, and Cardinal Red paintwork with contrasting gold coachlines. In addition, it was requested that the seats be ‘soft and comfortable’, while other features include a flag mast and blue police lamp.
The Silver Shadow was then destined to continue its high-profile ownership and was bought by the American movie star Burt Reynolds in 1984, who took the car to America and kept it at his ranch in Florida. The car is now back in the UK and is expected to fetch between £20,000 – 22,000. Read the rest of this entry »
February 21st, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Ever been to the Baltic Sea on holiday? Don’t worry no one else has either. The Baltic Sea sits off the coast of Finland and becomes a white wasteland of ice and snow during the Northern Hemisphere winter. So what do the folk in the area do with this massive popsicle? 
Well if you’re local hero Juha Kankkunen, a four-time World Rally Champion, you see an opportunity to do something extreme. What exactly is that? It’s a 200 miles per hour land speed record on ice.
Kankkunen is no stranger to tearing it up in challenging driving conditions. But his rally cars never hit 200 mph and he wasn’t driving them on a 70 centimeter platform of ice, four kilometers away from the Finnish coast. The fast Fin had previously attempted to reach the 200-mph mark, back in 2007 using a Bentley Continental GT. He came up just short, but his official speed of 199.83 mph did best the previous ice speed record of 184 mph, which was set back in 1995 in a Bugatti EB110 Supersport.
This time around, Kankkunen had more extreme hardware in the form of a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible, which boasts 621 horsepower under the bonnet. The only modifications that were made to the car included a roll-cage, snow tyres, a rear parachute and some light aero mods to help with stability. Read the rest of this entry »
November 30th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Turners Auctions is giving Kiwis another chance to live the high life with 20 high-class cars coming to auction in the last Prestige Auction of the year.
The collection of vehicles is estimated to be worth $2 million and features the pinnacle of prestige motoring, a Rolls Royce Phantom, as well as some of the world’s most exotic supercars.
“The 20 cars on offer represent the finest brands in motoring and would make a great buy for anyone looking for a vehicle 
with flair and distinction,” says Graeme Roberts, Turners CEO.
“Six of the vehicles are convertible and would be perfect for a sophisticated summer road trip.”
The 2003 Rolls Royce Phantom is in mint condition and is expected to fetch between $240,000 and $300,000 at auction, far below the $1 million price tag that it was bought for in 2003.
Another striking vehicle up for grabs is the 2008 Bentley Continental GT. This six-litre, 12 cylinder stunner has a meagre 15,000km on the clock and would be a great addition to the garage this Christmas.
For those who live life in the fast lane, the 2004 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 is the perfect toy. The convertible looks brilliant in black and can turn even the most mundane commute into a thrilling joyride.
The 90’s will be remembered for many things, the Spice Girls, Forest Gump and Jonah Lomu, but it was also when Lamborghini unleashed the Diablo. Turners has a stunning example of a 1997 Diablo VT Roadster. The 5.7 Litre, V12 manual is in immaculate condition and is one of only eight VT all wheel drive roadsters in the world.
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October 14th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
A much coveted 1934 ‘Derby’ Bentley 3.5 litre Drop Head Coupe (pictured)and an as-new current model Rolls-Royce Phantom Saloon, are highlights among the vehicles assembled for Shannons Collectors’ Auction at the Motorclassica event in Melbourne.
The Bentley comes from the dawn of Rolls-Royce’s ownership of the Bentley brand has recently emerged from a careful and detailed restoration. It is expected to attract astute investors in the $180,000-$210,000 AUS range.
At the other end of the Rolls-Royce/Bentley timeline is a current-model Rolls-Royce Phantom Saloon presented in ‘as-new’ condition that has covered just 17,000km since it was delivered new to a prominent Melbourne businessman in 2007.
Powered by a 6.7 litre V12 engine producing 338kW and a stupendous 720Nm of torque, this superb and opulent vehicle is being offered with a guiding range of $600,000-$650,000 AUS, potentially representing a substantial saving on the current new price of more than $1 million.
Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts have two very special convertible vehicles to choose from – a near-concourse standard 1957 model 190SL, that Shannons regard as one of the best in Australia, and an equally desirable 1959 220S ‘Pontoon Cabriolet’ – a rare find in Australia in such outstanding condition.
Mustang fanciers have three great ‘Pony cars’ to consider – a genuine low mileage early Shelby GT350, one of only 2,377 1966 models delivered in the classic Shelby racing colours of white with blue Le Mans stripes, a right hand drive 1967 Shelby GT500 Fastback and a very original 1970 Boss 302 Fastback with impeccable provenance.
But the vehicle from the rival General Motors camp that will have everyone gaping is a multi-award winning 1956 FJ Holden Special that Shannons rate as the best and most comprehensive restoration of this model they have seen.
Starting life as a particularly original Special Sedan with no evidence of rust or repairs, the matching-numbers FJ has been painstakingly restored to its factory-correct condition in every detail, including its six-volt electrical system and original Mist Grey and Gander Grey two-tone paintwork with Canyon Beige and ¨Fall Red upholstery.
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September 22nd, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Take a look at this cross-country road trip in the States showing off the Bentley Heritage Road Show. Bentley is putting up 1,000 rare items from its Heritage Parts and Accessories division on display, travelling across 8,000 miles of American countryside to do so.
It’s not surprising that most of the Bentleys that have ever been built are still running today, and the marque’s customers are excited with the range of available vintage, hard-to-find parts. Crewe is playing on this and laying it all out for enthusiasts via the travelling show — from owner’s manuals to engine blocks.
Take a look at the images to get an behind the scene view into this unique road trip.
September 8th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
The 2011 Bentley Continental GT represents just the second generation of the popular coupe since it was introduced back in 2003. Back then it represented the first step in Bentley’s renaissance and helped define a whole new market segment. It was a luxury GT offering solid usability that retained much of Bentley’s grand touring spirit.
Now the new Continental GT 4-seat coupe builds on the success of its predecessor, with refreshed design and updated engineering, luxury, craftsmanship, dynamic performance, everyday practicality and refinement.
A sculptured new body gives the GT coupe a more defined appearance. There are more prominent front guard lines that roll over the headlights and into a more-upright grille, a more pronounced grille treatment that pushes itself into the lower intake, LED running lamps surrounding the main headlight elements and a double-horseshoe rear-end treatment inspired by the Mulsanne.
Inside the cabin apparently offers new levels of design, comfort and hand-crafted luxury. There’s a sleeker dash and climate-controlled seats that provide more legroom. There is also a new touchscreen infotainment system featuring state-of-the-art navigation, Google Maps and entertainment while playing the tunes is the latest Balanced Mode Radiator speaker technology and Dirac Dimensions digital sound processing which delivers enhanced audio quality.
In terms of power there has been a boost in horses with Bentley’s 6-litre, 12-cylinder, twin-turbocharged powertrain raising output to 423kW and 700N of torque and this is mated to a new Quickshift transmission which enables double downshifts. Thanks to advanced FlexFuel technology it can also run on both standard unleaded petrol (gasoline) and sustainable bioethanol (up to E85) or any mix of the two.
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