Tracing the Lineage of the Continental

The Continental has been an icon of the Bentley lineup for decades.
Here is the history of its development and its lineage, clearly documented in a comprehensive monograph.

text:Hiromi TAKEDA

　
In 1951, the R Type Continental, the masterpiece of Bentley under the R-R umbrella, was born, followed by its successor models: the S-Type Continental; the S2/S3 Continental which was the first to be equipped with the famous V8 engine that has passed between generations up till the present day; the Continental series, revived during the T-series era; and the Continental R and its open-air version, the Azure, reintroduced in 1992. Bentley's iconic Continental has become a major name that bears the sporty image of the modern and contemporary Bentley.
Bentley Continental: Corniche & Azure 1951-2002 is a photographic reference work, detailing the successive Continentals built from the unrivalled R-Type Continental up to 2002, just before the birth of the Continental GT series, the historic masterpiece that was the catalyst for Bentley's great leap forward in the modern era.
The book begins with an excellent foreword by the late John Blatchley, former chief stylist at R-R and legendary designer among Bentley enthusiasts, who designed every Continental from the R-Type Continental and the S-Type to the T-Series. The development history and historical background of each successive Continental is then explained in detail, accompanied by priceless photographs from the relevant periods.
Most impressive of all is the detailed explanation of the coachwork body, a key element of the Bentley Continental. Sketches of the unique body designs by long-established coachbuilders such as H.J. Mulliner and Park Ward, who made their reputation with the R-Type Continental, and numerous photographs of prototypes that never made it into production are all extremely rare and of great historical value.



BentleyContinental:Corniche & Azure 1951-2002
Author: Matthias Braun
Publisher: VELOCE BOOKS
Pages: 251
Language: English

This is a revised version of an article that appeared in Flying B No 004 (2010). The information provided here was accurate at the time of publication.