Bentley Continental Drophead Coupé - 1987
Coachwork by H.J. Mulliner Park Ward
Bonhams : the Chantilly Sale
Sold for € 87.400
Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille
Château de Chantilly
Chantilly
France - Frankrijk
September 2017
A key factor in Rolls-Royce's marketing strategy for the 1980s was the re-launch of Bentley. To rekindle interest in the marque, a glorious name from its past was resurrected - 'Continental' - and applied to the two-door model previously known, like its Rolls-Royce equivalent, as the Corniche. An inspired move, the Bentley's 1984 name change had the desired effect; sales, which in the 13 years since the Corniche's launch had amounted to a mere 77 Bentley-badged cars, totalling 421 for the succeeding 11 years of Continental production.
Introduced in March 1971, the Corniche was a revised version of the H J Mulliner, Park Ward-bodied two-door variants of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T-Series saloons, themselves notable as the Crewe factory's first unitary-construction cars. In Corniche form Rolls-Royce's well-tried 6.7-litre V8 produced around ten percent more power than standard and proved capable of propelling the car to a top speed in excess of 120mph, with sports car-beating acceleration to match. The model proved a major success for Rolls-Royce, and although its exterior style remained recognisably Silver Shadow, the Corniche/Continental benefited from the regular up-dates and improvements made to the contemporary Silver Spirit range, remaining in production well into the 1990s, the last (Convertible) examples being delivered in 1995.
Finished in the most attractive colour combination of black with tan leather interior, this beautiful and rare 1987-model Bentley Continental was delivered new to Southern California, USA and first owned by Mr Ken Berg. The Continental's specification encompassed all the usual Bentley refinements as well as two matching cocktail cabinets in the doors, Mouton over-rugs, and a mobile telephone, which is still fitted. The Bentley subsequently passed to Mr Berg's wife, Ms Julie Ann Sheltonberg, but did not leave the family's ownership until August 2014 when it was registered in the UK as 'D197 YOO'.
The Bentley was meticulously maintained throughout the Bergs' ownership, while the dry Southern Californian climate kept it free of rust or corrosion. During the Bergs' 27 years of ownership up to 2014, the Continental covered a mere 43,000 miles (approximately 1,500 miles annually). The current owner has since added a further 4,000 miles, making the total from new circa 47,000. Upon its arrival in the UK, the car was thoroughly serviced at a cost of almost £5,000 in preparation for an extended European tour. Serviced exclusively by Bentley Monaco since then, '16663' comes with all the relevant invoices (totalling circa €10,000) and a Certificate of Quality issued by the Bentley factory in 2015.
This Continental has suffered no accidents and has an impeccable history, as confirmed by the Carfax document on file. Most importantly, the Bentley comes with all its original factory paperwork, instruction manuals, owner's wallets, and tools. In addition, the car's entire history is recorded in an accompanying book.
Described by the private vendor as in generally very good condition, this beautiful, rare, and desirable Bentley Continental would make an attractive addition to any important private collection. The car is offered with Monaco registration papers and the aforementioned history. The perfect car for Les Corniches sur Côtes d'Azur.
Bentley Continental Drophead Coupé - 1987
Coachwork by H.J. Mulliner Park Ward
Bonhams : the Chantilly Sale
Sold for € 87.400
Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille
Château de Chantilly
Chantilly
France - Frankrijk
September 2017
A key factor in Rolls-Royce's marketing strategy for the 1980s was the re-launch of Bentley. To rekindle interest in the marque, a glorious name from its past was resurrected - 'Continental' - and applied to the two-door model previously known, like its Rolls-Royce equivalent, as the Corniche. An inspired move, the Bentley's 1984 name change had the desired effect; sales, which in the 13 years since the Corniche's launch had amounted to a mere 77 Bentley-badged cars, totalling 421 for the succeeding 11 years of Continental production.
Introduced in March 1971, the Corniche was a revised version of the H J Mulliner, Park Ward-bodied two-door variants of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T-Series saloons, themselves notable as the Crewe factory's first unitary-construction cars. In Corniche form Rolls-Royce's well-tried 6.7-litre V8 produced around ten percent more power than standard and proved capable of propelling the car to a top speed in excess of 120mph, with sports car-beating acceleration to match. The model proved a major success for Rolls-Royce, and although its exterior style remained recognisably Silver Shadow, the Corniche/Continental benefited from the regular up-dates and improvements made to the contemporary Silver Spirit range, remaining in production well into the 1990s, the last (Convertible) examples being delivered in 1995.
Finished in the most attractive colour combination of black with tan leather interior, this beautiful and rare 1987-model Bentley Continental was delivered new to Southern California, USA and first owned by Mr Ken Berg. The Continental's specification encompassed all the usual Bentley refinements as well as two matching cocktail cabinets in the doors, Mouton over-rugs, and a mobile telephone, which is still fitted. The Bentley subsequently passed to Mr Berg's wife, Ms Julie Ann Sheltonberg, but did not leave the family's ownership until August 2014 when it was registered in the UK as 'D197 YOO'.
The Bentley was meticulously maintained throughout the Bergs' ownership, while the dry Southern Californian climate kept it free of rust or corrosion. During the Bergs' 27 years of ownership up to 2014, the Continental covered a mere 43,000 miles (approximately 1,500 miles annually). The current owner has since added a further 4,000 miles, making the total from new circa 47,000. Upon its arrival in the UK, the car was thoroughly serviced at a cost of almost £5,000 in preparation for an extended European tour. Serviced exclusively by Bentley Monaco since then, '16663' comes with all the relevant invoices (totalling circa €10,000) and a Certificate of Quality issued by the Bentley factory in 2015.
This Continental has suffered no accidents and has an impeccable history, as confirmed by the Carfax document on file. Most importantly, the Bentley comes with all its original factory paperwork, instruction manuals, owner's wallets, and tools. In addition, the car's entire history is recorded in an accompanying book.
Described by the private vendor as in generally very good condition, this beautiful, rare, and desirable Bentley Continental would make an attractive addition to any important private collection. The car is offered with Monaco registration papers and the aforementioned history. The perfect car for Les Corniches sur Côtes d'Azur.