Ian Fleming's Bentley R-Type Found Gathering Dust in LA Garage
A 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback once owned by James Bond creator Ian Fleming has been found gathering dust in a California garage after nearly 40 years. The car, in deep grey with black Connolly leather, was a gift from Fleming to his friend Ivar Felix Bryce.
Although 007 is known to be an Aston Martin man, he used to be one of the Bentley boys. In fact, Bond drove a Bentley Type-R Continental in the book Thunderball.
In its time, the Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback was considered to be in a class of its own, boasting speed, comfort, elegance, and refinement. It was powered by a 4.9-litre iron-block/aluminum-head straight-6 engine, fed by twin SU (Skinners Union) carburettors, which produced 178bhp. In 1953, the Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback was the world's fastest production four-seater car with a top speed of 120mph (193kmph).
The sleek left-hand drive has now been put up for sale for $1,495,000 by Gullwing Motor Cars, a classic car dealer based in New York.
When the Type-R was delivered to Fleming's friend Bryce, it was specially finished with rear fender spats and a racehorse mascot. Fleming lavished thousands of dollars on the car, specifying it with left-hand drive, a manual gearbox, lightweight seats, and fitted luggage designed to perfectly correspond to the car's trunk.
According to Gullwing, the car has retained its original features - even if it's a little dusty - with matching numbers and the original interior.
Read More: Famous James Bond Cars
Bryce was the writer's inspiration for CIA agent Felix Leiter in his Bond books. The US agent was featured six times in the series, starting with Casino Royale and ending with The Man with the Golden Gun.
The Bryces flew their gifted Bentley around the world to their various homes in England, New York, and Vermont. After they sold it, the coupe had several owners but ended up in the hands of a Beverly Hills surgeon in 1978, who, for reasons unknown to us, did not give the classic car the care and attention that it deserved. According to Gullwing, it was sitting completely discarded in a garage in a Hancock Park, Los Angeles almost since the late 1970s.
(Images courtesy: Gullwing Motor Cars)
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