Supercar Fest Sale of Iconic and Classic Cars 2023 20th May 2023

97 + buyers premium of 12.5% plus VAT (15% incl VAT) on the first £300,000 of the hammer and 10% plus VAT (12% incl VAT) thereafter Lot 855 1954 Bentley R-Type Coupé by Abbott We understand that the car presented here, B393SP, was sold new to The Earl of Sefton bodied in ‘Continental’ style by Abbott,as a two-door coupé in Ascot Grey. OYE 700 is accompanied by a fascinating history file which contains a list of previous owners which confirm that the car’s first owner was indeed the Rt. Hon. Earl of Sefton at Croxteth Hall. In 1968 it became the property of Richard Clover from Worcester and ten years later, it was registered to the Midland Record Company (Peter John Riley). Jeremy Pemberton of Yellowhammer PLC. acquired the Bentley in 1990 before selling it in 2004 to specialists dealers Frank Dale and Stepsons who, according to invoices in the file, carried out quite a lot of work on the car. A Michael Percival is listed as owning the car in 2004 with Eric Adkins in 2005 prior to Mr and Mrs Silverstone also in 2005. The famous car- collecting dentist, Dr James Hull added it to his Collection in late 2009 and, naturally, it moved to our vendor’s significant Collection around 2012 when Dr Hull sold everything. There are a number of older invoices with the car and it appears that by 1985, whilst in Peter Riley’s custodianship, the Bentley was looking a little sad. A.B.Price, Automobile Engineers of Studley provided an ‘Estimate’ dated 4th February 1985 for “Totally stripping coachwork, rebuilding corroded and damaged panelwork, re-cellulosing the car, replacing wood frame in body structure, completely refitting the interior woodwork and reassembling all fittings etc‚“. The estimate totalled £14,338. Invoices over the next 18 months totalling over £20,000 from A.B.Price detail the work completed and later invoices over the years from Frank Dale & Stepsons and Hillier Hill detail subsequent maintenance and repairs with the most recent one dated 8th October 2011 recording the odometer reading of 50,572 miles. The history file also contains a number of old V5s, a dozen older MOTs, lots of correspondence, the original ‘buff’ logbook, its R Type Bentley Handbook, an article by Bill Medcalf entitled ‘R-Type Continentals’ and a booklet called ‘Twenty Years of Crewe Bentleys’. Additionally there is also a letter from Bentley confirming that they would like OYE 700 to be displayed at the factory as part of ‘The Bentley Experience’. The current indicated mileage is 50,893 meaning that the car has only covered just over 300 miles in the last dozen years, however, having been in two prominent collections this is not surprising. It has been looked after undoubtedly, and presents supremely with gleaming paintwork and a gently patinated interior with beige leather, excellent veneers and an unmarked Mulliner headlining. The engine bay is very tidy however as the car hasn’t been used for a number of years. Some level of recommissioning is to be expected. This was the first of the Abbott-bodied cars and one can only imagine the sort of attention the ‘swoopy’ Continental bodywork would have generated back in 1954, matched only by the sort of admiration it would garner in 2023. We encourage you to view this remarkable piece of automotive art in the metal and appreciate the sheer quality on offer. Delivered new to The Earl of Sefton, this stunning R-Type is bodied by E.D. Abbott of Farnham, Surrey in ‘Continental’ style. Only a handful of such were constructed, and offer stunning styling for a fraction of the cost of the celebrated Fastback Continental. Registration: OYE 700 Chassis No.: B393SP Estimate: £80,000 - £100,000 Consignor: Rob Hubbard Telephone No: 07775 511825 More Details Lot 855 Bid On Lot 855