Bentley cars for sale in Alberta

Bentley : Other Standard Steel Saloon 1952 bentley r type standard steel saloon

$40,000

Calgary, Alberta

This is a nice example of an early post war Bentley. The R Type succeeded the Bentley Mk. VI that was Rolls/Bentley's first post war vehicle, and the first to use a standard body (as opposed to using a coach builder). it is basically the same car as a Rolls Royce Silver Dawn, but with twin SU's and a less restrictive exhaust. It is extremely refined, and can easily keep up with today's traffic, and cruise happily at 70mph. There are lots of horrible Bentleys and Rolls Royces out there, and they all look decent at 72dpi on the computer screen. This isn't one of them. This car has only had 3 owners, and was recently part of a collection that was broken up as part of an estate sale. It was sold to a wealthy Calgarian as a used car in 1975 in the UK, and he imported the car to Canada in 1997. At that time he commissioned a sympathetic restoration which included mechanical refurbishment, a body restoration, and wood restoration. The bills since the car was in Canada totalled more than $30,000 in the last 1,500 miles. Although the owner didn't drive the car much, he did document each time he took the car out with an in and out mileage and the date, mostly on Post It notes! He basically drove it one or two Sundays per month, 10-50miles, over a period of 15 years since the restoration. It is a decent driver, with no obvious flaws, and has terrific eye appeal. I would call the car sympathetically restored, but It isn't concours. Very close examination reveals the following: The body and paint are excellent having benefited from a quality body restoration-but not perfect. Panels are very straight, no orange peel or prep issues or masking lines, shut lines are even and excellent with the one exception of the RHS hood fit which is off a bit. Restoration documents indicate there is no filler in the body. There are a couple of pin-holes in the trunk, but the trunk floor is solid. There is some very, very minor bubbling in one of the lower door skins, too minor to photograph. There is a ping on the top of the Radiator. There is a very small area of paint cracking where the front fender meets the valance. All in all, the body restoration is holding up well considering 15+ years of use. The undercarriage is very clean and un-rusty. Exhaust and fuel tank have been replaced. The leather is original and dry, though serviceable; there is a tear in the drivers side front backrest.The carpet is somewhat worn in a few places, but still looks good and is serviceable. Headliner has been replaced and is excellent with no water stains. Wood has been recently restored and is perfect. Sunroof only opens half way. Rear sun blind needs attention. Glass and chrome are very good to excellent. Rubber seals are serviceable, the car is water tight. The car starts 'on the button', has lots of power, no gearbox noise, good synchros, good oil pressure, and does not over heat even in extended rush hour traffic. The servo brakes are powerful and stop the car in a straight line with authority. I recently had the front hydraulic brakes gone through with re-sleeved wheel cylinders installed. I drove the car as a daily driver for 2 weeks to shake it down, and it revealed no major issues. Only very minor oil seepage, no leaks that leave puddles. Chassis lubrication system works, but needs to be bled after repair of one pipe section. All electrics work perfectly. The suspension is a bit soft, though examination reveals the bushes to be either nearly new, or aged but still serviceable. The Kingpins are recent. We repaired the oil line from the gearbox to the rear dampers, and the rear shocks could probably be bled or given service, as would the fronts. There is nothing that needs immediate attention, though a car this old will need constant attention and periodic renewal of all consumables of course. The car comes with a very thick history file, owners handbook, jack and a near complete set of tools. Additional photos and a detailed history can be found at3W vintageandsportscar.com/rvschomepage/forsale/1952_Bentley_R_Type.html I have been able to do a very thorough evaluation of the car with the eye to long term ownership, and I can share a more detailed description with an interested buyer. With an expanding family, I need to reduce my car inventory, and I need to sell one of three cars that I have for sale: (1979 Porsche 911 SC, 1989 MB 420 SEL, and this 1952 Bentley R Type). They are all great examples and I don't want to sell any of them as they were all 'keepers', but things change! Lastly, I know you can get these cars almost for free, but if you take a look at the history of this car, you will get some idea of the cost of restoration (in 1997), and you will likely come to the conclusion that it is better for somebody else to do the work... Restoration costs have gone up dramatically in the last 15 years, and that is if you can find somebody to do it.

Trim Standard Steel Saloon