1953 Bentley R-Type Continental

Coachwork by H.J. Mulliner
Chassis: BC10LB
Engine: BCB10

- 1 of 41 Left hand drive examples
- 1 of 11 left-hand-drive, manual (column-shift) examples produced
- Special ordered new by James Bond Creator Ian Fleming
- Original Interior and Matching-Numbers Engine
- 1971 Pebble Beach Class Winner

The Bentley R Type Mulliner Continental Fastback is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful Bentleys ever built and is among the rarest, with only 11 left-hand-drive examples produced with a manual column-shift transmission. This particular car, chassis BC10LB, is especially significant because it was ordered new by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, for his lifelong friend Ivar Bryce, the real-life inspiration for Bond character Felix Leiter. Fleming and Bryce were childhood friends, Eton classmates, and both served in British intelligence during World War II—Bryce in MI6 and Fleming in Naval Intelligence.

Factory records confirm that Fleming specified Deep Grey coachwork with black Connolly hides, requested most chrome trim—including the radiator shell—painted in body color, and selected options such as fitted luggage, lightweight sports seats, and a racehorse mascot, reflecting the Bryces’ love of horse racing. Fleming famously described the color as “Elephant’s Breath Grey.” The car was completed on April 17, 1953, road tested and invoiced to Fleming on April 22, and delivered by air on June 15, 1953 to Ivar and Josephine Bryce in Cherbourg, France.

The Bryces immediately toured Europe in the Bentley, traveling through France, Spain, Italy, and Austria, before returning to Moyns Park, their Tudor estate in Essex. In 1955, the car was shipped to Nassau, Bahamas, then relocated to New York, and later moved to Black Hole Hollow Farm on the New York–Vermont border. Fleming was a frequent visitor there and wrote several Bond stories while staying at the estate.

In January 1970, BC10LB was acquired by Captain Robert Emery Wanless of Carmel, California, who repainted the car white and showed it at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on May 29, 1971, where it won Best in Class. The car later passed through several owners, including John F. Ling and a Beverly Hills surgeon who kept it from 1978 to 2002, before being purchased by a private California collector. The current owner acquired the Bentley in 2015.

In period, the R Type Continental Fastback was one of the world’s most glamorous and expensive automobiles, capable of sustained triple-digit cruising in exceptional comfort. Today, these cars remain highly coveted, with top examples trading around $3 million and rarely coming to market. While this example requires restoration, it is considered one of the most historically important Continental Fastbacks ever built and is expected to be among the most valuable once restored.

Despite being largely off the road since the late 1970s, BC10LB is fully assembled, retains its matching-numbers drivetrain, and still runs and drives. It has never been restored and preserves many original components, including much of its walnut-and-leather interior. Changes from original include the white repaint and replacement of the racehorse mascot with a traditional Bentley radiator mascot.

Offered “as is” or with restoration available, this 1953 Bentley R Type Continental Fastback represents a rare opportunity to acquire an extraordinarily well-documented, historically significant car with exceptional investment potential and substantial upside following restoration.