Bentley · 1952
R Type Continental
Manual · RWD · United Kingdom
AutoIndex value · good UK car
£585,000
Half of the 4 sales The Classic Valuer recorded in the last 12 months were between £320,000 and £905,000.
Checked against recent sales on 4 November 2026. How we value cars
Estimated price by condition
Project
£351,000
Restoration candidate
Driver
£585,000
Good usable example
Concours
£877,500
Show standard
Indicative condition bands · not a valuation of a particular car
Price check
Looking at a R Type Continental for sale? Is it a good price?
At auction
Results we have recorded from the auction houses’ published results
1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback by H.J. Mulliner
RM Sotheby's, The London Auction 2026, lot 146 · 31 October 2026 · estimate £350,000–£420,000
£320,000
What the sale says about values · How results feed our values
Buyer’s notes
About the Bentley R Type Continental
The R-Type Continental was the high-performance version of Bentley’s R-Type, with a higher-compression engine and, on most cars, a lightweight fastback body by H.J. Mulliner. From July 1954 the engine was enlarged to 4.9 litres.
What moves the price
- Coachwork: the H.J. Mulliner fastback is the classic Continental; other coachbuilders’ cars are rarer and valued individually.
- Originality: a matching engine and the original specification; later engine swaps and modern additions change the value.
- History and continuity of ownership.
Before you buy, check
- The engine number against the chassis records.
- The quality and extent of any restoration, with invoices.
- Corrosion in the body and chassis.
Facts checked against: Wikipedia · rmsothebys.com
Vehicle data
Specifications
From 1952
Performance
Production
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Bentley R Type Continental: value questions answered
- How much is a Bentley R Type Continental worth?
- A good, usable UK example of the Bentley R Type Continental is worth around £585,000 on the AutoIndex index. A project car that needs restoration is nearer £351,000, and a concours-quality example around £877,500. Condition moves the price more than anything else.
- What makes one R Type Continental worth more than another?
- Service history and paperwork — complete, stamped, explained
- Mileage against the norm for the model
- Originality — matching numbers, original paint and trim
- Specification — gearbox, colour, factory options
- UK-supplied versus imported
- Is the R Type Continental I'm looking at fairly priced?
- Enter its asking price and condition in the price check above. It compares the price with the index for that condition and tells you what to ask the seller about.
- How many R Type Continental cars were built?
- Around 208 were built, by our production records.
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