CONTINENTAL SPECIFICATION AND DETAILS

Production | Chassis | Coachwork | Engines | Gearboxes | Capacities

Production

The prototype, originally named the Corniche II, was completed on the 27th of August 1951. By the time production commenced in January of 1952 the name of the production cars had been changed to the Continental Sports Saloon. The designation R-Type Continental was only used after production has ceased to differentiate these cars from the subsequent S-1 Continental. In adition to the prototype, there were 207 Continentals made between the 14th of May 1952 and the 22nd of April 1955.

The Coachbuilders drawing of the Corniche II
(click the picture to enlarge)

All original chassis numbers, except the prototype, were prefixed by the letters BC for Bentley Continental. They run consecutively, always omitting “13”, in five alphabetical series differentiated by the suffix letters- A, B, C, D, and E. The letter L inserted before the series letter indicates left-hand drive.

Chassis numbers run as follows:

Chassis No.	Left Drive	Right Drive	Total
9B-VI (Prototype)	--	1	1
BC-1-A to BC-25-A	4	20	24
BC-1-B to BC-25-B	6	18	24
BC-1-C to BC-78-C	20	57	77
BC-1-D to BC-74-D	12	61	73
BC-1-E to BC-9-E	1	8	9
	43	165	208

The prototype No. 9B-VI, also acquired the Continental Chassis No. BC-26-A when sold to Stanley Sedgwick on the 31st of December 1960. This car is also universally known as "Olga" due to the registration number OLG 490.

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Chassis

The Continental shared a common chassis frame and many suspension, steering and brake components with the MK-VI series and R-Type. These were assembled at the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe. The completed Continental chassis were then shipped by rail to the Lillie Hall Depot in Earls Court London. There final rectification or modifications were made and the chassis were delivered to the coachbuilders by a special lorry. For the prototype 9B-VI and from BC-1-A to BC-20-C the riveted MK-VI chassis frame was used. From BC-21-C to BC-9-LE the all welded (T-Type) chassis frame was used.

Crewe drawing RF 9763 of the MK-VI Continental Chassis.
(click the picture to enlarge)

All A series were listed on their build sheets as having a MK-VI chassis. The B series were listed from BC-1-B to BC-17-B as having a MK-VII chassis. The remaining B series, all the C, D and E series were listed from BC-18-B to BC-9LE as having an R-Type chassis, except for BC-24-B which was listed as having a MK-VII chassis.

The individual rolling chassis weights varied slightly depending on the specification of the car. Production changes however gave some general weight savings, and the later chassis were in fact lighter. The all welded chassis was the final development. It was far more rigid and saved 30 lbs. due to the absence of rivets.

The following table gives average weights for the completed rolling chassis over the course of production:

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Coachwork

The H.J. Mulliner Sports Saloon (Fastback) design was the result of extensive collaboration between the Mulliner and Crewe design offices. Mulliner went so far as to consult with Pinin Farina in the early stages. Final design refinements for low drag and stability were based upon clay model tests in the Hucknell Wind Tunnel. Weight savings were a critical factor and this was achieved with Mulliner's proprietary all aluminium lightweight construction method. This body was fitted to the entire 'A' and 'B' series. Only 15 cars from the 'C', 'D' and 'E' series were fitted with alternative coachwork.

Note: The length was approximately 17' 7½'' with the Wilmot Breedon 'export' bumpers and heavy overiders. The roofline of the prototype 9-B-VI was 1'' higher than the production cars.

212 New Kings Road where Mulliner built the Continentals
(click the picture to enlarge)

Drawing No. A-2 of the one Pinin Farina Continental BC-49-C
(click the picture to enlarge)

Pinin Farina, who had been involved from the beginning, were commissioned by Crewe to body BC-49-C for test purposes. The Paris agents Franco Brittanic Automobiles had customers insisting on French coachwork and BC-51-C was sent to be bodied by Franay. Mulliner had tried to build a lightweight drophead body, Design No. 7303, but this had broken up due to flex in the early riveted chassis. Therefore, an all welded chassis; BC-55-C was sent to Graber, who had also been working on Drophead development in collaboration with Park Ward. Later Park Ward were able to successfully construct their own drophead coupe on a specially strengthened chassis, BC-73-C.

Drawing No. 647 Park Ward Drophead Coupe
(click the picture to enlarge)

Coachwork	P	A	B	C	D	E	Total
Mulliner Prototype	1	--	--	--	--	--	1
Mulliner Fastback	--	24	24	72	64	8	193
Park Ward Drophead	--	--	--	1	3	--	4
Park Ward Coupe	--	--	--	--	2	--	2
Franay	--	--	--	1	3	1	5
Graber	--	--	--	2	1	--	3
Pinin Farina	--	--	--	1	--	--	1
	1	24	24	77	73	9	208

Details of unusual cars can be found in the table of alternative Coachwork. All Continentals bodied by Mulliner, Park Ward and the one bodied by Farina were inspected, road tested and weighed by the factory at their Lillie Hall Depot in London. No responsibility was taken for the final finish or weight of those cars built by Graber or Franay. The weight of the bodies and the chassis remained remarkably consistent throughout production. The finished cars however had a considerable range of weights right from the beginning due to individual customer demands for heavy seats, automatic gearboxes and accessories. Contrary to popular opinion a close study of individual weights shows that the later cars were not necessarily heavier.

The following table lists the heaviest and lightest car in each series:

The one-off Pinin Farina Continental BC-49-C
(click the picture to enlarge)

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Engines

The Continental uses an inline 6 cylinder engine with a cast iron mono-block, an aluminium cylinder head, 6 overhead inlet valves, 6 side exhaust valves, single gear driven camshaft, cast aluminium pistons, forged steel connecting rods, forged nitrided steel crankshaft, and a wet sump lubrication system. The A, B, and C series Continentals were fitted with the 4½-litre engine that displaced 4,566 c.c. This engine was known at the works as the B-60 or 35/8-bore engine and in Continental specification produced 158 BHP. In the spring of 1954, the bore was increased to 3¾ inches, which raised the displacemant to 4,887 c.c. This engine was known at the works as the B-61 or 3¾-bore engine and in Continental specification produced 172 BHP. It was fitted to all the D and E series Continentals.

The 3¾-bore engine was also retro-fitted through an engine exchange programme to 37 of the 35/8-bore cars. There were nine A-series, six B-series and 22 C-series Continentals that received the larger engine through exchange or overhaul. Details of these exchanges are contained in the table of engine exchanges and modifications.

The compression of the D and E series engines has always been advertised as 7.25-1. Crewe engineering drawings however show the compression on these engines and those used in the engine exchange programme to actually be 7.8-1. This goes some way toward explaining the impressive BHP increase in the 3¾-bore engine.

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Gearboxes

The first 89 Continentals were all fitted with manual gearboxes. The manual gearboxes had 4 forward close ratio gears, with synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd and Top gears. The top gear was a direct drive. The right-hand drive manual cars were fitted with a right-hand floor mounted gear-change lever. The left-hand drive manual cars were fitted with a steering column mounted gear-change lever.

There was an optional central floor mounted gear-change lever that could be specified for right or left-hand drive manual cars. The central gear-change lever had many more components that could wear and they have latterly acquired a reputation for being less precise. In proper condition, however they function very well. The first left-hand drive car was BC-8-LA and the first car fitted with a central gear-change lever was BC-16-LA.

Automatic gearboxes were not fitted until halfway through the C series, and subsequently manual or automatic gearboxes were optional. The automatic had 4 forward gears. The ratios were not as close as the manual gearbox. Top gear was a direct drive. All automatic gearbox cars were fitted with a steering column gear selection lever. The first automatic car was BC-42-LC.

Manual gearboxes were fitted to 166 cars and automatic gearboxes were fitted to 42 cars. The following table outlines the gearboxes:

Chassis Type	A	B	C	D	E	Total
Right-hand drive
Manual:
Right-hand floor change	21	17	50	36	3	127
Central floor change	--	1	4	--	--	5
Automatic	--	--	3	25	5	33
Left-hand drive
Manual:
Steering column change	3	4	4	--	--	11
Central floor change	1	2	13	7	--	23
Automatic	--	--	3	5	1	9
	25	24	77	73	9	208

Note: this table includes the prototype as one of the right-hand drive production cars fitted with a right-hand floor change.

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Capacities

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