Bentley Continental

Bentley has used the Continental name on a number of automobiles since 1952

From 1952 to 1965 always for cars with more powerful engines than used in standard cars installed in lowered chassis provided to coachbuilders for distinctive and distinguished body shapes of specially lightened construction

Bentley Continentals were close-coupled two-door saloons intended for high speed touring and slightly less for comfort. They were named Continental (as with some Rolls-Royces before them) because at the time (until the 1960s) there were no high speed roads of any length on their home territory.

From 1965 and the introduction of the T series with its unitary construction Continental chassis were no longer made available to coachbuilders

• 1952 Bentley Continental Mark VI
• 1952–1955 Bentley Continental R-type
• 1955–1959 Bentley Continental S1
• 1959–1962 Bentley Continental S2
• 1962–1965 Bentley Continental S3

post-coachbuilder cars

• 1984–1995 Bentley Continental
• 1991–2002 Bentley Continental R
• 1994–1995 Bentley Continental S
• 1996–2002 Bentley Continental T

post-Vickers cars

• 2003– Bentley Continental GT
• 2005– Bentley Continental Flying Spur
• 2006– GTC Bentley Continental GTC
• 2009– Bentley Continental Supersports

References

See also

• Bentley
• Bentley S3

type / class	1920s		1930s				1940s		1950s		1960s		1970s		1980s		1990s				2000s				2010s
	Bentley Motors Limited (1919–1931)			Rolls-Royce Bentley Motors (1931) Limited (1931–1980)											Vickers plc Rolls-Royce Bentley Motors (1931) Limited (1980–1998)					Volkswagen Group (1998–>)
coachbuilder's open 2/4 seater	3 L	4½ L 6½ L Speed Six
coachbuilder's large saloon coupé or convertible		6½ L Speed Six 8 L		4L 3½  4¼L Mark V				Mark VI	R	S1 S2 S3		T
		C o n t	Continental S1 Continental S2 Continental S3
	cars with Bentley own-factory coachwork
large saloon								Mark VI	R	S1 S2 S3		T1		T2	Mulsanne		Brooklands				Arnage				Mulsanne
																Turbo R
coupé																	Continental R/S/T
convertible																			Azure
	Bentleys on the Volkswagen platform
large saloon																							Continental Flying Spur
coupé																						Continental GT
convertible																						C GTC
founder: Walter Owen Bentley • A marque of the Volkswagen Group • Bentley Boys

type / class	1980s										1990s										2000s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3
saloon					Eight
	Mulsanne								Mulsanne S					Brooklands					Arnage			Arnage RL/R
			Mulsanne Turbo				Turbo R											Turbo RT		Arnage Red Label			Arnage T
coupé												Continental R
															Continental S		Continental T
convertible	Corniche				Continental											Azure
colour code:	Silver Shadow-based								Mulsanne-based								Arnage-based
founder: Walter Owen Bentley • Bentley Motors corporate website • A marque of the Volkswagen Group • Bentley Boys

type / class	1990s		2000s										2010s
	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1
saloon	Arnage							Continental Flying Spur
		Red Label			Arnage R/T								New Mulsanne
				Arnage RL
coupé	Continental R					Continental GT
	Continental T										Brooklands Coupé
convertible										Continental GTC
	Azure								Azure
colour code:	Mulsanne-based			Arnage-based				Continental GT-based			New Mulsanne-based
founder: Walter Owen Bentley • Bentley Motors corporate website • A marque of the Volkswagen Group • Bentley Boys • Bentley Speed 8