British Luxury Car Company Bentley's Unique Continental GT Azure is Influenced by the R-Type Continental

The Continental GT Azure by Bentley Motors

Bentley Motors has built a one-of-a-kind Continental GT Azure based on JAS 949, a preserved version of the famous R-Type Continental.

The new Continental GT commemorates the 70th birthday of JAS 949, one of the most significant stylistic symbols in Bentley's history.

JAS 949 is one of just 208 R Type Continentals ever produced, yet the automobile had a bigger influence than its small number would indicate. The old and new Bentleys were taken near the Battersea Power Station in south London, which is a 21st-century reimagining of a 1950s classic.

The R-Type Continental was the world's quickest four-seat luxury saloon when it debuted in 1952.

It was described as "a contemporary magic carpet that annihilates huge distances." The Continental GT's three primary design lines - the power line from the front wheel, the rear haunch, and the roofline – were the inspiration for the Continental GT's first generation in 2003 and every Continental GT thereafter.

The most recent Azure members of the Continental GT family continue to highlight elegance and timeless style, directly derived from the R-Type Continental, while including an emphasis on driver comfort.

Using Mulliner's Personal Commissioning Guide, the new Continental GT Azure pays tribute to one of Bentley's 43-car Heritage Collection's most legendary vehicles. Bentley's R-Type Continental, JAS 949, lives at the recently built Heritage Garage on Bentley's carbon-neutral site in Crewe. Bentley bought JAS 949 in 2001 and has meticulously preserved its patina while keeping it in great technical condition. The vehicle is driven on the road often.

In December 1953, JAS 949 was handed to its first owner, Dr. Rowland Guenin of Switzerland. It was ordered in Ivory with a Red interior and a manual transmission, a configuration it maintains along with its 4.6-liter engine.

To replicate the closest specification for the current rendition of JAS 949, a new Continental GT V8 Azure was hand-painted in Old English White, a true recreation of the 1950s-era heritage paint colour. According to the inspiration, the Continental GT is equipped with shiny chrome (including the matrix grille). The original JAS 949 had 16-inch wheels, however the updated variant has 22-inch wheels with a black and polished finish.

Inside the luxurious interior, Cricket Ball leather can be found everywhere, giving the driver and passengers with a reassuring, deep, and luxurious sense of history and echoing the colour of JAS 949 hide. Accents are added to the seats with hand-applied Beluga leather piping to offer contrast and retain the interior's design lines.

Contemporary Approach

Adding a modern touch, the Burr Walnut veneer has been left with an open pore, producing a texture similar to that of JAS 949's patinated finish. Open-pore veneer is painted with just three ultra-thin coats wood lacquer, with a total thickness of only 0.1 mm. This veneer is chosen from only the finest and most figured available stock. In contrast, Bentley's High Gloss lacquer coating has a thickness of 0.5 mm and a smooth, glossy appearance. Each layer is applied by hand and sanded between coats to ensure that the lacquer adheres to the wood's inherent grooves. The resultant finish is wax-like and flawlessly accentuates the original colour and grain of the wood type.

Outstanding Workmanship

Cross-banding inlays are still accessible today due to the esteemed workmanship of Bentley. Reflecting the interior elements of JAS 949, the new Continental GT Azure's cross banding has Australian straight grain veneer with a boxwood inlay and a rich gold Bentley Mulliner overlay. The cabin of the R-Type Continental has been completed with the addition of the last touches to the fascia veneer and internal treadplates.

The Creation Of The First R-Type Continental

The R-Type Continental, the brainchild of Chief Projects Engineer Ivan Evernden and Chief Stylist John Blatchley, continues to inspire Bentley designers.

Two prewar coachbuilt specialties, the 'Embiricos' Bentley and the Corniche, demonstrated the benefits of enhanced aerodynamics. Ivan Evernden drew inspiration from these one-off vehicles in the early 1950s when he designed a stylish coupé based on the R Type Bentley sedan.

Amazing Output

The output of the 4,566cc, six-cylinder, in-line engine was increased from 140 to 153 horsepower, and the transmission's final drive ratio was increased. The prototype, OLG 490, also known as Olga, averaged 118.75 mph during five circuits at the banked Montlhèry track near Paris, with a peak lap speed of slightly under 120 mph.

Aluminum was used for the bodywork, window frames, windscreen surround, backlight, seat frames, and bumpers in order to achieve the desired weight. Even with a reduced weight, tyre selection was crucial; no conventional road tyre existed that could sustain a two-ton automobile at speeds more than 115 mph, therefore Dunlop Medium Distance Track tyres were used.

In June 1952, the first production model was delivered to its owner, and by 1955, 208 R Type Continentals had been manufactured. 193 of them were constructed by HJ Mulliner. Other participants included Park Ward (four dropheads and two coupés), Franay (five), Graber (three), and Farina (one).

Creating a Contemporary Magic Carpet

The new Continental GT Azure is intended to increase the well-being and comfort of the vehicle's passengers, making every trip, regardless of distance, an enjoyable experience.

Seating is the cornerstone of driving comfort and control, and the Front Seat Comfort Specification is standard on all Bentley Azures. This features adjustable side bolsters, electronic seatbelt adjustment, and comfort headrests, as well as a massaging function with six preset levels that supports the essential micro-adjustments in muscle and posture that prevent tiredness.

Bentley Dynamic Ride, Bentley's 48V active anti-roll control technology, is an important component of the Continental GT Azure, as it boosts ride comfort and controls roll for smoother, more enjoyable travels. The technology protects the driver and passengers from excessive movement by electrically disconnecting the anti-roll bars when necessary to soften the ride and by applying up to 1300 Nm of anti-roll torque in 0.3 seconds during cornering to maintain the body level and stable.

Standard on the Continental GT Azure is the Touring Specification, which comprises driver assistance technologies, imbuing the driver with confidence and comfortable control regardless of the traffic or weather. Adaptive Cruise Control* maintains a certain distance from the car in front, slowing down (to a stop, if required) when the vehicle in front does so and resuming the predetermined speed when the lane is clear. In conjunction with Lane Assist*, Traffic Assist*, and Bentley Safeguard, the Bentley's suite of on-board radar and video systems may intervene to prevent or avert a collision.

The calming and energising atmosphere of the Azure interior, which lowers driver tiredness via its multisensory and science-based design, can only contribute to the car's increased safety. Studies have indicated that fatigue plays a factor in 20% of all traffic incidents.

Head-up Display, which provides instructions and navigation directly in the driver's line of sight, and Night Vision, which employs infrared cameras to spot pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife beyond the beam of the LED headlights, further increase the driver's impression of comfortable control.

A History Of Perfection

Bentley is unique among automobile manufacturers in that it has always crossed the performance and luxury spectrums. Even when the Bentley Boys were racing and winning at Brooklands and Le Mans in their loud racing green vehicles, business founder W.O. Bentley was obsessed with smoothness and finesse. In his autobiography, he remarked, "I have endured a great deal of noise, but I dislike it," adding, "I detest noise for the sake of noise. To me, 70 mph in quiet is considerably more commendable than 80 mph with noise." At 150 miles per hour, the Bentley Azures of today are quieter than anything W.O. Bentley would have encountered at 70.

The new Continental GT Azure has joined Bentley's press fleet in the United Kingdom, where it will be available for media loans alongside the JAS 949.

An Iconic Location for Photographing an Iconic Grand Tourer

Battersea Power Station has been a London symbol for nearly nine decades. In 1955, the second half of the Power Station, Power Station B, and the landmark's fourth and final chimney were finished, allowing the station to serve one-fifth of London's peak electrical demand. In this era, Bentley Motors also grew and expanded, achieving victory at Le Mans in the 1920s and establishing a plant in Crewe prior to the debut of the renowned R Type Continental in the 1950s.

Battersea Power Station was decommissioned in 1983 and lay dormant for nearly 30 years until a consortium of Malaysian companies purchased the site in 2012 with the intention of reviving this iconic London landmark and the surrounding area as one of the most exciting and innovative mixed-use communities. Today, Battersea Power Station is a new community with a bustling mix of shops, bars, restaurants, leisure activities, apartments, and public space, with more on the way.

The area was ideal for photographing the new Continental GT Azure and JAS 949 together, since both vehicles and the surroundings reflected the best of the 1950s and the present.

About Bentley Motors

When it comes to high-end vehicles, no other brand compares to Bentley Motors. The company's five model lines—the Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible, Flying Spur, Bentayga, and Bentayga EWB—are all designed, developed, engineered, and manufactured from the Crewe facility. British luxury car makers like Bentley are known for their unique blend of exceptional craftsmanship, using talents handed down through generations, technological knowledge, and cutting-edge technology. It is also an excellent illustration of the high standard of British industry. There are around 4,000 people working for Bentley in Crewe.