Automotive History: Who Actually Styled the 1952 Bentley Continental?

Notes, citations and references follow:

Note:

Drawing in the style of Cecily Jenner.

Jenner draw

Above: un-numbered, unsigned, undated drawing

RR draw

Above: Rolls-Royce drawing RBS. 1287.; signed ‘Aln’ (Bill Allen); dated 27/2/51

Fig10

Above: Rolls-Royce drawing RBS.1054.; signed CKJenner; dated 17/(indistinct)/50

Fig9

Above: Rolls-Royce drawing RBS.1072.; signed CKJenner; dated 27/(indistinct)/5(indistinct)

comparo images

Above: Although RBS 1072 shows a model already in production, the development of the MkVIII program included comparison drawings between it and the MkVI. I would suggest RBS 1072 was prepared in the same scale as RBS 1054 for this purpose.

mull 7277

ABOVE: HJ Mulliner drawing 7277; signed Herbert Nye; dated (indistinct/indistinct/54)

front ends

When I make the comparison of frontal views from the Rolls-Royce drawings I can locate, I note the similarity in style of the un-numbered drawing with RBS 1054 and RBS 1072. The shading under the vehicle appears to be similar across the three, as is the use of single-point perspective in the rendering. I also note the presence of the caption ‘PERSPECTIVE IMPRESSION’ across the three.

The frontal view of RBS 1287 does not feature shading under the vehicle, is not rendered with single-point perspective and does not feature a specific caption.

I also note the main titling for the un-numbered drawing; ‘BENTLEY CORNICHE II’ and the main titling for RBS 1072; BENTLEY MARK VI 4 1/4 LITRE.’ are in a similar hand-rendered italicised serif font.

I cannot locate any HJ Mulliner frontal view drawings, but I note the general differences between
the presentation of Rolls-Royce drawings and the presentation of HJ Mulliner drawings.

I have formulated my suggestion that Cecily Jenner may be the person who drew the un-numbered set of drawings shown at top from these comparisons.

Citations:

(1) McLellan, John; Bodies Beautiful. A History of Car Styling and Craftsmanship; pub. David & Charles; Newton Abbot, England; 1975; p 109.

(2) Evernden, Ivan; as quoted by Dennis May; ‘Genesis: R-Type Continental’; Automobile Quarterly; Volume VI, Number 4; pub. Automobile Quarterly Inc.; New York, USA, Spring 1964; p 375.

(3) Bennett, Martin; Bentley Continental, Corniche and Azure 1951-2002 Revised Edition; pub. Veloce Publishing Ltd; Dorchester, England; 2009; p14.

(4) Bobbitt, Malcolm; Rolls-Royce & Bentley. Sixty Years at Crewe.; pub. Sutton Publishing; Gloucestershire, UK, 1998; p 76.

(5) Bobbitt, Malcolm; Rolls-Royce & Bentley. Sixty Years at Crewe.; pub. Sutton Publishing; Gloucestershire, UK, 1998.; p 77.

(6) Bennett, Martin; Bentley Continental, Corniche and Azure 1951-2002 Revised Edition; pub. Veloce Publishing Ltd; Dorchester, England; 2009; p 27.

(7) Author uncredited; ‘The Continental’; The Rolls-Royce Bulletin; January 1954; as reproduced by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club; http://www.rrec.org.uk/Cars/The_Continental.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

(8) Author uncredited; ‘The Continental’; The Rolls-Royce Bulletin; January 1954; as reproduced by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club; http://www.rrec.org.uk/Cars/The_Continental.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

(9) Chapman, Giles; ‘The Image Architect’; Classic & Sports Car; pub. Haymarket Magazines, Middlesex, UK; December 1996; p 112.

(10) May, Dennis; ‘Genesis: R-Type Continental’; Automobile Quarterly; Volume VI, Number 4; pub. Automobile Quarterly Inc.; New York, USA, Spring 1964; p 377.

(11) Chapman, Giles; ‘The Image Architect’; Classic & Sports Car; pub. Haymarket Magazines, Middlesex, UK; December 1996; p 112.

(12) Feast, Richard; The DNA of Bentley. Rich Heritage. Challenging Future; pub. Motorbooks International; Minnesota, USA; 2004; pp 105, 108.

References, authors credited:

Alfieri, Bruno (Ed.); Pininfarina Catalogue Raisonné 1930-1990; pub. Automobilia; Milan, Italy; 1990.

Bayley, Stephen; Cars: Freedom, Style, Sex, Power, Motion, Colour, Everything; pub. Conran Octopus Ltd.; 2008.

Bennett, Martin; Bentley Continental, Corniche and Azure 1951-2002 Revised Edition; pub. Veloce Publishing Ltd; Dorchester, England; 2009.

Bennett, Martin; Rolls-Royce, the History of the Car; Oxford Illustrated Press; Oxford, UK, 1974.

Bird, Anthony & Hallows, Ian; The Rolls-Royce Motor-Car and the Bentley Since 1931; pub. B.T. Batsford Ltd.; Fifth Edition 1984.

Bobbitt, Malcolm; Rolls-Royce & Bentley. Sixty Years at Crewe.; pub. Sutton Publishing; Gloucestershire, UK, 1998.

Bobbitt, Malcolm; Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Bentley T-Series. Camargue & Corniche. Revised & Enlarged Third Edition; pub. Veloce Publishing; Dorset, England; 2004.

Bourne, Martin; ‘John Blatchley 1913 – 2008′; Roll-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club; http://www.rrec.org.uk/History/People/John_Blatchley.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Brooks, John; ‘Built for Image: Embiricos Bentley’; Drivingline.com; 12 Aug 2013; http://www.drivingline.com/2013/08/embiricos-bentley-history/; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Buckley, Martin; ‘Bentley R-type Continental – Beauty and Brawn in Perfect Harmony’; Classic & Sports Car; Haymarket Consumer Media; January 2008;  published online 24 Feb 2014; http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/csc-features/bentley-r-type-continental-%E2%80%93-beauty-and-brawn-in-perfect-harmony; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Chapman, Giles; ‘John Blatchley: Shaper of the Modern Rolls-Royce’; The Independent; 4 Apr 2008; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-blatchley-shaper-of-the-modern-rollsroyce-804558.html; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Chapman, Giles; ‘The Image Architect’; Classic & Sports Car; pub. Haymarket Magazines, Middlesex, UK; December 1996.

Craig, John H., ‘The Design & Development of the Silver Cloud/S Series’; The Flying Lady, the magazine of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club; sep/Oct 2005; as reproduced by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club;  http://www.rrec.org.uk/Cars/The_Silver_Cloud_Series/Origins_and_Designs.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Dalton, Lawrence; Rolls-Royce. The Elegance Continues; pub. Dalton Watson Ltd; London, UK; Revised Edition 1973.

Elmgren, Gunnar; ‘Bentley R Continental’; Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club for Rolls-Royce and Bentley Enthusiasts in Sweden; article published online 2012; http://www.rrec.se/artiklar/historia/bentleycont/continental.htm; last accessed online via Google Translation 28 Feb 2015.

Evernden, Ivan; ‘Royce The Designer’ as reproduced by Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club; http://www.rrec.org.uk/History/People/Frederick_Henry_Royce/Royce_The_Designer_by_I_Evernden.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Feast, Richard; The DNA of Bentley. Rich Heritage. Challenging Future; pub. Motorbooks International; Minnesota, USA; 2004.

Georgano, G. N.; The Classic Rolls-Royce; pub. Bison Books; 1983; Greenwich, USA.

Harvey-Bailey, Alec;’”EP” – Eric Platford: The Chief Tester’ The Rolls-Royce Bulletin No. 173, March 1989; as reproduced by Roll-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club; http://www.rrec.org.uk/History/People/Eric_Platford_The_Chief_Tester.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Holt, Richard; ‘Lot Watch: Pininfarina Rolls-Royce’; The Telegraph; 30 Aug 2014; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/motoring/43613/lot-watch-pininfarina-rolls-royce.html; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Lamm, Michael; ‘Playing All the Angles: The Fastback Body in America.’; Collectible Automobile; pub. Publications International Ltd.; Lincolnwood, USA; February 2005.

May, Dennis; ‘Genesis: R-Type Continental’; Automobile Quarterly; Volume VI, Number 4; pub. Automobile Quarterly Inc.; New York, USA, Spring 1964.

McLellan, John; Bodies Beautiful. A History of Car Styling and Craftsmanship; pub. David & Charles; Newton Abbot, England; 1975.

Owen, Richard; ‘1937 Talbot Lago T150C SS’; Supercars.net; http://www.supercars.net/cars/1787.html; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Prunet, Antoine; Pininfarina. Art and Industry 1930-2000; pub. Haynes Publishing; Sparkford, England; 2000.

Ramsey, Jonathon; ‘Bentley 4¼-liter Embiricos special comes home’; Autoblog.com; 20 Aug 2012; http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/20/bentley-4-litre-embiricos-special-comes-home/; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Roßfeldt, K. J.; ‘Bentley R and Bentley Continental (1952 – 1955)’; Rolls-Royce and Bentley Photos, Reports and Books from the Archives of K.-J. Roßfeldt; last updated 1 Feb 2015; http://www.rrab.com/br.htm; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Roßfeldt, K. J.; ‘Car of the Month – September 2008. Bentley R Continental,  1954, #BC46D. H.J. Mulliner Fastback Saloon’; Rolls-Royce and Bentley Photos, Reports and Books from the Archives of K.-J. Roßfeldt; http://www.rrab.com/sep08.htm; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Steel, Rodney; Bentley. The Cars From Crewe.; Dalton Watson; London, UK, 1988.

Walker, Nick; A-Z of British Coachbuilders 1919-1960 Revised Edition; pub. Herridge & Sons Ltd.; Devon, UK; 2007.

References, authors uncredited:

Author uncredited; ‘Bentley, from 1946 to 1955’; http://carcatalog3.free.fr/hist16a.htm; last accessed online via Google Translate 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘Bentley (GB) 1919-; Auto Encyklopedia 1945-1969; http://www.oldtimer.400.pl/bentley.html; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘Bentley Repeats History‘; Past and Present Column; Classic and Sports Car; pub. Haymarket Magazines, Middlesex, UK; April 1996.

Author uncredited; ‘Carrosserie Vanvooren’; Wikipedia; last updated 12 Oct 2014; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrosserie_Vanvooren; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘George Moseley’; Obituary, The Times; 13 December 2002.

Author uncredited; ‘The Continental’; The Rolls-Royce Bulletin; January 1954; as reproduced by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club; http://www.rrec.org.uk/Cars/The_Continental.php; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘The Salon Privé Sale 2014. Lot No.: 130. 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Coupe by Pininfarina’; Silverstone Auctions, Warwickshire, UK; https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/rolls-royce-continental-coupe; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘The Scottsdale Auction 16 January 2014. Lot 185. 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental ‘Fastback Sports Saloon Coachwork by Franay’; Bonhams, USA; http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21392/lot/185/; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘Those Unseen’; The International Club for Rolls Royce and Bentley Owners — Desk Diary 2008; http://www.virtualonlinepubs.com/article/Those_Unseen/28420/3254/article.html; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘1928 Rolls-Royce 20hp/Derby Bentley Project’; The Real Car Co. Ltd, Gwynedd, UK; http://www.realcar.co.uk/20hp_gkm20.htm; last accessed online 5 Mar 2015.

Author uncredited; ‘W.O. Bentley’, Wikipedia; last modified on 22 Jan 2015; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._O._Bentley; last accessed online 28 Feb 2015.

Pages: 1 2