The Art of Luxury Issue 46 2021 | Page 90

AUTOMOTIVE

80,000

INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES

OF THE CONTINENTAL GT

In 1952 , the Bentley R-Type Continental made its debut ; a Mullinerbodied coupe with a top speed of just less than 120 mph . It was the fastest four-seater car in the world and very quickly earned a reputation as the ultimate in high-speed luxury .
In 2003 , the Continental GT was launched – the first car of the modern Bentley era . Inspired by the R-Type , the first Continental GT established an entirely new market segment – the modern luxury Grand Tourer . Ever since , it has been the unchallenged benchmark for the sector that it founded , with an average of nearly 5,000 examples a year being delivered to customers around the world .
Today , eighteen years later , Bentley ’ s skilled craftspeople – many of whom will have worked on the very first example of the Continental
GT ( still owned by Bentley ) – have handcrafted the 80,000th car . Over this period the style , technology and engineering beneath the car has evolved significantly , seeing an increase of up to 27 per cent in peak power , whilst models within the range have also achieved a reduction over the original Continental GT of 48 per cent in CO2 emissions .
Bentley ’ s Chairman and Chief Executive , Adrian Hallmark , comments : “ At its launch in 2003 , Bentley redefined the modern grand tourer with the revolutionary Continental GT . Now in 2021 , the GT continues to be the ultimate luxury grand tourer , encompassing the latest technology , performance and style . This success is a testament to the skills of our designers , engineers and craftspeople here in Crewe .
90 The Art of Luxury Issue 46 2021