1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Auto H.J. Mulliner Fastback BC3E

To find an example of the extremely sought after Continental fastback in delightfully original condition is a dream to many, but this car is just that, having had just four owners with only 69,000 miles from new. Love and care lavished on the car by particularly considerate owners have resulted in an exceptional outcome. The coachwork is fabulously straight, sharp and precise, the somewhat faded Dragonfly blue paintwork only adds to its appeal. The interior is gorgeously undisturbed and in superb condition, with soft leather in beige, piped blue, lovely woodwork, etc, even the original carpets are intact and in good condition. Add to the above the fact that this car is one of the very last, an E series, with the 4.9 litre engine and you have something very special! If you appreciate the significance & importance of delightful, matured originality, have always fancied an R Type Continental and want an easy to drive automatic, with comfy seats, this may be the only one available to suit your needs! Amongst other documentation, included in the history file is the original buff logbook from 1955, together with the sales invoice from when bought new by the first owner, who went on to keep the car for 26 years, and when the time came to sell, he was keen to find someone to care for the car appropriately, as the letter we have attests to. This he achieved, and the car was then with one family for another 27 years until 2008. Delightfully correct, undisturbed with a tactile quality difficult to put into words, this truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity!  Now re-commissioned, serviced & offered MoT tested.

 

Chassis No. BC3E                                 Reg No. PYR 1           

 

Snippets: A Successful Stockbroker  

The first owner of BC3E was Aubrey William Schuster (1906/1993) whose family can be traced back to Frankfurt in the 1600s with Abraham Ottingen-Schuster, the first record of the family being in England is with Aubrey’s grandfather Francis Joseph Schuster in the late 1800s.  The Schuster family were involved in many fields including law, textiles, banking, science (X rays) & the Stock market.  During WWI members of the Schuster family were subjected to anti-German press and at one stage Sir Felix Schuster issued a press release stating that the 3 Schuster brothers all had sons serving in the British army with Aubrey Schuster earning the rank of Major in the Royal Army Service Corps.  Aubrey & Joy Schuster lived on the Moor Park Estate in Rickmansworth which boasted a grand Golf Club together with a hidden underground railway station! 

 

Joy Schuster originally came from Scotland & their business interests were in the Clydesdale Boot & Shoe Steam Factory which was established in 1822, by 1872 the company had 10 branches in Glasgow plus the factory works in Elcho Street.  The adverts of the time boasted that their boots & shoes are Suited for Town & Country wear.  When Aubrey Schuster took delivery of BC3E he was so delighted with the car that he took his neighbour & his son for a ride. In 1981 when Aubrey Schuster became unwell, he sold the car to the son of that same neighbour who as a young man had been taken for a journey in the car. 

 

Hertfordshire’s county emblem is a hart’s head (from which the county takes its name), members of Moor Park Golf Club were issued with metal car badges in order to show security their access status when they entered the park – this badge with a harts head & dagger is still mounted on the car!