British Cars We Wish They Still Made

 

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Vehicles Feature
Page 2 of 8 from British Cars We Wish They Still Made
Michael Frank

1952-55 Bentley Continental

We could just as easily have picked the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, for both Continental and Silver Cloud were built on similar platforms and both embodied what sadly is completely lost in the touring-car kingdom today: elegance.

Look at one of these cars today and your jaw drops as you try to perceive who is sitting inside, because clearly he or she must be of massive importance and wealth. No, it wouldn't really be practical to build a car precisely like a Bentley Continental today; the fenders and beltline are all too high. But the sleek, fastback shape and imposing grille are still with us in modern Bentleys--the difference is that the lines only say Bentley. Independent of the name, they don't make us gasp at the rare combination of beauty, power and poise. That's what's missing today, and by the grace of king and queen, it's something only the Brits seemed to get perfectly right.

And, as if you needed further proof, early Continental S1s are the most costly collector Bentleys, ranging well up to and beyond $300,000.

Intro 1952-55 Bentley Continental 1961-65 Jaguar E-Type 1962-67 MGB 1963-65 Aston Martin DB5 1964-67 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII 1964-68 Sunbeam Tiger 1948 Land Rover

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