It is worth well more than 1.4M What is it!!!

A really incredible car came by the shop on Saturday to top it off for winter storage. The Owner is a GREAT local guy.

So let see if any one can guess what this car is. This particular car was one of only three that were made with a manual transmission. An absolutely fantastic car. Really rolling art and the great thing is it is a excellent driver not a trailer queen so it gets taken out every now and then (how the owner wants his cars).

Anyway some photos to tease you.

And I was told that this little box in the trunk is worth north of 50K

Pre-way euro luxury car?

Lincoln Zephyr?

Doors scream "Ford V8" but that is clearly not a Flathead V8 gasket!

That headlight/grille shot looks very RR/Bentley-ish to me.

Almost look like it could be a pre-war Jag....

Bentley S1 Continental, LHD.

Spare wipers, check. Spare bulbs, check. Spare head gasket?! That seems to indicate that drivers back then were much more mechanically-minded then now. So head gasket replacement was an ordinary thing to do on the side of the road? Sheez.

jr02518 wrote: Bentley S1 Continental, LHD.

I think you're right, or at least very close. Here's an image from Google for "Bentley S1 Continental engine"

Could be a Mark IV or R-type as well

kb58 wrote: Spare wipers, check. Spare bulbs, check. Spare head gasket?! That seems to indicate that drivers back then were much more mechanically-minded then now. So head gasket replacement was an ordinary thing to do on the side of the road? Sheez.

Replacing the head gasket on a flat-head is a lot less involved than on a OHV engine.

From what I understand, the drivers of cars like this (who were often employed by the owner) were often responsible for maintenance and some repairs as well.

The SU carbs do hint at it being English. The automatic transmission bit is a tad confusing, however...

The OP says that it has a manual transmission.

Very close people but still no one has it exactly.

Year make and model is what I am looking for. I will let you all continue to guess for a while and if some one gets it I will obviously let you all know otherwise I will post up more photos as "hints"

Ohhh I know speaking of hints here is another photo just to get you all crosses up. I think this is uneque to this car but I am not sure or it is the name of the coach builder.

Another hint. It is not a pre war car.

Knurled wrote: Lincoln Zephyr? Doors scream "Ford V8" but that is clearly not a Flathead V8 gasket!

Are they worth 1.4M???

dean1484 wrote:

Knurled wrote: Lincoln Zephyr? Doors scream "Ford V8" but that is clearly not a Flathead V8 gasket!

Are they worth 1.4M???

Not the last time I checked. And as a sidenote, Zephyrs didn't have Flathead 8s, they had a 267ci ('36-'39), 292ci ('40-'41) or 308ci ('42 and '48, no '43-'47 due to the war) Flathead V12 that made sub-150hp and weighed about 800+lbs but sounded absolutely bitchin'.

Which war isn't it pre?

Head gasket looks like late 50s - early 60s Rolls-Royce to me. The underhood shot looks like within the early part of this range. Door doesn't help me at all. I'm going to guess '56 Silver Cloud, but I don't think the headlight is quite right and the 1.4M value clue makes no sense. I'll be curious to see if I got the manufacturer and era right, though. Cool game.

In reply to Woody:

The War of 1812.

I was going to say prewar Citroen. I don't know the name of the model without the chevrons on the grill.

OK, with the help of my friend Google, I can say that Franay was a Paris based coach builder, and most of their post war builds were on Bentley or RR chassis.

1955 Bentley R Type Continental?

Not a clue on what car, but the head gasket says flathead inline 6 to me. Which is backed up by the number of sparkplugs.

EastCoastMojo wrote: 1955 Bentley R Type Continental?

I am going to give it to you. It is a 1954. Left hand drive with a standard trans. I am on my phone so I can not post pix at the moment. I will do that tomorrow. It is just an amazing car. There are few cars that I consider to be art. This is one.

I guessed '55 as I read that the auto was introduced in '53 and became standardized shortly after. Figured the straight drive would be the most rare on the latest model, and the R type was produced through '55.

Thanks for sharing the pics, it is quite a lovely car.

dean1484 wrote: Another hint. It is not a pre war car.

It couldn't be, as the first automatic was 1940 and automotive production kind of slewed to a halt shortly after that. I don't think GM sold it to anyone for a while.

I should have twigged to that, couldn't be the Lincoln based on that fact alone. I didn't see the SU carbs either.