1952 Bentley R Series James Young

We have James Young to thank for this particulary rare 2 door coachbuilt Bentley - so rare in fact we believe that only five were ever produced. Established in 1863 - when, of course, it built horse-drawn carriages - the Kent-based constructor was one of the more prominent producing bespoke bodies for Rolls-Royce and Bentley. It had a couple of great advantages over its rivals; the services of the talented Scottish designer A F McNeil and being owned since 1937 by the main London dealer Jack Barclay, which could obviously point its well-heeled clients towards its services. In all, James Young would put 69 of its bodies on R-Type underpinnings.

Suffice to say, it was Jack Barclay that supplied this Bentley, although we can’t exactly be sure when, as the vehicle was re-registered in October 1990. However, the chassis number of B368SR points to a delivery date of (or around) December 1952, although this may just have been when James Young received it - and thus its expectant owner probably had to wait a few more months for the coachbuilder to work its magic on top. Either way, it’s an early example of the R-Type breed. The James Young body it received was a very handsome creation, similar to the firm’s C14 four-door design, but here in a sleek and curvaceous two-door coupe style that, with its flowing swathe line and elongated boot, seems to have more in common with the later Standard Steel bodies of the succeeding Bentley S-Type/Silver Cloud range. There are also similarities with some of the Continental bodies built on R-Type chassis, although James Young itself wasn’t responsible for any of these higher performance variants (the majority of them coming from H J Mulliner). Nevertheless, for 1952 though, this was an advanced and elegant design. It is believed that only five of this particular body were created - there is a letter in the history file from one of the marque clubs testifying to this. One of its ever-so-slightly younger sisters, chassis B384SR, is pictured on the Wikipedia page for the Bentley R-Type and looks near identical, even down to the livery.

Finished in silver over blue, with grey leather inside complemented by cream carpeting, three owners are shown on the V5C. The odometer shows 14,497 miles although this can’t be warranted. We’re told that the last owner acquired the car in the 1980s, not long after it had been restored at the tail end of the 1970s. He was a Bentley enthusiast and looked after it up until the point when it was taken off the road around 2011 and garaged. Last year, it emerged after not being used for a decade and went into secure vehicle storage. While there, some recommissioning work was carried out but more still needs to be done. The car starts, runs and drives but the brakes do require some attention - so the Bentley will need some rectification and servicing before any meaningful miles are attempted.

This coupe is a vast, imposing and refined vehicle with real road presence - and, of course, it has that rare body that will guarantee it gets attention not just at everyday car shows, but even at Rolls-Royce and Bentley gatherings amid other, dare we say, lesser R-Types. The dignified shades of silver over blue suit the undulating lines well.

As an older restoration (carried out in the 1970s, we’re told), the car is now showing some signs of age, and you’ll find blemishes, marks and some bubbling across the body. Overall, the paint is holding up reasonably well, but there are signs of a lighter, brighter blue showing through in a few places where the finish has cracked, which suggests that at one point the R-type may have boasted a more vibrant hue. Some darker smudges are apparent on the offside bonnet door - they almost look like oil which has permeated the paint - and both the engine bay opening panels are a slightly different shade to the silver that extends over the windscreen, roof and boot.

The chrome and other brightwork is generally in good order, although that majestic peaked grille does have a slight crease underneath its Flying B mascot. Up close, some tarnishing is apparent in the chrome, with it being most noticeable on the rear bumper, although from a distance, it’s all very presentable. The most noticeable issue is that both side doors have dropped, and thus no longer quite close properly - although they can be easily enough closed with a slight lift and push. This was something that often happened to these two-door coachbuilt saloons thanks to the panels being very heavy items. What was something of a James Young trademark, the gently arched door handles incorporated into the trim line, are present and in a nice state. Behind the doors, the original trafficators are retained, rather than more modern indicators being adopted. However, there are additional rectangular lamps installed underneath the bumper, in addition to the circular Lucas auxiliary lights above it, which are matched by the two oblong reversing lamps under the rear bumper, one of which is a little skew-whiff and corroded inside.

The tyres are Michelin Symmetry items all round, and while they’re in good order with plenty of tread apparent, it would probably be wise for a new owner to fit new rubber when the car properly returns to the road, due to their age - a bill in the history file suggests they were fitted in April 2001. The colour-coded wheel trims are in good order, albeit with some minor patches of corrosion apparent in their centres.

Take a look at our video and through our gallery for a large selection of images highlighting all areas of the R-Type to get an accurate measure of its overall condition.

Open the doors and you step over sill-plates that trumpet ‘Coachwork by James Young Ltd, Bromley, Kent’ on the driver’s side or ‘Jack Barclay Ltd, London - Service Works: Liberty 7222 or Showrooms: Mayfair 7444’ on the passenger one. The Jack Barclay plaque has some wear to its silver finish.

The level of luxury is high inside the R-Type, at least for an early 1950s’ machine, at a time when austerity was still the norm for a country recovering from the recent war. Even the valve radio in the centre of the fascia might have been regarded as the height of technological decadence by any driver of a sidevalve Ford Anglia E494A, Austin A30 or Morris Minor who happened to peek enviously through a window.

It is believed that everything is original inside. During 2021 the cabin was stripped and deep-cleaned, and the grey leather then reconolised. The door cards were also reconditioned and recoloured. The rear seats do show some creasing but the front bench seat has less wear, especially on the passenger side. In general, the condition seating is far better than you might expect from a 70-year-old car.

The walnut dash and door cappings do show the passage of time; the veneer has gone flat in places, while in other spots there are cracks and scrapes, while the small holes around speedometer may suggest that woodworm once had a luxurious squat to call home. The layout is a bespoke James Young one, as it doesn’t conform to the standard R-Type configuration. There’s no rev counter, as was the case in the more performance-orientated coachbuilt models. A Smiths clock occupies the dash aperture closest to the passenger, but doesn’t seem to be functioning. Still, as anyone with an old British car featuring Smiths instrumentation will tell you, this is pretty much par for the course. The carpets have definitely seen better days, being quite stained and threadbare, especially in the front footwells. Overhead, the extremities of the headlining have mellowed from cream to a more mottled brown.

The substantial boot is massive and finished with the same shade of carpeting as in the cabin. It also displays some discolouration. The spare tyre, however, looks like it has never been used, with its red tread striping still intact.

Under the centre-hinged bonnet doors, the engine looks like the working environment it is. The manifold has a fair bit of surface rust while there are are spots of missing paint elsewhere. But everything looks stock. The Bentley Motors 1931 Ltd chassis plate and Jack Barclay maintenance plaque are still in situ on the bulkhead.

The underneath of the car appears solid, albeit with surface rust apparent in areas on the hefty chassis where the old underseal coating has thinned or cracked. There is some additional, more modern wiring noticeable, presumably for the auxiliary and reversing lamps, which uses the chassis as an earthing point and incorporates some bullet connectors. Some plastic cable ties keep it in place. We’re informed that some of the structural wood underneath was replaced last year.

As can be seen from our video, the car starts and runs. The vendor tells us that ‘everything is working on the car’ and that the engine runs well, although it would benefit from servicing. During 2021, a new fuel pump was fitted and the twin SU carburettors stripped and cleaned; the car was run for some time after the work was done, ‘with no leakage or significant oil loss,’ the vendor reports. The brakes do function, but because of how long the car was standing, it’s felt that they require a thorough going over - after all, a coachbuilt Bentley R-Type isn’t exactly a lightweight vehicle to rein in.

While there’s quite a lot of documentation prior to 2011 - including that all-important club letter regarding the R-Type’s scarcity - the maintenance record peters out after the car was garage-stored during that year. In addition, there’s the V5C, handbooks for the R-Type and the preceding Bentley MkVI, and the service book. The recent bills including one for a new Yuasa battery in March 2021, Three MoT certificates date from 1991, 1994 and 2005; the mileage at the October 1991 test was recorded as 9300, while in May 1994, it was 12,146.

Even among the prestigious world of historic Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, this is something special. It was, even when new, being one of only a handful of this style of James Young two-door creations. Now, of course, it’s something that will turn the heads of both those who recognise it as a very rare Bentley, as well as those who simply just appreciate it as a thoroughbred, svelte British classic. The vehicle will require some attention - those drooping doors in particular, plus, even more essentially, the brakes - before it returns to the roads, but when it does, it’s going to be quite an exclusive machine. For a Bentley enthusiast who knows their stuff, this will make a great project car. In anticipation of work being necessary, we’re estimating this at around £18,000 to £25,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with Classic Concierge storage in Wantage Oxfordshire. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.