1996 Bentley Continental T

: Luxury, quality and style

One of 322 examples

Registration number 100 TXX

Chassis number SCBZU15C1TCH53307

Engine number 87317L410M/T1T

Presenting the Torque Monster, wearing a tuxedo and black sunglasses: the Bentley Continental T…What propels this huge touring coupe is what motivated this entire story- torque, and more of it than you can find anywhere on earth in any production car, or truck, thank you…The baddest luxury car ever created accelerates with the linear quality and near silence of an electric bullet train. Yet, belying its tire-burning performance, this Bentley truly is the quintessential luxury machine. It pampers in an unabashedly hedonistic old-world manner, with supple and sweetly aromatic leather, near-silent operation, and a visual and tactile treasure trove of hand-polished chrome switchgear, machined aluminum, wool carpeting, and the famous red starter button.” That was how authoritative US publication Motor Trend reported the launch of the Bentley Continental T.

: Commanding cabin

A few years later, actor and collector Rowan Atkinson compared the Continental T to the then-new GT model for British performance magazine Evo and came away asking: “Does the venerable Continental T do anything better? Well, quite a few things actually but they’re less easily measured…I think they put a lot of effort into the Continental T and it shows. It’s got such life and soul.” Observing that the mass produced newer model is “a fine car” although “too rational”, Atkinson concludes: “But if you’re looking for a long term love affair with a flawed, fascinating and passionate companion, you should think seriously about a Continental T”.

: Torque monster

The last and most powerful model built by the Bentley firm before its German takeover, and also one of the rarest, the brutally-styled Continental T emphasized performance as its primary goal in a manner that recalled the short-chassis Speed Six of 1929. The turbocharged V8's 420 bhp and staggering 590 lb/ft made it not only the fastest production Bentley ever, but gave it the highest torque of any car then on the market. Bentley claimed 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 170mph. Just 322 examples were made, 1996-2002.

Further Photographs: Gallery

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