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The Long-Lost Vintage
1939 Bentley Corniche Recreation by Mulliner

Bentley has recreated 1939 Corniche, a one-off model that was lost in France during WWII, with the help of its bespoke division Mulliner. The recreation will be debut in public at the Salon Privé in September as part of the the automaker’s 100th year celebration.

The Corniche is described by Bentley as a missing link between the 4¼ Litre and R Type Continental. The model was a step forward compared to the traditional Bentley models of the 1920s and 1930s as it was streamlined to provide higher speed and power, as reflected in  as reflected in the post-war models from the R Type Continental to the latest Continental GT. The original Corniche was damaged during road test in France in August 1939 . The chassis was sent to the Bentley plant in Derby successfully for repairs, but the body was destroyed by bomb while waiting to be shipped and was never seen again.

The car restoration project was launched several years ago by volunteers from the WO Bentley Memorial Foundation and the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation, and was brought in-house last year under expertise of the Mulliner division. With a few original parts, original technical drawings and traditional craftsmanship such as hand-forming metal panels and steam-bending wood interiors, the Corniche was reborn with the same details as before.

 

 

 

 

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