La Sarthe
Afterimage of Bentley Boys and La Sarthe racing circuit
If Bentley in 1950s had manufactured a real sports car ...
Together with the Bentley Boys, Bentley cars won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race many times between 1920 and 1930. In post-war 1949 Le Mans, the Bentley “Embiricos Coupe,” manufactured in 1939, raced and achieved a commendable 6th place. The footprints Bentley cars have left on the La Sarthe racing circuit are so glorious that no other can ever match them. The first post-war luxury cars that became available in the market from Bentley are the mass-produced four door type MK6 and upgraded R Type, saloons.
A historic masterpiece that has had a profound effect on Bentley in the 21st century is the “R Type Continental”, developed as an enhanced version of the R Type, and was designed as a four-seat grand tourer to meet the demands of the times. Bensport Ltd. then conceived the unique idea to restore a two-seat real sports car using original MK6 and R Type components from the modern age on behalf of Bentley Motors. The light body made up entirely of aluminum came to have a purer sports car style, though inspired by R. J. Mulliner’s R Type Continental, becoming a “Fastback Coupe” rather than a “Fastback Saloon.” La Sarthe is the name of the racing circuit where Le Mans 24 Hours takes place. The car embodies an aggressive concept, reproducing a true Bentley sports car that, in the1950s, Bentley Motors could not manufacture without the modern technology of today.
