Although the name Continental could be seen on Bentleys since the 1950s, the 1993 generation was the first one to employ the same philosophy as the iconic Continental GT we all know and love. The 1993 Continental philosophy is very simple; a giant torque monster up front, two doors in the middle and plenty of space in the back. And to top it all off, everything is to be wrapped in a beautiful and most importantly, classy body. The final result is a huge, comfortable coupe that would shame a ton of sports cars back in its heyday. Interested in a Continental or other Bentley product? Check out ours for sale here at Exotic Car Trader.
The Continental name goes back to 1952 when the first one saw the light of day. The first Continental was a high-speed coupe just like the 1993 Continental. But what came after that was a series of coupes and sedans all of which were based on the Rolls Royce S1, S2 and S3 platforms. That meant they weren’t particularly fast or that exciting from a driver’s perspective. Then, another thirty something years had passed with the Continental being based, again, on a Rolls Royce platform, specifically the Corniche platform. Again, not that exciting. And what that meant was that people were aching for a go-fast Bentley Coupe with that LeMans spirit. And in 1991 that’s what we got from the Continental at hand. The 1991 Continental, also called Continental R introduced a new direction for Bentley, one that wasn’t so tied up with Rolls Royce. As a result, the Continental R sold extremely well with over 1,500 examples made. And more importantly, that same philosophy continued with the Continental Flying Spur and the Continental GT, two cars that kept the Bentley name relevant in the 21st century making the Continental R one of the most important Bentley models ever made.
Possibly the most important selling point of a luxury car and even a luxury coupe is the interior. And back in 1993, there were almost no cars on the market that could rival the Bentley Continental. Granted, the interior still somewhat resembles Rolls Royce models of the time, but after no more than a few seconds, you start to notice that this is a serious driver’s car. Dominating the huge dashboard are seven gauges that monitor the engine and in front of the driver is a speedometer that goes to 170 mph. The gauge cluster also had a small digital screen that displayed the gear selector among other things and that was very high tech back in 1993. And of course, the entire dashboard, center console and the gauge cluster are finished in wood while everything else is covered in leather. Plus, the overall design looks like nothing made today, almost architectural. In the back, the passengers don’t get as many toys as they would in a four door Bentley, but they still get power windows, two full size seats and plenty of both head room and leg room.
Looking at a 1993 Continental from a distance it looks like something that came out of Detroit. The pronounced fenders and rear quarter panels dominate the Continental’s side profile and give it the muscles it deserves. It also has a slight upward kink in the lower window line just above the rear wheels which is a signature muscle car design feature that lasted well into the 21st century. Up front, the huge signature Bentley/Rolls Royce grille is still present and makes the Continental instantly recognizable. What gave it even more character back in 1993 are the double round headlights which were not only seen for the first time on a Bentley, but that design language is still present on the latest Bentley models including the Bentayga SUV. Looking at it from the rear, the Continental would look much more tame than the rest of the design if it wasn’t for the sporty dual exhaust pipes which reveal that it packs a serious punch. Overall, the 1993 Continental looks timeless and just as much a Bentley as the latest cars to come out of the Crewe factory.
The 1993 Generation Continental was among few Bentleys at the time that got the turbocharged 6.75-liter V8. The turbocharger was a huge improvement over the N/A V8 in terms of both power and torque. And according to some estimates, the 1993 Continental made 325 horsepower and 450 lb. ft of torque. We say estimate because at the time, Rolls Royce still didn’t advertise the exact horsepower of its engines, so all we know for certain is that it was “sufficient”. And sufficient it was as the V8 pushed the enormous 5,400-pound Continental to 60 in just 6.6 seconds with a top speed of 145 mph. And only a year later the Continental would get 360 horsepower plus 500 lb. ft torque from a revised engine. Furthermore, the Continental also handled extremely well according to automotive journalists, especially at high speeds. That’s largely thanks to hydraulic self-leveling suspension, front brakes with two calipers, and a sport mode which would change the transmission and suspension setups.
When it was first introduced in 1991, the Continental had a starting price of $271,000 which adjusted for inflation comes to a staggering $617,000. The prices remained the same for the 1993 model year. Today, a 1993 Continental can go for as little as $20,000. Examples with less than 50,000 miles and in decent condition go for an average of $30,000 while some special editions and examples with a well-documented history can fetch upwards of $50,000. That makes the 1993 Continental one of the cheapest Bentley models money can buy.
In the end, the Continental is a very important piece of Bentley history if nothing else. But with all its interior luxury, exciting looks, and enough performance to get you in trouble, the 1993 Continental is much more than just that. At the same time, the prices have never been lower making today the best time to buy one ever since it was made. And if you are after one, Exotic Car Trader can make your acquisition as convenient as it gets when it comes to luxury cars. Exotic Car Trader does everything for you including escrow services, delivery, paperwork and first inspection. Your only job is to send a digital offer in no more than a few clicks. The same goes if you are looking to sell your current car through Exotic Car Trader or even if you are looking to trade with one of our current sellers.
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