The Bentley Turbo RL Empress II Coupe is a bespoke,
two-door version of the LWB Bentley Turbo RL that was manufactured from the
mid-’80s to the late ’90s. It was coachbuilt by Hooper in only 5 examples, and one of them will
be auctioned off by RMSothebys in Arizona, on January 17-18, 2019.
One of only two left-hand drive models, this special
Bentley features an aluminum bodywork and has a Tudor Red exterior over a
Magnolia interior. It’s jammed with a lot of features that are impressive even by
today’s standards, such as the cocktail cabinet, Asprey silver vanity set,
glass “sunshine” roof, power adjustable front and rear seats, and a 12-speaker
sound system from Alpine.
Made in 1991, it was used by Hooper in their
advertising campaigns. Subsequently, it was taken to Los Angeles by one of the
company’s investors and was then bought by the Calumet Collection, where it
still resides alongside other coachbuilt Bentley and Rolls-Royce models.
The Empress II Coupe remains largely unrestored and
in a condition described as “superb” by the auction house. Also, despite being 27 years old,
the odometer shows only 7,228 miles (11,632 km). Included with the sale are the
build and historical documentation, and various reports.
No estimated selling price has been provided, but
given the rarity of this car, it will likely fetch a pretty penny.
