The Continental R, code-named ‘Nepal’ by the engineering department, was designed and built entirely at Crewe.

It filled the space left by the Camargue, sharing with that model an eye-watering list price.

When launched in 1991, the initial press release had the price as £160,000, only for that to be tweaked upwards to £175,000 soon afterwards, when the new VAT rate was announced in that year’s budget.

The sleek shape benefitted from work in the wind tunnel; the windscreen was raked to lower the vehicle’s drag coefficient, enhancing fuel consumption, lowering wind noise and raising the model’s top speed.

It is said that when the model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, the assembled audience broke out into spontaneous applause, with the Geneva Show car being sold to the Sultan of Brunei on the spot! Riding on 16-inch wheels with low profile Avon tyres, the new Continental R was powered by the company’s revered 6750cc V8 engine, now using a new four-speed GM automatic transmissio...