When Carl-Robert Norinder, Managing Director of Kilafors Järnverks AB, ordered a new company car in 1957, he certainly did not hold back.
His choice was a Bentley Continental Sports Saloon, one of the most exclusive cars available at the time. The price was SEK 120,000, a sum that would have been enough to buy 14 Volvo PV444s. But money was no obstacle. Norinder had married Anna-Lisa Ahlgren, heiress to the Ahlgrens family business, known for its Läkerol pastilles and Ahlgrens Bilar sweets.
One can imagine, however, that “Bob”, as he preferred to be called, raised a few eyebrows in the small industrial community in Hälsingland with his sophisticated taste in cars.
Bob Norinder chose to order his Bentley with coachwork by London-based H.J. Mulliner, finished in elegant Shell Grey. With its dramatically sloping rear end, the 5.4-metre-long car was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful automobiles of its time.
Norinder kept his Bentley Continental until 1971, when it passed into the hands of another company director, followed by yet another. By 1988, the car was shipped to England for an underbody restoration. In 1995, it was time for another major refurbishment. This time, the Bentley spent several years in England, receiving mechanical upgrades, a new interior, fresh paintwork and the installation of air conditioning. The result is the car we see today, presented in excellent condition.
Since 2007, the car has been owned by Åke Andersson from Enhörna, near Södertälje. For many decades, Andersson has been a well-known figure in the classic car community and an avid collector, particularly of British automobiles. Now, in his later years, he is selling his collection through Bilweb Auctions, a process that began in August.
This Bentley Continental is the crown jewel of the collection. With its well-documented provenance and extensive history file, it represents an important piece of Swedish motoring history.
“We are delighted to have been entrusted with the sale of this extraordinary car,” says Pontus Bärnarp, Managing Director of Bilweb Auctions.
“We estimate its market value at between SEK 2.8 and 3.2 million, making it the highest-valued car we have ever offered at auction since our launch in 2017.”
The auction ends on 28 October.
Read more here: https://bilwebauctions.se/en/oktoberauktion-4-2026/bentley-continental-sports-saloon-rhd-55435
