1998 Continental R - one year on - Running costs
Discussion
I am not surprised that the prices remain relatively firm but not rising fast albeit the lovers of the cars claim they are and will be a classic.
Firstly the 'image' - owning a Conti R ( or derivative model ) is more than just having an outing in your sunny day classic - it is a palaver finding a suitable parking slot for the car, then there is the unavoidable issue that you have to think carefully before getting behind the wheel in terms of what other people think of this enormous, overtly luxurious, old school classic. While, as an owner, it is an unadulterated pleasure to be driving the car, others are often appalled at the statement it is making. This is not just like taking your DB5 for a quick outing, this is moving the QE 2 around and branding yourself accordingly. I do confess to being deterred by the T models with flared arches and vents etc . since those added details go even further overboard regarding image.
I also feel that buying from anyone other than a dealer who will put some sort of warranty on the car is a very risky business. The costs of mechanical suspension overhauls, steering issues, electrical problems, hydraulic suspension overhauls, brake pipe renewal or anything that 20 odd years has caused to deteriorate are all prohibitively high. That is probably why dealers are asking for prices, which are way above the normal private market.
I have enjoyed every minute of working on my Conti and have done a considerable amount of work that was estimated by indies but, believe me, you can see why the costs are so high ( apart from the obvious issue of hourly labour rates )since every normal task becomes a huge event compared with normal cars. This is compounded by the lack of publicly available information on the internet because so few owners do any work whatsoever themselves - for this very reason.
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I hope never to sell mine especially now that it is sorted and fettled to a very high standard but I bought it with 69,000 miles on the clock and will do approx 4-5k miles a year in it and this will deter those who want sub 35k miles cars and thus keep the resale value down.
I think, in reality, that those who buy these cars must concede that they are doing it for the sheer love of the entire package - stunning looks, extraordinary power, driving experience, marque - and accept the fact that they hold their resale value but are not currently rising at the same pace as is needed to cover all the costs that should be/ will be incurred in keeping the car in tip top condition. Maybe we should just keep them as a closely guarded secret !
Firstly the 'image' - owning a Conti R ( or derivative model ) is more than just having an outing in your sunny day classic - it is a palaver finding a suitable parking slot for the car, then there is the unavoidable issue that you have to think carefully before getting behind the wheel in terms of what other people think of this enormous, overtly luxurious, old school classic. While, as an owner, it is an unadulterated pleasure to be driving the car, others are often appalled at the statement it is making. This is not just like taking your DB5 for a quick outing, this is moving the QE 2 around and branding yourself accordingly. I do confess to being deterred by the T models with flared arches and vents etc . since those added details go even further overboard regarding image.
I also feel that buying from anyone other than a dealer who will put some sort of warranty on the car is a very risky business. The costs of mechanical suspension overhauls, steering issues, electrical problems, hydraulic suspension overhauls, brake pipe renewal or anything that 20 odd years has caused to deteriorate are all prohibitively high. That is probably why dealers are asking for prices, which are way above the normal private market.
I have enjoyed every minute of working on my Conti and have done a considerable amount of work that was estimated by indies but, believe me, you can see why the costs are so high ( apart from the obvious issue of hourly labour rates )since every normal task becomes a huge event compared with normal cars. This is compounded by the lack of publicly available information on the internet because so few owners do any work whatsoever themselves - for this very reason.
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I hope never to sell mine especially now that it is sorted and fettled to a very high standard but I bought it with 69,000 miles on the clock and will do approx 4-5k miles a year in it and this will deter those who want sub 35k miles cars and thus keep the resale value down.
I think, in reality, that those who buy these cars must concede that they are doing it for the sheer love of the entire package - stunning looks, extraordinary power, driving experience, marque - and accept the fact that they hold their resale value but are not currently rising at the same pace as is needed to cover all the costs that should be/ will be incurred in keeping the car in tip top condition. Maybe we should just keep them as a closely guarded secret !
Contimaz said:
I am not surprised that the prices remain relatively firm but not rising fast albeit the lovers of the cars claim they are and will be a classic.
Firstly the 'image' - owning a Conti R ( or derivative model ) is more than just having an outing in your sunny day classic - it is a palaver finding a suitable parking slot for the car, then there is the unavoidable issue that you have to think carefully before getting behind the wheel in terms of what other people think of this enormous, overtly luxurious, old school classic. While, as an owner, it is an unadulterated pleasure to be driving the car, others are often appalled at the statement it is making. This is not just like taking your DB5 for a quick outing, this is moving the QE 2 around and branding yourself accordingly. I do confess to being deterred by the T models with flared arches and vents etc . since those added details go even further overboard regarding image.
I also feel that buying from anyone other than a dealer who will put some sort of warranty on the car is a very risky business. The costs of mechanical suspension overhauls, steering issues, electrical problems, hydraulic suspension overhauls, brake pipe renewal or anything that 20 odd years has caused to deteriorate are all prohibitively high. That is probably why dealers are asking for prices, which are way above the normal private market.
I have enjoyed every minute of working on my Conti and have done a considerable amount of work that was estimated by indies but, believe me, you can see why the costs are so high ( apart from the obvious issue of hourly labour rates )since every normal task becomes a huge event compared with normal cars. This is compounded by the lack of publicly available information on the internet because so few owners do any work whatsoever themselves - for this very reason.
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I hope never to sell mine especially now that it is sorted and fettled to a very high standard but I bought it with 69,000 miles on the clock and will do approx 4-5k miles a year in it and this will deter those who want sub 35k miles cars and thus keep the resale value down.
I think, in reality, that those who buy these cars must concede that they are doing it for the sheer love of the entire package - stunning looks, extraordinary power, driving experience, marque - and accept the fact that they hold their resale value but are not currently rising at the same pace as is needed to cover all the costs that should be/ will be incurred in keeping the car in tip top condition. Maybe we should just keep them as a closely guarded secret !
Really odd - my experience of others attitudes is TOTALLY the opposite. They see it as a "proper" Bentley, a traditional old school enthusiast classic from a different age - a bloke on a garage forecourt the other day in a Nissan Micra shouted across "Very beautiful car". In another garage, a bloke stopped me in the shop and started asking me about the rarity of the car. On one occasion I had to drop our post off at the main sorting office in Birmingham, and very quickly had a group of interested people who were outside having a smoking break. On the motorway I have a LOT less issues with middle and fast lane hoggers - people seem to move out the way much more readily - wierd, but it's definitely true and I've had people taking photos of the car from other vehicles when they pass me on the motorway or when waiting at traffic lights! When I turn left out of my driveway, I have to swing out over the other side of the road, and very often others stop to let me out (which doesn't seem to happen in a normal car)Firstly the 'image' - owning a Conti R ( or derivative model ) is more than just having an outing in your sunny day classic - it is a palaver finding a suitable parking slot for the car, then there is the unavoidable issue that you have to think carefully before getting behind the wheel in terms of what other people think of this enormous, overtly luxurious, old school classic. While, as an owner, it is an unadulterated pleasure to be driving the car, others are often appalled at the statement it is making. This is not just like taking your DB5 for a quick outing, this is moving the QE 2 around and branding yourself accordingly. I do confess to being deterred by the T models with flared arches and vents etc . since those added details go even further overboard regarding image.
I also feel that buying from anyone other than a dealer who will put some sort of warranty on the car is a very risky business. The costs of mechanical suspension overhauls, steering issues, electrical problems, hydraulic suspension overhauls, brake pipe renewal or anything that 20 odd years has caused to deteriorate are all prohibitively high. That is probably why dealers are asking for prices, which are way above the normal private market.
I have enjoyed every minute of working on my Conti and have done a considerable amount of work that was estimated by indies but, believe me, you can see why the costs are so high ( apart from the obvious issue of hourly labour rates )since every normal task becomes a huge event compared with normal cars. This is compounded by the lack of publicly available information on the internet because so few owners do any work whatsoever themselves - for this very reason.
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I hope never to sell mine especially now that it is sorted and fettled to a very high standard but I bought it with 69,000 miles on the clock and will do approx 4-5k miles a year in it and this will deter those who want sub 35k miles cars and thus keep the resale value down.
I think, in reality, that those who buy these cars must concede that they are doing it for the sheer love of the entire package - stunning looks, extraordinary power, driving experience, marque - and accept the fact that they hold their resale value but are not currently rising at the same pace as is needed to cover all the costs that should be/ will be incurred in keeping the car in tip top condition. Maybe we should just keep them as a closely guarded secret !
I am seriously relieved to hear that and a bit envious - I live on the leafy Surrey, Sussex border and there are a lot of people of my age - Baby Boomers - who have traded down to modest cars and think that the Conti is flash and vulgar.
I am moving to Birmingham, you chaps sound much more sensible.
Whatever the attitude, it is still the best motoring experience anyone can have !
I am moving to Birmingham, you chaps sound much more sensible.
Whatever the attitude, it is still the best motoring experience anyone can have !
That's really interesting - I think I can see your problem there!
There is a car culture in Birmingham I think - always a lot of flash motors flying around. And I'm often going north on the M6, towards Shropshire, Cheshire. Again, the car culture may be a little different to your area.
There is a car culture in Birmingham I think - always a lot of flash motors flying around. And I'm often going north on the M6, towards Shropshire, Cheshire. Again, the car culture may be a little different to your area.
Contimaz said:
I live on the leafy Surrey, Sussex border and there are a lot of people of my age - Baby Boomers - who have traded down to modest cars and think that the Conti is flash and vulgar.
It's not a car, it's a work of engineering art. You are preserving it nicely. Take no notice.On a school trip to London I remember coming across the Bentley showroom in Berkeley Square and being completely smitten for life (we were going to a chemistry lecture at the Royal Society that had less effect). Once I grew up and got one I was a bit disappointed at the response I got in the street. I was not trying to impress, but people projected some sort of character flaw on me etc.
I now live in the US and it could not be more different. Seems the poorer the area I drive through the more enthusiastic response I get. I stopped recently in a poor black neighborhood and let some of the guys sit in the car. They were a lot bigger than me and most people would not unlock the doors in a similar part of London, but the car brought us together!
[quote=Contimaz]
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I was driving my Corniche FHC through Blackburn town centre in about 2002 and a motorcycle came up along side and tapped on the drivers window, when I wound it down he spat expletives at me about "owning the road in a car like that" then sped off in the distance.
Later the same year I was touring around the Dordogne and a Frenchman walked over and tapped on the window and said " une belle voiture monsieur!"
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I was driving my Corniche FHC through Blackburn town centre in about 2002 and a motorcycle came up along side and tapped on the drivers window, when I wound it down he spat expletives at me about "owning the road in a car like that" then sped off in the distance.
Later the same year I was touring around the Dordogne and a Frenchman walked over and tapped on the window and said " une belle voiture monsieur!"
AlecT]ontimaz said:
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I was driving my Corniche FHC through Blackburn town centre in about 2002 and a motorcycle came up along side and tapped on the drivers window, when I wound it down he spat expletives at me about "owning the road in a car like that" then sped off in the distance.
Later the same year I was touring around the Dordogne and a Frenchman walked over and tapped on the window and said " une belle voiture monsieur!"
I think it's anecdotal - remember, France is the country that executed the aristocracy.I was driving my Corniche FHC through Blackburn town centre in about 2002 and a motorcycle came up along side and tapped on the drivers window, when I wound it down he spat expletives at me about "owning the road in a car like that" then sped off in the distance.
Later the same year I was touring around the Dordogne and a Frenchman walked over and tapped on the window and said " une belle voiture monsieur!"
matt5791 said:
AlecT]ontimaz said:
Having said all of that, take the car across the Channel and then it is a different kettle of fish - pure enjoyment and much appreciation without the hate.
I was driving my Corniche FHC through Blackburn town centre in about 2002 and a motorcycle came up along side and tapped on the drivers window, when I wound it down he spat expletives at me about "owning the road in a car like that" then sped off in the distance.
Later the same year I was touring around the Dordogne and a Frenchman walked over and tapped on the window and said " une belle voiture monsieur!"
I have never had a problem with a Bentley either at home or abroad. I have , however, driven a Ferrari in Italy and been treated like royalty. Even HGV drivers waive their priority to allow you through!I was driving my Corniche FHC through Blackburn town centre in about 2002 and a motorcycle came up along side and tapped on the drivers window, when I wound it down he spat expletives at me about "owning the road in a car like that" then sped off in the distance.
Later the same year I was touring around the Dordogne and a Frenchman walked over and tapped on the window and said " une belle voiture monsieur!"
I haven't signed in to this discussion for a while, and I'm interested in the slight turn the conversation has taken. The points seem to be, 1. why haven't the values picked up rather better? And 2. do these cars have an image problem?
1. Car values seem to rise in sporadic bursts of interest. We are currently hitting a downturn in classic car prices - this is not a time to sell. Our cars are the 1990s equivalent of the 1960s R Type Continental Fastback. They are beautiful, opulent, fast, rare, and cost a fortune new. Just give these cars time - and that might be 10 to 20 years....but I have no doubt that prices will rise to stratospheric levels. I notice a Lotus Carlton for sale on Car and Classic for £55k! In relation to our cars that price just makes no sense and we might regard it as perhaps a little depressing but I'm certain our time will come.
2. On image, I speak as an owner of a Wildberry coloured Azure (that's purple to you!), and yep the UK image problem is alive and well! And yes, it does seem less of a problem in Europe. But once again time is a healer. I also own a 1961 Bentley LWB S2 with a James Young body - a much dearer car in its day than even the Azure. Driving that through Lewisham the folks on the zebra crossings smile and wave. Its just an age thing. Once again give it another 10 years.
Well done guys - keep enjoying the motors and keep up the chat! Johnnie
1. Car values seem to rise in sporadic bursts of interest. We are currently hitting a downturn in classic car prices - this is not a time to sell. Our cars are the 1990s equivalent of the 1960s R Type Continental Fastback. They are beautiful, opulent, fast, rare, and cost a fortune new. Just give these cars time - and that might be 10 to 20 years....but I have no doubt that prices will rise to stratospheric levels. I notice a Lotus Carlton for sale on Car and Classic for £55k! In relation to our cars that price just makes no sense and we might regard it as perhaps a little depressing but I'm certain our time will come.
2. On image, I speak as an owner of a Wildberry coloured Azure (that's purple to you!), and yep the UK image problem is alive and well! And yes, it does seem less of a problem in Europe. But once again time is a healer. I also own a 1961 Bentley LWB S2 with a James Young body - a much dearer car in its day than even the Azure. Driving that through Lewisham the folks on the zebra crossings smile and wave. Its just an age thing. Once again give it another 10 years.
Well done guys - keep enjoying the motors and keep up the chat! Johnnie
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