Bentley Turbo R: Under the hammer
A staunchly old-school Bentley that Keith continues to be tempted by
This view clears outside lanes
But what makes the 300hp Turbo R so special - and quintessentially British - is that it's swift, but never feels so, and is supremely relaxing. They handle, too. Bentley chose to fit stiffened, lower suspension, which means you can really attack corners - your main impediment to really fast progress being how slippery the unsupportive leather seats are. Former colleague Mark Dixon once drove me home in the Midlands from Dover in his on a mixture of motorways and A-roads, and I swear I've never beaten his time.
Not all at sea through corners either
Think I'm joking? Take this 1989 car that Barons has set for the block on April 28, and which could be worth a punt. It's simply described as complete, with history, but no MoT. I might be shallow for mentioning something so banal as colour but in black it looks sinister, which is perfect for filling reps' rear-view mirrors with its grille and the twin-cooling fans behind. Barons puts an estimate of £3,500-£4,500, and if it goes for anywhere near that - with due consideration for MoT and service - I reckon that could still be a huge bargain.
Barons' car has an estimate of just £4K
But I'll not smile while I recommend you buy these cars on the back of a promised value uplift in months to come. Because it's probably not going to happen. As I said, I've been watching these cars in all types of condition woofle through the auction ring since the early 2000s reliably fetching between £5,000-£15,000, and that's where they remain today.
And who wouldn't want this interior?
But, ye gads, as a car to make you feel special as you drive, soothing your troubles as the rest of the world road-rages around you, nothing comes close to matching a Bentley Turbo R for the money. Forgive me while I drop into full-blown cliche mode for a second - but for the price of run-down Ford Focus, you can drive a true great that's perfect for that trip to Le Mans. And one thing you can be sure of is that it's not going to drop any further in value than it already has. Well, I hope so...
As there was no rush, it was left to the garage to work on it on an as-and-when-basis when they had the time. I was stood in the small yard at the back where it was parked up next to my D2 S8 (which it dwarfed) chatting to the mechanic about it and how there's something about them. He told me that they'd spent £120 on petrol in 5 months simply moving it from the yard to the workshop; a distance of maybe 40 yards each way. They'd even checked for fuel leaks as they couldn't quite believe the amount of fuel they'd used.
May be cheap to buy but staggeringly ruinous to run, one assumes (I may stand corrected on that).
Landlord's car.
I do believe the old adage of "if I have to explain you wouldn't understand" applies here.
Not too ruinous to run. On the later cars 20+ mpg not impossible, and plenty of s/h parts available.
Still, let's keep the reputation going so those in the know benefit.
Landlords? There's a Shadow 1 parked locally on a pub forecourt - been there for at least 20years.....
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff