Thursday 9th October 2014

Bargain Bentleys: Under the Hammer

A ballistically turbocharged Bentley? Forget the Mulsanne Speed, look at what's coming up for auction

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Must admit, I find myself strangely aroused by the bonkers new Bentley Mulsanne Speed. It's not just the headline figures of 530hp, 811lb ft, 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and 190mph. It's more the fact that these figures are delivered by an engine that's basically the same antique 6.75-litre V8 that's been whiffling behind the flying 'B' grille badge for decades. How many cars boast a headline-grabbing powertrain from the last century?

Especially one that costs £252,200. But if that price tag seems a bit stiff, for under a tenth of that price, you can cosset your backside on the choicest Crewe leather and pummel your right foot into the plushest Wilton known to man in a turbocharged 6.75-litre Bentley.

£5-8K with no reserve? Now then...

Turbo the size of a truck
Ah yes, Bentley's notion of strapping a truck-derived Garrett turbocharger to its venerable V8 has been working the old magic ever since the 1982 Mulsanne Turbo. The Americanesque shape really doesn't do it for me, but bloomin' Nora, they're cheap these days. Coys have a natty 1994 Turbo R coming up for auction in Ascot at an estimated £5,000 to £8,000, with no reserve.

But newer Bentley turbos don't cost that much more. For instance, at the Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions sale on 16th October, this 2000 Arnage Red Label leaps out. With 420hp of turbo joy, it's only got 20,000 miles on the clock and the estimate is just £20,000.

Doing the Continental
Caddishly decadent though four-door Bentleys are, it's the two-door Continental R that really gets my old-money juices flowing. Even in its least turbo-nutter guise, it was good for 385hp, 553lb ft, 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds and 155mph. Despite grand proportions and a two-and-a-half tonne weight, the Conti R actually handles respectably well, kind of justifying the 'R' for 'Roadholding' in its title.

A bit newer, still great value though

Spunkier versions are pricier, such as the 400hp-plus Conti S and the Conti T with its short wheelbase, flared arches, acres of milled aluminium and 590lb ft of torque. I well remember driving a Conti T on a high-speed bowl and suffering what I thought was a power hiccup at 135mph - a distinct loss of power for around a quarter of a second. A Bentley engineer duly came out in the car with me and we both felt it. "Ah, that would be the car changing up a gear, sir," came the politest put-down I've ever heard.

£160K new - yours for...
The Conti R cost a monstrous £160,000 when it was new in 1991 - the most expensive British car ever made at that time - but the auction estimate for this 1995 example is just £20,000. It's barely run in at 55,800 miles, looks fab in Balmoral Green with green-piped cream leather and has a full dealer service history. That's great value, given that the cheapest one in the PH Classifieds is up for £21,950.

Now is a great time to buy a Conti R. They've surely bottomed out at £20K. The very nicest Continentals are now fetching considerably more than the increasingly common Conti GT (which is now languishing at around the £25K mark). Keep it old-school. Keep it V8. Keep it Turbo.

[P4ROT]

That 1995 car is just stunning.

[Tyre Smoke]

I'm supposed to be saving up for a Maserati 3200GT, that Turbo R isn't helping at all!

[wildcat45]

From the era just before Bentley became a toy of the new money set. Wonderful cars.

[55palfers]

Lovely.

Servicing costs - any ideas?

[myhandle]

55palfers said:

Lovely.

Servicing costs - any ideas?

From a specialist, not too bad given the price new etc. Not so sure about the Arnage, but the real problem with the Continental R and Turbo R is rust. They are better off garaged if possible.

[Matt UK]

If I had the space and the spare cash earning nothing in the bank, I'd love and older Benters knocking around for jaunts to the coast / annual lemons.

[daytona365]

That Conti R must be a highpoint for modern generations of Bentley, the proportions are just right, and for 20k ?.....Guess as always it's too old for very rich people and too expensive to run for lesser mortals, now if it could reach 'classic' status, then it would be the bargain of a lifetime. Imo.

Edited by daytona365 on Thursday 9th October 11:51

[irish boy]

http://www.wilsonsauctions.com/cars-location/789


As per other thread some nice Bentleys to be auctioned over here also. The orange conti t is stunning.

[Prawnboy]

if i had a big enough garage i would love that conti.

such great cars from that era.

[jamespink]

Funny, I was trawling through the listings for turbo Bentleys only yesterday! The £25k to £35k bracket bags some seriously beautiful motor cars. Unbelievable bargains. I also saw one with a gas conversion, surely a good bet running one of these...

[soad]

I want that ‘Red Label’ Arnage!

[V8 FOU]

Been there and done that!

Wonderful car at a bonkers price. Love every minute of mine - especially on the track!!

[judas]

Bought myself a Turbo R this weekend - it's utterly magnificent! May be familiar to one or two people on here

[jhoneyball]

I have a 97 Turbo RT. Utterly barking piece of wonderful nonsense.

Phantom Motors down near Guildford are the people to go to.

[MonkeySpanker]

The last of the 'proper' Bentleys, hugely understated compared to the horrid blingy VW Phaeton based things & probably the most fun you can decently have in something that weighs almost 2.5 tonnes, lovely.

[Gorbyrev]

Bargain! Conti R's were a rare sight back in the day and beautifully made. Might find room for that in my £100 garage.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

judas said:

Bought myself a Turbo R this weekend - it's utterly magnificent! May be familiar to one or two people on here

What fantastic news - congratulations! Is there a thread on the go?

[jimfoz]

55palfers said:

Lovely.

Servicing costs - any ideas?

Depends on what has been done by the previous owner. If the handbook is stuffed with horrendous recent bills then probably not much in the short run. If not, then a £10-15k car becomes an expensive liability. These cars are around 20 years old now and if not a lot has been spent on them during that time then things will be wearing out and need replacing. A routine service is about the same cost as any high end car like a Jaguar or Mercedes, but often this is done at the same time as other fixes (hydraulics, suspension, brakes, air con components). Then you are looking at a £4k + bill at one sitting. That may be the norm every year.
The trouble is that, like with any old supercar, so many people have bought secondhand and run these cars on a cheap budget and not bothered to pay for any non essential work needed. Which is why you are best off buying one that has had loads of money spent on it recently.

[judas]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

What fantastic news - congratulations! Is there a thread on the go?

Not yet - there will be as soon as I find the time to write anything worthwhile

[pSyCoSiS]

Fantastic lumps of majestic metal.