∙3 Owners from new - last 20 years with the same owner
∙Garaged throughout its life
∙Specialist service history
∙Unmarked interior and superb body
The Background
The Bentley Turbo R has to be considered the ultimate automotive understatement. When new they attracted a very exclusive demographic, but one that also understood that the Turbo R was no ordinary winged B. The fact that ‘R’ stands for Roadholding, should give away the car's intent. While the undisclosed power was the headline, the subtle modification to the suspension, as well as Anti-lock ABS brakes, traction control and adaptive shift control meant the Turbo R was simply more than a gentleman's carriage with the power of a tidal-wave.
Driving a Bentley Turbo R is a unique experience, manoeuvring this huge slab of metal and leather isn’t as cumbersome as you might expect. They are responsive and surprisingly agile for such a big car, while maintaining Bentley's ever-present smooth and dignified decorum.
Looking best in darker colours to suit the robust lines and proportions, the Turbo R had a lengthy production run, but as ever its the later edition models that are the ones to go for. The Zytec fuel injection and external body upgrades signify this as the most sought after model, which are said to be easier on the wallet to run. Yes, the Bentley Turbo R is a complex piece of machinery that requires constant attention, but find one that has been lavished upon and they need not cost the earth. This one has had a cosseted life, having only seen 5,000 miles over the last 10 years while being subject to the most pampered of garage storage.
With every grand car will come a grand story, and the current owner confirmed this by mentioning that the previous owner was an executive for a multinational company. Believed to have been originally registered by Appleyard Rippon in Leeds, the current owner bought the former Broughtons car as a fully-documented demo-car in 2000. Charmed by the unique combination of brutal power with the reward of the comfort of a five-star hotel, it has been dry stored with his other classic cars. As mentioned in the paperwork section, it has seen the expected servicing, MOT and maintenance, with bills of over 7K spent during his ownership. Also as an owner of a 1962 Bentley S2 Coupe, he has been a member of the Bentley Drivers Club for many years, confirming to us that this is the kind of person you'd like to buy a Bentley from.
The owner lives in the country, and therefore the car has mostly seen long open roads and thus avoided the hectic wear and tear that often affect some cars based in cities. While the general consensus you may take after reading this analysis of the car is that it has not been used much, the owner has told us that it has been regularly started and driven, to literally free-up the cobwebs.
While the car was in use, the owner would use the Bentley as a family car to travel to Europe, charmingly named as ‘Billy Bentley’ by his kids. The car contains some special memories and experiences for him but he is now downsizing his collection and the Bentley is one of the cars on the list.
As a complex piece of machinery that requires constant attention, the paperwork that comes with the car is watertight. The previous owner who bought the car in 1997, had maintained the car at Broughtons in Cheltenham, who have since been acquired by HR Owen. The current owner had also used Broughtons, but more recently the maintenance and service has been carried out by TopTest and Fenn Motor Works. Paperwork often gives an insight into the type of work carried out and also offers an overview of the car’s usage over the years. Regular renewal of brakes and tyres occur several times, with an eye-watering bill coming in at almost 12K for an engine rebuild in 2000, just before the current owner bought the car. He has kept on top of the Bentley's needs, with gas rear springs, air con, and minor electrical repairs on top of general servicing maintenance taking up the almost yearly bills. More recently, the car has been in storage with Rolls Royce and Bentley specialists, HillierHill, who have valeted the car, as well as started and driven the car monthly to ensure the car is running correctly. The current owner has retained all of its MOT’s and can dig up the service booklet, which is in storage. HillierHill has also carried out a very recent MOT.
The interior of the car is in excellent condition, the Magnolia seats with green piping have no rips or tears, just the minor signs of wear on the leather. The rest of the seats are similar and are in a well looked after condition. The electric functions of the front seat are said to be fully operational. The overall presentation of the dashboard is excellent, with the walnut burr and contrasting leather is in great condition, with the smallest suggestion of wear. The facia and top leather finish of the dashboard are crack and mark-free, with no issues with the door cards. There are two minor indentations on the driver side wood panel - a detail that the owner has picked up and relayed to us. The gear knob and steering wheel are free from damage, within no obvious signs of wear and tear. All of the controls, dials and switches, along with the instruments are well presented, all wearing their years well. All of the items are said to be functional. The lambswool rugs are as sumptuous as you can expect, with the headlining in clean, unmarked and damp free condition. The boot is said to be in mint condition, but it has to be noted that the toolkit doesn't appear to be in the car.
The car visually looks superb on first impressions, a scan across the bodywork reveals even and equal panel gaps, with no distorted body panels. The doors, wings and roof are straight and dent- free. As expected for a car approaching 25 years old, there are minor signs of ageing on the green paintwork but it still maintains a deep lustre and good coverage. The lightest of scuffs and evidence of tiny lower front-end road chips can be seen under a critical light, but again this is simply part of the ageing process. There are a handful of minor corrosion areas that also need to be highlighted, typically reflecting a pattern common on the Bentley models of this vintage. The main observation is the bubbling on the lower front section of the near-side front wheel arch, with small bubbles also seen around the driver's side door lock. The edges of the windows and lower sections of the car appear to have been spared of visible corrosion. All of the body trim is complete, and again in decent condition with minor signs of its vintage. The most notable damage can be seen on the front right-hand side of the front splitter. There is also some wear to the rubber seal in-between the bumper and bodywork, but overall the plastic, rubber and chrome trim are in more than an acceptable condition - with the bumpers being particularly good. The glass is chip-free with no significant marks or damage, with glass rubber in good leak-free condition. The windscreen has recently been replaced as it was showing signs of lamination damage. The alloys are in good order, with no signs of kerbing or knocks. There are very minor marks on the off-side rear alloy, which have not penetrated too deeply. The Avon tyres are in acceptable condition, with the legal minimum of thread but they do show signs of age and are candidates for replacement before its next MOT. The lights, both front and rear are in good condition and are in a crack and fade-free state, the subtle but all-important grill and housing sit proudly without any significant blemishes.
The underside of the car is straight and structurally good with no obvious signs of damage or welding, the components are in decent condition with an expected amount of wear and tear. The cables and pipework are good and appear to be free from leaks. HillierHill were kind enough to raise the car up on the ramp for an inspection.
The well-proven V8 engine is in remarkably good visual condition, as to be expected for a car that has been stored with care. The overall impression bodes well for the maintenance of the various transmission, engine and hydraulic levels. It is said to start up with no issues at all, and run really well too. It has to be noted while the car has been in storage, it has not been subject to a service having only covered a couple of thousand miles since 2016. It would be prudent for the new owner to take this on board, only as a matter of precaution. The four-speed automatic transmission is said to be jerk-free with no rumbling from the rear axle. The car flagged up a couple of advisories during its very recent MOT, which is worth documenting here. They are related to the car storage status rather than physical-mechanical issues, which include minor suspension corrosion. Further inspection of the shock absorbers and the odd hose replacement would be a sensible task for the new owner to complete. Suspension and brake components have been subject to overhauls and replacement in the past, and appear to be in decent working condition. The exhaust is good and is said to perform as expected.
The secret to buying a good Bentley Turbo R is to find one that has been well maintained by specialists. Add in the bonus of just three careful owners over its 25 year lifetime, then this car should be high on your shopping list. While it has seen limited use over the last 10 years or so, it has had the benefit of top-grade storage facilities to keep the car in tip-top condition. Over his 20 year ownership of the car, the owner wistfully took a hit on its value and knows that this car offers an awful lot of metal for the money. The fact that it comes with all of its MOTs and servicing records, along with at least 20K worth of expenditure since it was new, is a golden opportunity to own a genuine world-class machine that has seen a very charmed life.
Please note: Photos provided by seller
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Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
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1996 Bentley Turbo R
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