Bentley Continental GT

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Under the guidance of VW/Bentley’s Dirk Van Braeckel, a svelte 4-seater 2-door coupe was unveiled in 2003. The car was new from top to bottom and featured a 5,998cc W12 engine. This configuration kept the engine short, while two massive turbochargers ensured a monumental 552bhp and 480lb/ft of torque.

Power was transmitted to all four wheels via a six-speed ZF gearbox, a combination of grip and grunt that endowed the 2.35-tonne leviathan with tremendous pace, 60mph coming up in just 4.8 seconds with a top speed just shy of 200mph, all delivered without a ripple on a glass of champagne.

Ecstatically received by press and public alike (“with all that torque you feel you are moving the earth rather than the car”, said one journalist), the Continental GT won many plaudits including ‘Grand Tourer of the Year’, ‘Most Significant Production Car Design’ and, more pertinently for this sale, it has twice won ‘Classic Car of the Future’ awards.

The wonderful Bentley GT we have in our sale today was first registered in March 2004 and is one of the earlier models that has been cherished by our vendor since summer 2013. Looking discreetly purposeful in Dark Sapphire Blue, the interior is trimmed in Savannah leather with contrasting light maple wood. It is loaded with all the usual Bentley extras including electric memory seats, starter button, six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift and sports mode.

With only 36,591 miles under its boots, it shows 10 stamps in the service book all by Bentley, the last in October 2018 just a handful of miles ago, plus supporting invoices. These GTs are prone to sag in the leather headlining, not so in this lovely example, as its recently been rectified and looks as it should.

Supplied with its original handbooks and keys, it is MOTd until August 2019 with only two minor advisories recorded (tyre wear and third brake light), it is said to be “virtually unmarked and drives superbly”. Your cataloguer can attest to their huge torque and appeal having owned and loved one of these GTs last year. The first time you feel such enormous thrust from such low revs, it really does feel like you could reverse the rotation of the earth. What a beast!

With such little use, this car looks criminally appealing at the guide price suggested, especially given that its first owner shelled out over £100,000 for it!