Bentley T1 Saloon

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The crisp and modern styling that John Blatchley endowed upon the new 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was met with considerable acclaim.

Available as a four- or two-door saloon with coachwork by James Young or Mulliner Park Ward, both cars employed an updated version of the V8 engine found in the RR Cloud and Bentley S-Type with a new light alloy cylinder head and an improved Hydramatic transmission with steering column gear change.

The Bentley T-Series was the Bentley badged version of the Shadow and it differed from its Rolls-Royce equivalent by its more rounded front grille, while the badging on the wheel covers, boot lid and gauges naturally featured Bentley motifs rather than the RR logo.

It is interesting to note that in October 1966 the Bentley's pre-tax list price of £5,375 undercut the Rolls-Royce by £50, the T being mainly purchased by owners wanting a more understated luxury saloon than the ostentatious Rolls, the flamboyantly sporting ‘Bentley Boys’ image of the marque having faded by the more egalitarian Sixties and no longer being a primary reason to purchase a Bentley over its Rolls-Royce sibling.

With only 1,703 T-Series cars made between 1965 and 1977 the Bentley is increasingly sought after today. With its simpler feel, uncluttered dashboard and no centre console, the early T1 is, without doubt, the purest of the breed and strikes us as seriously undervalued in the current market.

The Bentley T1 on sale today is from 1968 and looks well with silver coachwork with navy blue lower panels. Trimmed in grey leather with Wilton carpets, a burr walnut dashboard and door cappings, it is very much standard Bentley luxury. Being an early T1 it has what is called an ‘eggshell dashboard,’ almost wholly constructed in wood, as opposed to the later cars.

Having had five owners from new, the large history file has 15 MOT certificates dating back to 1991 when Dutton Forshaw Rolls-Royce agents of Preston resold the car which is supported by their dealer invoice. A hefty collection of maintenance work invoices form the service history to this Bentley and a complete collection of annual valuations for insurance purposes range from 1996 through to 2006 when it had a change of ownership.

With the odometer showing 59,402 miles this Bentley T1 is MOT tested until June 2015 and is eligible for historic road fund tax. It comes complete with the attractive number plate HCK 1G.