Bentley Continental GT

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Following the takeover of Bentley by the Volkswagen Group in 1998, a radical and comprehensive model revision programme was put into place.

The existing range was still using a derivative of the ancient 6,750cc V8 first employed in the 1959 Silver Cloud S2, while the body was largely that of a late Sixties Silver Shadow. Something had to be done and, in typical Bentley fashion, they came up with a stormer.

Under the guidance of 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, whilst two massive turbo chargers ensured a monumental 560bhp and 480lb/ft of torque, developed from just 1,600rpm all the way up to the red line of 6,100rpm.

Power was transmitted to all four wheels via a 6-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 2006 and has had just five owners to date. Looking discreetly purposeful in Cypress Green, the interior is trimmed with Portland and Spruce leather. It is loaded with all the usual Bentley extras plus TV, phone, satellite navigation and keyless entry and go.

With some 65,500 miles under its boots, it shows 12 stamps in the service book, the last a major 100,000 mile service at marque specialist NRT Motors of Corse Lawn, Glos, in June 2015 ago when two new tyres were also fitted at a cost of just over £2,000 (invoice and engineer's report on file, the latter stating: "The overall condition is good for the year and there are no major faults evident"). By a stroke of luck it was registered just three weeks before the Vehicle Excise & Duty rates changed, so costs only £285 to tax, as opposed to £500 on newer Bentleys; quite a saving if it is to be a ‘high days and holidays’ only car.

Supplied with all its original handbooks plus two sets of keys, it is MOTd until February 2017 and is said to be “virtually unmarked and drives superbly”. We couldn’t resist taking it for a quick spin round the yard at Brightwells and we can honestly say that we have never experienced such enormous thrust from such low revs, giving the impression that you could reverse the rotation of the earth if you gave it some welly. What a beast!

Please note the private number plate shown has since been replaced by the original number, FJ06 OBE – which is handy if you are an OBE. Like most Bentley owners. Probably.

AMENDMENT - the vendor has not been able to secure a MoT on the car in time for auction. The estimate has also been revised.