Bentley Turbo R

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Unleashed in 1985, the bonkers Turbo R marked a return to form for Bentley after a period in the wilderness. No longer just a wallowy Rolls-Royce with a different badge, the Turbo R was a taut and potent sporting saloon that could hurtle five occupants down a twisty A-road at immense speed in sybaritic luxury. No wonder it became one of the best-selling cars that Rolls or Bentley had ever produced with 7,230 sold before production came to an end in 1997.

The performance figures are impressive enough (330bhp and 480lb/ft) but it is the feel-good-factor of the cabin that really impresses passengers. Just to be invited aboard makes you feel like a VIP and turns every journey into an occasion. This is, of course, what you would expect for a car which cost £100,000 new. It really is astonishing that you can now pick up a good one for less than the price of a second-hand Ford Focus. And which would you rather travel in?

Dating from August 1986, this Turbo R was first owned by Lord Forte, the most famous hotelier of the post-war era and builder of the Trusthouse Forte empire. In the same year that he bought the Bentley, Forte also bought Lord Hanson’s Imperial Group of hotels, over lunch, for a cool £186m. As you do. Clearly very fond of his Turbo R, he bought it from Hooper & Co of Kilburn and seems to have held on to it for many years, keeping it properly maintained with the service book showing no fewer than 18 stamps up to 65,780 miles in 1996, virtually all at Hooper’s.

A further 12 stamps in a second service book show subsequent upkeep, the car being last serviced just a few weeks before the auction. It had a documented speedo change at 66,700 miles and the clock now shows 43,642 bringing the true mileage to 110,342 which equates to an average service interval of less than 3,700 miles. Pretty impressive by any standards!

One of the last carburettor models before Bosch fuel-injection was introduced in 1987, it is finished in Masons Black with a tan hide interior and has been fitted with later quad headlamps at some point for a more modern look. Our vendor acquired the car in 2012 and has used it regularly, including a trip to Belgium and back, with no problems whatsoever.

Starting promptly and running well as we moved it around for these photos, it is due to have a new MOT in time for the sale, comes with many old MOTs, invoices and a handbook and will be driven 50 miles to Brightwells. Please note that the personalised number shown is not included and it will revert to its original number prior to the sale, D279 EYW.