Bentley Turbo R

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Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1982, the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo marked the return of the legendary 'Blower Bentley' and restored the high performance image of the marque with its prodigious power.

Fitted with a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger, the venerable 6.75-litre V8 now pumped out 300bhp and could propel the Bentley's considerable bulk to 60mph in less than 8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 135mph. In truth this towering performance was rather more than the chassis could handle and, in 1985, the Mulsanne platform was upgraded to Turbo R spec with stiffer damping and springing, better location for the rear subframe, more precise steering and alloy wheels with lower profile tyres.

Under the bonnet, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection replaced the old Solex carbs which, combined with various other tweaks, upped engine power to 330bhp and a staggering 480lb/ft of torque – sufficient to hurl the brute to 60 in less than 7 seconds and 143mph flat out. Up front, new quad headlamps gave the car a more modern look while the interior remained as sumptuous as you would expect for £100,000 with a revised dashboard that now housed a rev-counter.

Few cars were – or are – better suited to fast long-distance touring. “An outrageous concoction of sledgehammer performance and sybaritic luxury” was how Autocar summed it up. By the time production came to an end in 1997, some 7,230 examples had been sold and good ones are increasingly sought after today.

Dating from May 1996, this Balmoral Green example is definitely one of the good ones and incorporates all the improvements that were made during the 12-year life-span of the model. It has covered some 98,000 miles to date with an excellent service history comprising 19 stamps in the book, the last in September 2014 only 500 miles ago.

In 2011/12 at 89,900 miles it had over £10,000 spent on a stem-to-stern overhaul, much of the work being done by marque specialist Taylor’s of Chichester, to bring the car up to pristine condition cosmetically and mechanically, all fully detailed in invoices on file.

The specification includes a Parchment hide interior; retro-fitted reverse parking sensors; Tracker anti-theft system; nearly new tyres all round; personalised number plate; full original toolkit; handbook and service records; two sets of keys/fobs and an MOT valid until March 2017. One of the nicest examples we have offered, it looks like a lot of car at the sensible guide price suggested. 

AMENDMENT: From a deceased estate.