2002 Bentley Arnage Red Label
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Highlights
- Handsome specification
- Rare "Long Wheel Base" Model
- Good service record
- Lovely original condition
The Appeal
In the market for a luxurious, four-door supercar? The Bentley Arnage RL may be the one for you, sitting at the top of a very exclusive pile, enjoyed by the elite with exquisite taste in fine transport. It may not be quite as lithe on twisting roads as some of its competition, but the Arnage has an indefinable class that none of its rivals can come close to.
The example we have here is presented in the desirable Red Label variant, which refers to the background of the Bentley ‘Flying B’ badge; red has traditionally been for the sporting models. It lets those in the know aware that it sports the 6.75-litre Bentley engine, and not the 4.4-litre BMW powerplant which the Green Label has buried beneath. Reported to remain entirely original throughout with some excellent service history and careful ownership, this remains an excellently preserved example of the Arnage, at a mere fraction of the cost of what one would pay for them when new!
The History and Paperwork
- Originally registered on the 17th of April 2002
- Declared new at first UK registration
- V5C remains present and correct, ready for transfer of ownership
- Service schedule and record book present
- Supplied new by Michael Powles Ltd in Leicester
- Great service history noted with a mix of main dealerships and specialists
- A nice bundle of invoices from Shadow Vehicle Services, a Rolls Royce and Bentley specialist
- Current MOT is valid until the 21st of June 2024
- Previous three MOT’s have shown clean passes, with little mileage between them
The Interior
- Lovely interior specification
- Hand-finished wooden trim in excellent condition
- Handsome brightwork front and back
- Original blue carpets with rear footrests
Opulence is the name of the game for the Arnage, offering generous space for lounging in exemplary comfort. All of the seats feel akin to your favourite armchair, giving you room to spread your elbows without the well known fear of knocking a companion. And although the Arnage may be a saloon, the lofty seats offer an elevated seating position making for easy access in and out of the vehicle without causing the usual grunts and groans we’re all used to folding into a door passage.
Entering the Arnage through the driver door, both front seats remain in lovely condition with supple leather showing no signs of damage throughout, with lovely stitching lines and black leather piping in the middle of the seat cushions. The usual signs of light creases on the bolsters, but they remain light and easy to miss. Around the seat bases, the woodwork around the electronic position switches is in excellent shape, and the seat adjustments function properly without any issues.
Ahead of the driver seat, the steering wheel is very handsomely presented with some light signs of use as to be expected around the outer rim and stitching, however the centre horn cover is in excellent shape and all of the hand controls remain entirely functional with nice tactility. Behind the steering wheel the original gauges are very nicely kept, and the pale faces give off a charming feel. All of the surrounding woodwork is very well maintained with no damage, cracks or delamination to be noticed, and the central display works just fine. Moving across the dashboard to the centre console, all of the woodwork remains just as good, the brightwork excellent, and the remainder of the dials are as handsome as they come. The lower switchgear all remains functional and all of the buttons remain to be easily readable, and the leather hugging the lower dash and the transmission tunnel is in lovely shape!
In the rear of the Arnage, this is the place to be. Enough legroom to sprawl out as much as you wish, and seats fit for a king just the same as the front. The leather back here all remains excellent, with very little signs of use and excellent stitching throughout. Seat controls all remain operational, and the fold-down tables on the rear of the front seats are absolutely gorgeous.
All of the headlining is in wonderful shape, the lavish leather roof-handles are just as good, and all four door cards have some wonderful leatherwork and woodwork that would make anyone want to stop and admire it. The interior of this Arnage is truly a beautiful place to be - you almost don’t want to leave.
The Exterior
- Midnight Blue paintwork
- Handsome paintwork and body panels throughout
- Brightwork appears excellently maintained
- 25 cm (10 inch) extended wheelbase
- Original wheels in great shape
- Some light paintwork carried out on the doors in 2018
The Arnage is a treat we don’t often get to see wafting along the road - but of course, this model of Bentley was aimed at the upper echelon, the kind that would often be able to afford a driver to ferry them around instead of being behind the wheel. The bodywork keeps a lot of the old Bentley designs that we all fell in love with, long lines, squared off edges and dazzling brightwork masterfully placed.
At the front of the Bentley, everything is kept in good order - the paintwork is nicely presented with only some of the normal stone chips present on the bumper, all of the grills in the lower bumper as well as the main front grill between the headlights are in great shape, with no damage we can notice. The headlights themselves appear in good condition, there is some gentle condensation on the driver side one however this would clear up after a few minutes of the headlights being on from the heat. Brightwork surrounding the lights, as well as along the bumper appears well maintained, and the bonnet panel gap is as perfect as you would expect.
Around to the side of the opulent saloon, all four arches are in clean and corrosion free condition, and the bodywork from front to back appears straight and true with excellent shut lines between the doors. Brightwork surrounding the windows is as dazzling as ever, and all four wheels remain well maintained on the faces and some pitting is noticed between the spokes. Some paperwork present with the vehicle details that the door tops had been professionally repainted and blended into the wings back in 2018, and remain lovely to this day.
To the rear of the Arnage, everything appears in good shape with nice paintwork, just some gentle stone chips noticed however none which would draw your attention. Both rear lights show good clarity with no cracks or damage, and brightwork surrounding them remains excellent as does the brightwork on the rear bumper. On the passenger side just around the parking sensor, there are some very small scuff marks upon close inspection.
Overall, this is a lovely example with some excellent bodywork present, only some small age related marks show themselves on this opulent saloon, still turning heads as it wafts down the road.
The Mechanics
- Full-fat 6.75-litre turbocharged V8 engine
- 400bhp
- Automatic transmission
- Excellent service history present
A 0-60 time of only 5.9 seconds is pretty fast by most vehicles' standards, but when it's a 2.5-tonne luxury saloon that’s achieving those sorts of numbers, it's quite a frightening statistic. The Red Label featured the full-fat 6.75-litre V8 with its own turbocharger, making the BMW powered 4.4-litre Green Label sales all but dry up, and unsurprisingly so.
The engine reportedly remains in excellent mechanical health, with a good string of service history from main dealers as well as independent specialists. The keeper states that the engine fires up nicely and in typical Bentley fashion, quietly. The automatic transmission is in good health too, providing for quick and seamless shifts making for not only wonderful drivability, but also provides for excellent overtaking capability when the moment calls for it. With a vehicle capable of such outstanding performance for its weight, you’d best believe that the brakes are every bit as good at slowing the car to a halt!
Suspension remains excellent as an Arnage should, with outstanding ride quality that remains surprisingly taut in the bends for its size and weight. It glides over any surface with more than good grace. Steering is reported to be as easy to manoeuvre as you would expect, providing excellent road going ability - it feels nowhere near as heavy as it actually is.
Plenty of invoices remain present to show the mechanical work undertaken over the years, recently all carried out by Shadow Vehicle Services, a renowned Rolls Royce and Bentley specialist. Some of the invoices creep into the 4 figures and are well worth a look into!
Summary
This is a well maintained example of the opulent super saloon that many could only wish to own, when new they cost more than the price of the average house. Well kept examples aren’t uncommon, with the owners usually maintaining deep pockets it makes for an unmissed expense, and we’re forever grateful of the no-expense-spared attitude. This would make for an outstanding addition to any collection, a true piece of exclusive luxury.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only. Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
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Vehicle specification
- Year 2002
- Make Bentley
- Model Arnage Red Label
- Colour Black
- Odometer 85,540 Miles
- Engine size 6750
Auction Details
- Seller Type Trade
- Town Wallasey
- Location Merseyside
- Country United Kingdom
29
bids
- dr•••• £23,000 26/09/23
- pa•••• £22,500 26/09/23
- dr•••• £22,000 26/09/23
- Va•••• £21,000 26/09/23
- ro•••• £20,500 26/09/23
- dr•••• £20,000 26/09/23
- Va•••• £18,500 26/09/23
- dr•••• £18,000 26/09/23
- ro•••• £17,500 26/09/23
- dr•••• £17,000 26/09/23
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