The incomparable Bentley Continental sports saloon has been synonymous with effortless high speed Grand Touring since its introduction on the R-Type chassis in 1952. This magnificent tradition seemed to have come to an end with the departure in 1965 of the S-Type Continental, only to re-emerge triumphantly in 1984 with the introduction of the T-Series Continental. 

Flagship of the range, the new Continental was beautifully engineered and hand-built in the time-honoured manner by Mulliner Park Ward‘s talented craftsmen. Like its forebears, the modern Continental represented the ultimate in bespoke coachbuilt motoring, designed to appeal to those discerning - and wealthy - clients, with a finely honed appreciation for the better things of life. 

This uncompromising approach was so successful, and demand for the exclusive Continental so sustained, that it remained in production well into the 1990s. The last Convertibles being delivered in 1995, by which time the UK price had risen to over £100,000.

First registered in August 1985 this attractive Continental is finished in an attractive and relatively unusual colour- Ice Green, with a complementary cream leather interior.  It is one of the very rare carburettor-fed Continentals, which are generally considered more refined than their 1986-onwards fuel-injected successors. 

Purchased by the last owner in 2013 at approximately 79,000 miles he has used the car sparingly adding a mere 2,500 to the total over the past nine years.  Always meticulously maintained it remains in excellent condition throughout.

There is a good folder of bills, invoices and receipts with the Bentley stretching back to the early 2000s and beyond.  The car was owned by a gentleman in the Bournemouth area and many of the invoices are from Silver Lady Services Ltd. Recent work was undertaken in 2020 to the braking system, particularly the rear brakes which received new calliper seals and pads, and handbrake pads most likely to pass its MoT that year which it did in May at 81,319 miles.  

Further invoices from 2020 show work replacing the heater and fan assemblies at a cost of £795, and new HT leads and distributor cap at a further £211. It is thought that Silver lady performed a major service on the Bentley in 2021 and the car has been little used since, mainly due to the pandemic. There are plenty of old MoT certificates in the folder, along with a current one that is valid until 28th May 2022.

On the inside the Bentley has aged extremely well. Most noticeably the wood veneer areas are in excellent condition, with no lifting or cracking except a small one round the glovebox key escutcheon.  The cream leather has just the right amount of wear, no tears or nasty marks.  The creases in the seats show only the front ones have had any regular use, the rears are virtually like new.  

The seats have dark green piping which coordinates well with the Ice Green exterior and the green carpets.  The carpets are in good condition, and mark here and there but nothing unsightly.  There is a set of thick green lamb’s wool floor mats that we found in the boot when we visited where they had been placed to keep them clean. 

The Bentley has an additional Sat Nav upgrade, with a screen mounted in a bespoke binnacle above the audio system.  It has been beautifully integrated into the dash in matching leather, very nicely executed.

The Audio system is a Sony WMA MP3/Aux system which was probably an upgrade to give MP3 player capability.

When stowed, the roof is concealed under a matching leather cover, and we noted that all the poppers line up properly and fit correctly.  As can be seen in the photos the black Mohair roof is in excellent condition and fits beautifully.  The rear window is clear, with no cracks.

The exterior of the Bentley is in incredibly good condition for a car which is approaching its 37th birthday.  Every panel fits perfectly, and shut lines are as good as the day it was built.  The Ice Green paint glows and even upon close inspection it is hard to find a fault.  The only areas that show any marks are the front bumper and chin spoiler that have some minor stone chips to the paint.  

Looking down the flanks of the Bentley reveals there are no dents or imperfections anywhere.  The screen glass, side windows and light lenses are all clear with no chips.  The badging is all clean and correct.  The wheels are the correct 15 inch Bentley alloys with a matching, lightly worn set of Avon Turbospeed white line tyres.  The wheels are in excellent condition with no curbing and just one minor mark on the passenger side front which may well clean off. It really is quite exceptional.

Under the bonnet the Bentley is just as you would expect for a car of this age and quality.  Everything appears to be factory correct, with no evidence of unsightly repair or poor workmanship.  There is little to give the age of the car away except some flakiness to painted surfaces and a dusting of surface corrosion on exposed metal areas –all as you would expect.  

With such a meticulous record of maintenance over the years and recent servicing it’s hardly surprising that everything appears to be in excellent condition.  There are no unsightly stains or leaks, and overall there is nothing that is likely to be an issue in the short term.

The Bentley Continental has to be one of the most comfortable four seater convertibles ever made, and they didn’t make that many!  In fact it is thought that just over 400 were produced making it a far rarer proposition than the equivalent Rolls Royce Corniche. Being a carburettor-fed version makes it rarer still and there can be few that are in such lovely condition, and in such an attractive colour. 

We think if you wanted a convertible to enjoy this summer, perhaps visiting Ascot or Henley, few could rival this Continental.  It’s quite likely that it will prove to be a good investment too!