Highlights

Rare Le Mans edition, one of 153
Red label car with desirable 6.75 litre engine
Believed to be one of just 62 RHD examples
Well presented with a solid history file

The Appeal

The Bentley Arnage was a model that ushered in an entirely new era for the marque. The brand had slowly been shedding its Rolls Royce DNA and influence and were at the point of being considered a quality luxury performance automaker in its own right and the Arnage helped to cement this amongst buyers.

A truly wonderful slab of old England with a healthy dose of more modern engineering, the Arnage would go on to be one of the longer lived Bentley models and today stands as an excellent value way into the world of Bentley ownership.

As a celebration of Bentley’s return to the Le Mans racing after a 71 year hiatus, a special edition of the Arnage was commissioned in limited numbers aptly named the Arnage Le Mans edition. Just 153 Le Mans Arnages were reported to have been made, and with only 62 of those understood to have been right hand drive, the car we have here is certainly a rare one.

This 2001 Le Mans Edition is a wonderful example of the prestigious model. Presented in good honest and highly original form, it stands today as an exceedingly rare, collectible piece of Bentley history good enough to widen the eyes of even the most astute Bentley enthusiast and backed by a solid history file, is ready for many miles of enjoyment at the hands of a new loving owner.

The History and Paperwork

First registered 30/05/2001
Supplied originally through dealer Parks of Hamilton in Glasgow
As we understand the car was used as a demonstrator here for circa 2 years before going into private ownership
Bentley book pack present with various manuals and handbooks
Service books accompany the car and show regular stamped servicing up to 65,726 miles
Servicing has been predominantly performed by Bentley Glasgow with an independent specialist undertaking the more recent work
Copy of the original build sheet is present detailing the various optional extras and the car’s original specifications
Invoices for more recent servicing and maintenance work performed on the car
Current MOT valid with no advisories until December 2023
MOT records highlight very minimal mileage undertaken in recent years
V5 registration document present with the car

The Interior

Smartly presented interior with Magnolia leather hide
In good original and well preserved order throughout
Spec sheet indicates primary Magnolia hide and French Navy secondary hide equipped from the factory
Leather upholstery is in fine form and of the utmost quality
Exceptionally comfortable seating front and rear, with just a light, gentle patina in some areas
Dark Burr Walnut trim fitted within the cabin, exhibiting with a quality gloss shine
Some small areas of cracking to be seen on some of the wood finish trim panels
Plush navy carpeting across the cabin floor, in good clean order
Four well upholstered door panels with walnut trim and quality chrome appointments
Slight flawing to the finish of some of the wood trim found on the door panels
Drilled metal finish bentley pedals
Alpine navigation system
Interior trim and switchgear is of an impeccable quality and lacks signs of heavy or more extended use
Electronic memory seating
Factory fitted telephone provisions
Vast rear boot area, upholstered with more plush navy carpets
Bentley umbrella still resides in the boot in its protective plastic wrap

The Exterior

Glorious, quintessentially classic Bentley exterior styling
Finished from the factory in a wonderful shade of dark blue known as Bentley Peacock
Paint is in good clean form throughout and understood to be original
Some light rust bubbling around the front wheel arches and rear offside wing of the car but an entirely presentable example of the model nonetheless
Five spoke silver Bentley alloy wheels at all four corners with contrasting red brake callipers, a classic feature of the Le Mans edition Arnage
External chrome trim is of a marvellous standard
Some minor flawing to the paint finish on the body coloured side mirror
Red label Bentley exterior badging
Glass work and exterior lighting is of a good clean standard
Panel gaps look to be straight and consistent across the car
Overall this Arnage stands as a wonderful, original and honest example from an aesthetic perspective

The Mechanics

As a Red Label Arnage, we find this example equipped with the desirable 6.75 litre turbo engine
The engine and surrounding engine bay on this particular car look to be in good, exceptionally clean order
Engine mated to a wonderfully smooth automatic gearbox
The vendor reports of a great driving experience from the Arnage with an impressively refined ride and quality power delivery if needed
At present the EML light is illuminated on the gauge cluster but the vendor advises they think this is as the battery had run flat
Advisory free MOT valid into December 2023 for added peace of mind for the next owner
Underside appears clean and solid on inspection

Summary

Considered by many to be one of the last “proper” Bentleys, the Arnage is very much the embodiment of the phrase “Gentleman’s Express”. Vast in size and luxury but with the driveline and performance figures more akin to a two seater sports car, it's a concept that Bentley does better than anyone else.

The Arnage in its normal form is fine food for collectors, but the car we have here is just that little bit more special and should be considered one of the ultimate collectible modern classic Bentleys. One of just 153 made in total and one of an understood 62 RHD examples, this 2001 Arnage Le Mans edition is a very special car indeed. With a solid history file, advisory free MOT and the ever desirable Red Label 6.75 litre engine, it must surely be one of the best and most interesting Bentleys for sale today.

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