Bentley boy
A motor fitter chum cashed in his chips recently by selling his business and retiring. Naturally, the proceeds of the sale were soon squandered on cars and consequently an extended garage.
One of the cars he purchased was a brand-new Bentley Mulsanne 6.75-litre. Built to his very bespoke order but tastefully appointed, this car is both a work of art and a monster on the road. One feature that was an extra-cost option but deserves wider recognition for being both useful and discreet was an external magnetic battery charger and conditioner. This is located beneath the rear numberplate plinth, making it convenient to access yet out of sight.
Modern cars are relentless in their demands on electrics. Paradoxically, batteries are getting ever smaller to save weight, while alternators only charge on demand to save fuel. This then is a genuinely useful feature that deserves to filter down to the rest of the VAG range.
Incidentally, this trader chose to buy the car through an online brokerage. I enquired as to why he didn’t go for the full ‘Suits you, sir’ sales treatment. Understandably, like all those in aftersales, he’d had enough of sales patter and plate-glass showrooms. But surely the sales experience of ordering such a unique vehicle is a bit different? What about guidance when choosing all those options, I enquired? Well, each
‘The Bentley Mulsanne is both work of art and a monster on the road’
time he wanted to discuss his build, he’d meet the e-salesperson at the factory – that certainly beats a sterile showroom experience hands-down.
I’ll leave you with one final bit of realworld consumer advice which I gleaned from him. Exactly how much did he save by going through an online brokerage? ‘10%’ was the answer. Being brought up correctly, I never did enquire about the cost of the car, but I know it’s well in excess of £300,000.
I may not be Lynn Faulds-wood, but there are not many consumer mags out there that offer such detailed, real-world car-buying advice as this one.