Expert Buyer

They may represent awesome value, but investing in a Bentley is still a mighty undertaking. Here’s what you need you know before parting with your money

‘Buy British!’ says Charlie Baseley from Kent specialist, Ghost Motor Works. ‘The later German Bentleys are designed to only last ten years, whereas the Mulsannes can still look and feel good after very high mileages because they were just made so well. That’s why they’re going up in price; they’re now actually overtaking the VW-era Continental GT.’

While that legendary build quality has obvious advantages (the engines will exceed 200,000 miles if looked after), Baseley advises caution, because tired mechanicals can be disguised by beautiful bodywork, meaning big expenditure could be around the corner. Avoid it by keeping a cool head until you’ve scrutinised the logbook, says Charlie: ‘Low mileage is the main thing to look out for – that, and a full service history from a specialist.’

These are the ingredients that have the greatest effect on a Mulsanne’s true value, outweighing any potential savings that might be made by choosing the comparatively downmarket Bentley Eight over its more lavishly equipped brothers. Be it a Turbo, Turbo R, Mulsanne S (essentially a Turbo R without the turbocharger), you can’t rely on the price tag to tell them apart.

Buyers need to act quickly when the right car turns up, because it’s currently a seller’s market and they’re in short supply. ‘They’re all in demand, apart from high mileage cars,’ says Charlie. ‘Personally I’d choose a 1993 model, which has the later-style gear lever, but before the engine changed; later engines can suffer cylinder head gasket problems. But those models with low mileage are like hens’ teeth.’