1994 Bentley Turbo R £14,995
This Bentley is free of the model’s common faults, and backs that up with good history and low mileage, says Paul Hardiman
This Bentley appears to have been well kept by its seven owners, and displays none of the usual associated ailments. Originally supplied by Jack Barclay London, it has good service history. There are 18 stamps more than filling the book, the last one by RR specialist Ghost Motors which supplied it to its last owner at 67,882 miles in April. Mileage is now just over 69,000.
The body is straight with no apparent rot in the rear wheelarches or cracks and bubbles around the rear window, though curiously there’s a narrow strip of black paint across the bottom of the glass, probably to hide the usual delaminating.
In bright sunlight it’s obvious that it’s had some paint, most noticeably on the right-side doors, along with a couple of tiny dings in the left front door. The overall appearance is good though, with even coachlines. The bumpers are pretty straight for a Spirit-family car, with few signs that they’ve been knocked about – just a small ping on the left front corner and a small push at the right rear that has slightly separated the plastic facing.
The chrome on the radiator shell is good, with a Brooklands-style mesh insert and a Flying B fitted from new. Wheels are unscuffed, shod in Avon Turbosteels on the rear and almost unworn (but 10-year-old) Hercules radials on the front; an almost unused Pirelli whitewall is on the spare, probably an original. Underneath there are no signs of leaks from the steering rack.
Inside, the dash veneers are excellent, with only tiny cracks in the centre console. The front seat leather, with red piping, is lightly creased but is unworn in the rear, where there are also optional opera mirrors and lambswool overmats. The rear parcel shelf trim is slightly shrinking way from the headrest mouldings, which is normal. All the electrics work – mirrors, windows and multi-way seats in all directions, even the oil level indicator built into the fuel gauge.
The engine is tidy, with oil golden and to the max mark, and coolant full. It starts easily, drives well and everything works, including the cruise control. The fourspeed auto is responsive, and of course there’s masses of stonk, the nose lifting like a motorboat rising out of the water when you plant the pedal. Even after more than three decades since launch, the way these vehicles hurtle along remains impressive, with the prodigious torque making acceleration an eyebrow-raising sensation. Oil pressure is on the high end of the normal range, while temperature and volts read in the middle of their gauge ranges.
On test the car pulled to the left, despite recently having the tracking and wheel alignment set up by a specialist. The vendor believes that it’s unhappy on its cheap front tyres and so is likely to treat it to a new pair of correct Avons, which will put it on a matching set. It will also be sold with handbook, original Jack Barclay ID sheet, MOT to March 2019 (showing no advisories) and six months’ warranty. There are cheaper cars out there, but they won’t be as pleasing as this one.