What’s is like to drive and own a Bentley?

[conny]

That is just ugly!
I would love one of those old Jags that Morse used to have.

 

[Lower]

I have a lot of respect for James, but that is a sweeping statement to make. The cost of keeping any car, regardless of age, often depends on the level of preventative maintenance & older (pre. early 'nineties for example) vehicles do not have the plethora of electronic functions that plague later models. I've owned a number of 'Classics over the decades, some as old as the early 'forties & do not agree with May's opinion of the hobby

Even entry level models of today's cars have electronics that were never found in old luxury cars & it's usually these gadgets that are the cause of breakdowns, resulting in unrealistic repair costs.

I agree. May's comments were just good tv or journalism.

My father in law has a 1970s Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11. He probably drives it around 1k miles per year, only in the summer when it's dry.

It costs him £150 per year to insure, nothing to tax, doesn't need MOT'ing and his only big cost is fuel as its so thirsty.

Repair costs are minimal, mainly because hardly anything seems to go wrong with it, but also because he was a mechanic by trade before he retired and is therefore able to fix most things that do go wrong himself.

When he needs parts, most are commonly used on older mainstream vehicles. There is also a network of specialists that can often refurb parts that are no longer available, like the speedo for example.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

My father in law has a 1970s Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11.

Smart move. You married well.

 

[troutybrown]

Back in the late 80's me and a mate decided to go for a trip on Concorde as he is a plane buff. Anyway, he knew a guy who bought a Silver Shadow 11 to do weddings
and we booked him to take us to Heathrow. It was like sitting in a leather armchair and going down the A3 he put his foot down and the acceleration for a big heavy car
was very impressive not as impressive as Concorde though.

 

[Mottie]

Back in the late 80's me and a mate decided to go for a trip on Concorde as he is a plane buff. Anyway, he knew a guy who bought a Silver Shadow 11 to do weddings
and we booked him to take us to Heathrow. It was like sitting in a leather armchair and going down the A3 he put his foot down and the acceleration for a big heavy car
was very impressive not as impressive as Concorde though.

I’ve been on Concorde. It’s more cramped than the back seat of a Roller!

 

[norseman]

The one Bentley model I aspire to is the MK6, either the earlier 4.25 or later 'big bore' 4.5L
Not so keen on the R type as I feel the longer boot spoils the profile of the car. Either way it's only a dream as although I might just be able to finance the purchase I don't have a garage & it would be sacrilege to leave it in the open.

 

[Mottie]

I was talking to a mate in the know today and he tells me that Bentley are building a limited number of old style Bentleys, like the one that John Steed used to drive in the Avengers. Apparently they can’t be used on the road - track only, and will cost in excess of a million quid apiece.

 

[JohnD]

old style Bentleys, like the one that John Steed used to drive in the Avengers.

"Le camion plus vite du monde"

 

[just pumps]

I was talking to a mate in the know today and he tells me that Bentley are building a limited number of old style Bentleys, like the one that John Steed used to drive in the Avengers. Apparently they can’t be used on the road - track only, and will cost in excess of a million quid apiece.

PH have just done a track drive report of the original and the retro you speak of.

 

[Mottie]

PH have just done a track drive report of the original and the retro you speak of.

Got a link to that please?

 

[just pumps]

Piston heads forum, sorry no link.

 

[JohnD]

I quite fancy an SS100

the fakes look better than the originals.

 

[just pumps]

They certainly tend to handle and drive better.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

You can buy a 1990s Bentley for around £10,000 from Mathewsons. I could probably afford to own one for a year,

Unless that year is the one where it needs another £10K spent to keep it running.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

I have a lot of respect for James, but that is a sweeping statement to make.

He simply does not like "classic cars", or anything to do with that mindset. Thinks cars should always and only and forever be about newness and advances.