1968 Bentley T-Series

Lot details
Registration No: 651 NTE
Chassis No: SBH3497
Mot Expiry: None

It has yet to be seen whether BMW or VW made the wiser investment with regard to their respective acquisitions of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Though, if sales of the Continental GT are anything to go by then Wolfsburg appears to be holding the silk purse - a scenario that would have seemed unlikely when the T-series was launched in October 1965. Completely over(silver)shadowed by its Rolls-Royce sibling, the Bentley increasingly looked like an irrelevance fading amid memories of past Le Mans glories. However, some forty-one years later the model's poor showroom performance has become its greatest asset. Outsold by the Shadow at a rate of 11:1, the T-series remains discernibly rarer than the stablemate with which it shares monocoque construction, all-round independent suspension (self-levelling at the rear) and disc brakes. The lightest Bentley for a generation, its mellifluous 6230cc V8 engine (enlarged to 6750cc during 1970) and smooth-shifting automatic transmission endowed the four-door saloon with a surprising turn of speed. Typically luxurious, the T-series' interior was an alchemic blend of the finest Connolly leather, rich wood veneers, deep carpets and polished chrome.
Finished in white with red leather upholstery, this particular example is described by the vendor as being in "good" condition with regard to its engine, automatic gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim, chassis, bodywork, paintwork and wheels / tyres. Reportedly "used as a wedding car" since entering the current ownership in January 1982, we are advised that the "driver's door window needs a new motor" and that there is "a slight oil leak under vehicle". Believed to have covered 55,882 miles from new, the Bentley has been off the road since its last MOT certificate expired in March 2005.