2005 Bentley Arnage R

Registration No: DK54 GLV
Chassis No: SCBLC37F65CH10662
MOT: May 2023

• Believed to have been used as a motor show car
• Specified by the marketing department at Bentley
• Just two former keepers
• Limited edition Arnage R
  
  

The Bentley Arnage and its Rolls-Royce sibling, the Silver Seraph, were phased in during the spring of 1998 as replacements for derivatives of the long-serving Mulsanne (Bentley) and Silver Spirit (Rolls-Royce). The bodies for the new cars were built at the Bentley factory in Crewe, while the engines were outsourced. Initially available as a single model, the Arnage was powered by a DOHC 4.4-litre BMW engine force-fed by twin turbochargers. However, it was around this time that Bentley passed into the hands of the Volkswagen Group and Rolls-Royce was acquired by BMW. Not surprisingly, BMW declined to see a rival marque powered by one of its engines, so Volkswagen was forced to find an alternative powerplant for the Arnage. After offering the Green Label and Red Label, those models gave way to the Arnage R in 2002. In common with the long wheelbase Red Label launched the previous year, it was powered by a completely reworked version of Bentley's venerable 6.75-litre V8 engine. Courtesy of Bosch Motronic engine management and a pair of Garrett T3 turbochargers it produced 399bhp and a colossal 616lb-ft of torque.

First registered on the 18th of January 2005, offered here, is a very special example of the Arnage R. With an exterior finished in Silver Tempest over Anthracite, and with automatic transmission, it was actually owned by Bentley Motors for 2 years and is believed to have been specified by Bentley Mulliner as a demonstrator, likely by order of Bentley’s marketing department, and used for public appearance duties at one or more of the motor industry’s motor shows in 2005. This Arnage R was then thought to have been put into service as a press demonstrator for Bentley Motors for their two years of ownership, before being sold through Bentley of Birmingham.

Due to being a demonstrator the specification was a seemingly endless list of ‘tick boxes’, with Mulliner badges on the front wings of the two-tone paintwork, the interior wouldn’t be a disappointment to those cossetted in the rear compartment. An interior finished in Portland and Slate hides with Granite carpets, there is optional, or special order, burr walnut with contemporary cross-banding and inlay to fascia and waist rails. Additionally, there are veneered rear quarter companion mirrors, veneer inserts to door trims, veneered picnic tables, a single veneer cocktail cabinet to the lower front seat back, single veneer document stowage to the lower front seat back, a bottle cooler in the centre armrest and a DVD system in the rear compartment with screens on the rear of the front head rests.

With c.73,570 displayed miles on the odometer and with just two former keepers recorded on the V5C, the car has resided in current ownership since 2015. With build records in the history file, it comes to the auction offered with some old MOT paperwork and the V5C.

For more information, please contact:
James McWilliam
james.mcwilliam@handh.co.uk
07943 584760