By Pete Ridgard
Since their inception in 1919, Bentley has almost always been associated with quality engineering and sheer luxury. Of course, with high spec cars come high price tags, but this in itself is another reason as to why Bentley has become a timeless manufacturer – footballers, movie stars and businessmen alike strive to be seen in one of Bentley’s status symbols. If you’re looking into buying a Bentley, it’s perfectly normal to get all excited and run down to your nearest showroom. But before you sign the dotted line, why not have a look outside the showroom and see what buying a used Bentley could do for you?
Buying a used car, especially a used Bentley, is not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you don’t mind the thought of your car having been owned by someone else for a period of time, then the rewards could be simply awesome. Take Bentley’s Continental GT. A class leading Grand Tourer, it’s gorgeous looks and astonishing engineering have made it one of Bentley’s most successful models. Elton John has one, Gordon Ramsey has one, David Beckham has one and countless other footballers have followed in his wake. If you see a Bentley on the motorway, it’s likely to be one of these.
Brand new, a standard Continental GT would set you back £110,000. But of course, it’s a Bentley, so the list of possible modifications is as long as your wallet is deep. But how much would you be looking at spending to get yourself one of these icons used? You could land yourself an ’09 reg Continental GT with 700 miles on the clock for around the £99,000 mark. Increase the mileage to around 4,000 miles and the price drops to around £90,000 – 95,000. Not bad for a modern icon right?
If you’re not one to follow a trend, however, have a look at Bentley’s Azure. The design itself has been around for nearly a decade, but the Azure of today is a 6.8litre beast of modern engineering. Brand new, one of these would set you back £200,000 for the saloon, or close to £220,000 for the coupé convertible. Expensive stuff, but how much would you be looking to spend to get yourself behind the wheel of this fashionably understated monolith of luxury?
Amazingly, a budget of £200,000 could get you an ’09 reg Azure convertible with only 180 miles on the clock. £175,000 will get you an ’08 reg Azure saloon with 4,000 miles on the clock, and a humble £119,000 will get you an ’06 reg Azure saloon with 20,000 miles on the clock. Of course, the 6.8 litre turbocharged monster under the bonnet needs to be well maintained to keep it at its best, incurring other costs besides. But if you’re looking to bag yourself an absolute icon for less than the showroom, why not buy a used Bentley?
