1988 Bentley Eight *Sold £6,200*

Description

• In Metallic Blue with cream leather interior
• Large history file – over £42k of invoices
• Very well maintained mechanically  – mainly by Hadley Green Rolls Royce
• 6.75 litre V8 engine

The financial difficulties of Rolls Royce plc in 1971 are well documented. It resulted in the car-making arm being spun off from the rest of Rolls Royce. This gave a degree of autonomy but meant that resources  were slender.

It was a tough time for their Crewe based sibling, Bentley too. Industry gossip suggested that serious consideration had been given to it going entirely. Behind the scenes though the development of the turbocharged engine was already well underway and Bentley’s management had a long-term brand plan.

The Mulsanne appeared in 1982. It was a roaring success and within a decade the Bentley brand was out-selling Rolls-Royce.

The renewed appeal of the Bentley brand in turn created an opportunity to attract younger buyers to the marque.

In 1984, the Bentley Eight was revealed. Mechanically the car was identical to the regular non-turbo Mulsanne but sat on stiffer suspension. Using the non-turbo 6.75 litre V8 engine, the Eight featured a mesh grille and a slightly less fussy interior; lacking such ‘luxury’ as ‘companion’ mirrors in the rear quarters and using straight-grained walnut for the dashboard with analogue rather than digital gauges.

The Bentley Eight was a storming sales success. Today, that quality and sophistication shines through and what a sleeper bargain they are.

History

Our vendor Richard, has owned and enjoyed this Bentley Eight since August 2021 and during that time the car has been used daily to get to work and back plus longer drives around the UK and has done c4k miles. He is only selling now due to moving to a house with a smaller driveway.

• Registered new 1 August 1988
• 4 former keepers – the last owner had for 15 years from 2006
• Was maintained by Hadley Green Rolls Royce up to 70k miles
• Used sparingly – just 97k miles
• On average it has covered 1,100 miles a year in the last 17 years

Paperwork

Richard has a stack of paperwork with the Bentley Eight including invoices totalling £42,000 for services and all work undertaken including servicing, all by Hadley Green Rolls Royce up to 70k miles. Please do watch the video for a walkaround of the car and view of paperwork by our vendor.

Exterior

The body construction is a pressed steel monocoque. In an attempt to keep weight low, Bentley used alloy panels for the door skins, boot and bonnet. It was an exercise in pointlessness; the lovely Bentley Eight still weighs more than a lorry load of elephants.

All the panel gaps and shut lines are good. The dark blue metallic not only suits the Bentley perfectly. it is in all round good condition. Yes, you’ll find the usual bits and chips associated with a 35 year classic that has survived the ravages of the British seasons and roads.

As Richard told us “it’s a very presentable car, if you want an entry level, jump in and go car, this is it! It’s been looked after very well mechanically throughout its life, but the new owner may wish to do it up a bit if they want.” As he explained in the video, there are some stone chips and the driver’s side door capping needs a bit of tlc but there’s nothing pressing needed.

The brightwork looks to be very good as do the alloys and there’s plenty of tread still on the whitewalls. The glass and that imposing front grille inspired by the Bentley racers of old also looks good.

Inside

The same theme continues. Bentley offered the Eight in cloth rather than leather as standard. This one has the optional Bentley leather hide with dark piping.

The quality of the materials on these hand built classics have definitely stood the test of time. The interior has a character and presence few other cars have. It retains that today. Very nice.

The massive walnut dash is in good condition as are the door cappings in the rear (see note above re the driver’s side). The headlining and floor coverings appear to be in very good order too.

Mechanicals

Due the legendary quality of engineering the longevity of Bentley’s mechanicals is second to none. Coupled with £42k worth of invoices in the history pack, this should give any bidder great peace of mind.

The thunderous 6.75 litre V8 engine is a marvel. It will waft silently everywhere. Then stick your foot down and the turbine-like engine plunges the massively Bentley at warp speed down the tarmac. This can be both fun and mildly discombobulating, at first. Then, once you’ve done it a couple of times, the fun is a little addictive.

The whole set-up for the Bentley Eight, except for the turbo, was carried over from the amazingly successful Mulsanne. The Mulsanne is the ‘halo’ classic that everyone chases. But the Eight is where those in the know head and where the smart money is. They are so over-looked they are tremendous value.

Our view

What a fabulous way to waft around  – quality, sophistication and that roaring V8 to boot, plus £42k worth of invoices shows you just how well this Bentley Eight has been looked after.

Our vendor wasn’t looking for a concours Bentley when he set put to buy this – he knows his cars and was looking for one that had been looked after mechanically – and this is it. Used as a daily driver and it has never let him down. Sadly he only has to part with the car now due to a house move.

With tens of thousands spent and looking good for a 35 year old car, this is a great classic to enjoy for many years to come and a realistic reserve has been set for that lucky bidder.

Good luck! Please remember, our site uses anti-sniping software which ensures fairness to all bidders. So, if a bid for a lot is received in the last minute, the auction will go into a 2-minute overtime period for each subsequent bid.

Vehicle Location: Derby DE21 – it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor.

Have a question about this Bentley Eight? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Guide Prices?

We’re different. But you know that. And we’re always honest. In a sector where no two classics are same, how does anyone put a ‘guide’.

Well, everyone knows the broad value of classic, let’s all be honest. So we don’t need to tell you what you already know, do we.

The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

But, because we are different, if it really does matter to you, that’s fine, we want you to be happy. Just drop us a line at auction@evoke-classics.com and one of us will be delighted to ring you back and discuss, it’s what we do.

Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

We will always strive to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available. However, we can’t claim to be perfect. Your own analysis is very important and we are here to help and also answer any and all queries you may have prior to purchase.

We offer and positively encourage buyers to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding.

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As with all vehicles of a certain age, localised paint repairs are common. This specifically applies with classics.

So, please, unless we state explicitly to the contrary, please assume that classic vehicles on our platform could have had remedial bodywork of any kind at some point in its life.

Two final comments on images and photos.

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