2006 Bentley Arnage R

We know the vendor of this car very well and are fully acquainted with his modus operandi of importing exceptional prestige cars from Japan.

He knows, as do we, that luxury European brands have a good deal of kudos attached to them in the land of the rising sun and that, consequently, they are almost always pampered, cared-for, protected and curated with levels of care verging on the obsessive.

We also know that salt is used for throwing over the shoulders of Sumo wrestlers in Japan, not chucking all over the roads, and so it follows that Japanese cars coming our way from this vendor are invariably minty-fresh, squeaky-clean, salt-free and, frankly, world-class.

This car starts, goes, stops, handles and behaves as you would hope and expect of a Bentley with a 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged engine under the bonnet.

If you are demure and a little shy with your right foot, the car wafts along in near silence, seemingly borne aloft on clouds of cotton wool.

Flex your ankle, however, and it sets off with all the fury and momentum of the Flying Scotsman.

It is a delightful and very Bentley combination of Jekyll and Hyde character traits.

Either way, you’ll be cossetted in the finest materials known to automotive upholsterers, saddlers, carpet weavers and French polishers – because this car is the ultra-high-specification Mulliner edition.

What do we mean by ultra-high-specification Mulliner edition?

Pour yourself a drink, pull up a comfy chair, and consider this.

•    Radiator Shell in Chrome with Bright Stainless-Steel Matrix Grille
•    Painted Sill Tops
•    No Fine Lines
•    Chromed Door Mirror Caps
•    Rear Quarter Badges
•    Rear Number Plate Appliqué in Chrome
•    Twin Headlamps with Integrated High Beams (UK spec)
•    Front and Rear Park Distance Control
•    Bumpers with Chrome Strip & Matrix Inlets
•    Jewel Filler Cap
•    Quad Exhaust Tailpipes with Revised Rear Bumper
•    19" Mulliner Alloy Wheels with 255/45 ZR19 Pirelli Tyres
•     Front and Rear Ventilated Disc Brakes
•    Standard Suspension & Shock Absorption
•    96L Fuel Tank 
•    Headlamp Washers
•    Cruise Control with Veneered Switch Surround
•    Speed-Sensitive Power Steering
•    Cellular Phone Prep 
•    Climate Control System
•    Rear Window Defrost
•    Electric Windows with One-Touch Function
•    Power Folding Mirrors
•    Ultrasonic Front and Rear Parking Sensors
•    Immobiliser & Alarm System
•    Central Locking with Valet Key
•    CD Changer with Standard Sound System
•    Seat Belt Warning Light & Chime
•    ISOFIX Rear Child Seat Anchors
•    Adjustable Steering Column with Memory & Easy Entry
•    Automatic Low Beam Lights
•    Boot Lid Release
•    Beluga Hide with Beluga Piping & Twin Stitching
•    Burr Walnut Veneer Throughout
•    Veneered Picnic Tables
•    Veneered Companion Mirrors
•    Veneered Door Inserts
•    Wood & Leather Steering Wheel
•    Drilled Aluminium Sport Pedals
•    Wrap-over Veneered Waist-rails
•    Electrically Adjustable Front and Rear Seats with Lumbar Support
•    Front Seats with Memory Function
•    Seat Heaters Front and Rear
•    Lambswool Over-Rugs plus Carpet Overmats
•    Beluga Hide Roof Lining, Carpets, Seatbelts & Stitching
•    Wide Vertical Fluted Seat Style
•    Rear Quarter Companion Mirrors
•    3 Rear Seats (Outer Seats Electrically Adjustable)
•    3-Point Seatbelts Front & Rear
•    Tinted Side and Rear Glass with Windscreen Shade Band  
•    Electrically Operated Rear Blind
•    Leather Gear Knob
•    Front & Rear Grab Handles
•    Single Colour Sun Visors
•    Warning Triangle Exterior
•    Space-Saving Spare Wheel
•    Tool Kit and Jack Additional Information UK-built, factory RHD

Presented in Diamond Black with Beluga hide, this 2006 model-year Bentley Arnage R Mulliner has just 75,124 miles on its odometer.

The car is entirely rust-free from what we can see, has never been used on salted road surfaces and retains totally original paintwork and panels throughout.

It is in excellent condition – mechanically, dynamically and aesthetically.
 

The car presents exceptionally well from every angle and is reassuringly free of any dents, dinks, dimples, ripples or creases worthy of mention, save for a couple of small indentations and a scuff or two around the aerial mounted at the rear of the roof.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are excellent and the doors close with all the weight, precision and gravitas you’re entitled to expect of a vehicle of such distinction (and cost).

The ‘Diamond Black’ paint has held up very well and the finish gleams, dazzles and pops in the sunshine.

Even entirely standard light, swirly scratches are in pretty short supply, save for a few on the boot lid.

There’s also a very small patch of slightly flat-to-the-touch paint atop the n/s/f wing and a section of rough paint finish right on the edge of the bodywork where it meets the boot lid on the offside.

The car’s chrome-work is gleaming, bright and to date untroubled by any tarnishing, foxing or pitting.

The Mulliner alloy wheels are in fine, un-kerbed fettle and are shod in matching Pirelli Scorpion Verde rubber (255/55 R18) that looks to have plenty of useful life left in it.

All lights, lenses, trim, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings appear to be in unimpeachable order.

The Daily Telegraph motoring column had the following to say of the interior of the Arnage. “The cabin is the apotheosis of wood-and-leather luxury and it coddles the occupants like no other car. The rear seats are beyond comfortable, they are an occasion. Just sitting in front of the exquisite dashboard and seeing the tiny instrument needles creep past Eric Gill’s locomotive typeface – there isn’t a cheap way into this sort of hedonism, other cars simply don’t have these things.”

You won’t be remotely surprised to learn that the interior of this low-mileage, Japanese-curated Arnage is every bit a match for its exterior counterpart in terms of quality and condition.

The dark ‘Beluga’ trim gives it a sophisticated ambience that’s part Garrick Club (during daylight) and part Annabel’s (at night).

Whatever the time of day, the effect is one of classy, understated opulence.

The Beluga hide upholstery has yet to earn much more than a light crease or two, let alone any ingrained patina, and the seats are fabulously comfortable and enveloping, front and back.

The car has a veritable orchard grove of burr walnut veneers dotted around the interior. They are rich, glossy and in fine condition as far as we can tell.

The carpets and mats are equally impressive, as are the door cards and the headlining.

Flaws and faults are very few and far between on this car, but it’s our job to be pernickety and find them, so here goes.

There are a couple of small nicks to the leather at the side of the driver’s seat squab nearest the centre console.

The pop-up veneered ashtray cover in the rear and the pop-up veneered cover for the heater/AC controls at the front are currently a little reluctant to do the expected amount of popping-up when requested. They need two or three prods to get the message.

The passenger side of the split centre armrest doesn’t seem to want to follow the example set by its neighbour and go all the way down to be flush with the underlying structure.

But it could just be us missing a trick. Who knows?

All controls, dials, instruments, buttons, switches and knobs are in fine fettle and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do without delay or complaint.

Then only exception to that rule would seem to be the fuel gauge, which has told us that the tank is ¼ full when we know it’s rather nearer empty.

The boot is following the same script in terms of impressive quality and condition. Inside you’ll find a full-sized spare wheel and a few Bentley tools and spares.

The boot lid struts have lost some of their mojo and will need re-gassing or whatever solution is appropriate. 
 

The (very full) engine bay is clean, dry and remarkably fresh-looking even for the car’s low mileage, let alone its age.

The car’s undersides look to be possessed of plenty of structural integrity and there’s nothing to raise a frown or prompt a tut anywhere that we can see.

The bonnet lid struts have also lost some of their mojo and will need re-gassing or whatever solution is appropriate. 
 

The mileage of 75,124 is fully verified with an official certificate, and the car benefits from service history from new.

You can check the details of the service history yourself, if you have the requisite Japanese language skills.

It is supplied registered in the UK with a new V5C. No modifications have been made to the car, and it is presented with a standard UK including MPH clocks, UK lights, and full-sized number plates. It attracts UK road tax at a rate of £360 per year and standard UK insurance premiums apply (no import uplift).

The car comes with a full set of keys, books and manuals, a recent, clear HPI report, and it has an MoT certificate, with no advisories, that’s valid until 16.10.26. 
 

Psychiatrists’ chaise-longues up and down the country regularly play host to haunted and broken-looking individuals staring blankly into the middle distance.

More often than not, these are people who have bought a ‘cheap’ Bentley only to find that it steals their wallet, beats them up and makes them homeless within 6 months.

There really is no such thing as a good, safe, cheap Bentley.

It can be one of those things, at a stretch two, but never all three.

But, while there’s no such thing as a 100% safe bet with any used car, a Japanese import from this vendor is as near as you’re likely to get.

This is a fabulous car and we think it will reward its next fortunate owner with some very special motoring moments for many years to come.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £20,000 - £25,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.