1998 Bentley Brooklands R Mulliner

This example of the Brooklands R Mulliner was completed at the Crewe factory at the start of 1998 and first registered in February of the same year. The car was supplied, and pre-delivery inspected by dealers Broughtons of Birmingham. Like all Brooklands R Mulliner cars it was a factory right hand drive, long wheelbase car destined for the home market.

As is only reasonable to expect of such a fantastic continent crossing capable car the R Mulliner hit the ground running. Within two years it had covered around 25,000 miles. The Brooklands went on to be enjoyed by four registered keepers in its first 22 years of life.

The Brooklands R Mulliner was acquired by current registered keeper, Gary, in July 2020 to become the car’s fifth lucky keeper. At this point the Bentley had covered a shade under 105,000 miles with only 106,141 miles troubling the digital odometer as of today. That equates to a very sensible 4,000 miles or so per year and a trifle for such a well-engineered car such as this.

The combination of this car’s striking Black Emerald Mica paintwork, the sleeker looking long wheelbase configuration and the numerous colour coded accoutrements make this a real head turner. The car’s finish is testament to Bentley’s hand-flatting of the bodywork with fine wire wool before the body begins its journey through a multi-stage paint process. Only the best informed will likely spot the green enamelled body badges, wing-top grills, colour coded bumpers and wing mirror cues of the Brooklands R Mulliner. Just in case they are missed separate Brooklands R and Mulliner green script badges adorn the boot lid.

What has clearly united the five custodians of this car, apart from an impeccable taste in cars, is the care they bestowed on this Bentley. Current owner, Gary, describes it as “a stunning-looking car.” Paintwork, bodywork, brightwork, cabin glass and light lenses all appear good enough to warrant that description (of course there are some stone chips and small imperfections). Please enjoy our extensive photographic package to fully appreciate the car’s stunning condition for yourselves and to appreciate the beguiling shade of this car’s livery. Depending on the light and angle of view it can appear to be dark shades of black, blue and green.

The bright silver of the Mulliner specific 18-inch alloy wheels contrasts beautifully with that deep, chameleon like paintwork. Their condition is in keeping with the rest of the car, and so excellent. The wheels are shod with a mixed set of Pirelli and Falken tyres in a 235/50 configuration. One of the best features, however, has to be the glimpse you get through the chrome matrix grill of the twin radiator cooling fans giving just a hint at this car’s performance orientation.

This Brooklands R Mulliner’s cabin is a heady mix of prestigious hues, textures, substrates and, quite likely, fragrances. The predominant shade is of the supple Sand hued Connolly leather. This combines with the striking Hampton (green) carpets and dash top leather; the Pebble hide headlining and the dark stained walnut veneers to leave you in no doubt as to this car’s quality.

The deeply cushioned front “sports style” seats are stitched into a series of horizontal box pleats to their centre sections, maximising comfort and support. A slight contrast in hue differentiates these from the deep, smooth bolsters. Full electrical adjustment goes without saying as does two stage heating. There is even a four-setting memory function for both seats. The identically trimmed rear cabin consists of two individual outer seats with the large centre arm rest folding away to provide a third, occasional place. A walnut faced panel between the front seats houses a pair of chromed bulls-eye vents and accompanying organ-stop controls. In charming Bentley parlance “twin Duchess handles and rear-quarter companion mirrors” are also noted. The long-wheelbase nature of the car allows more than ample leg room and more space for the sublime Hampton coloured Wilton carpets.

The dashboard fascia is walnut dressed and populated with more chromed bulls-eye vents and familiar white-on-black instrumentation with less familiar chrome bezels. The raked centre console contains climate and audio controls as well as the gear selector. The radio flap bears the all-important Mulliner numbered plaque bearing the number 85/100. Annoyingly we later learn that the complexities of keeping the numbers in sequence were prohibitive, so the allocation came down to what plaque of the 100 stamped fell, first, to hand. A couple of further highlights of this interior are the Pebble hued hide headlining – no saggy fabric here – and the sublime padded and pleated door cards. The commodious boot is exquisitely trimmed in Sand leather edge bound Hampton carpeting. This is also home to jack, wheel brace, and complete original tool kit.  

Naturally, the Brooklands R Mulliner featured long-serving L-series 6.75L V8 engine which, by now, had gained Bosch MK-Motronic fuel injection. In this guise, too, it had gained a light-pressure turbo. The smooth shifting automatic gearbox was still the four-speed GM unit with Shift Energy Management (SEM) to further blur the ratio changes. In this guise the power output was thought to be up at around 325bhp. 

This being an “R” model, prioritisation of body control and driving dynamics were key and so the "Automatic Ride Control,” was more sportily configured whilst remaining a fully automatic system that adjusts dampers on all four wheels in real time.

Lifting the big, spring assisted bonnet reveals an engine which has started to exhibit the fared in and covered up appearance of later cars. Despite this, everything looks appropriately clean and tidy. Even the oft neglected bonnet insulation is present, if appearing a little moth-eaten in places. The underside looks straight, clean and leak free, too, with no noticeable deformations to worry about.

There is a generous file of paperwork associated with this Brooklands, too. The V5 registration document is present. The current advisory free MoT is valid until September 2024. There are some other earlier MoTs in hard copy on hand, also.

The original book pack appears to be present including the all-important service booklet. This contains a full 25 service stamps covering mileages from around 1,000 to over 105,000. All very reassuring. There are lots of accompanying invoices present, lending the detail behind many of these stamps. Numerous other interesting documents are here, too, including full details of the extensive build specification of this fine car.

The seller says: "There are two service books; the original fully stamped in the book pack, and a continuation one with eight stamps." 

As a specially curated, run out model the Brooklands R Mulliner is always going to be a popular choice for enthusiasts and connoisseurs. It was to Bentley’s credit that this is much more than a Brooklands with a few special badges added. The mechanical and interior differences run surprisingly deep.

This is just such a great looking example of the ultimate iteration of SZ Bentleys. Its livery is beguiling and the condition no less so. This is a car that truly belies its age and mileage and the fact that it has been more regularly used than some is an indication of its enthusiast ownership history. A full-service history and beautiful interior are just two more reasons amongst many to place your bids today to avoid missing out on this automotive gem.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Chorley. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.