1998 Bentley Brooklands R

The Brooklands R (the R stands for ‘Roadholding’) you see here benefits from the Turbo R’s chassis, which is just as well because the boffins at Crewe also bolted a light-pressure turbo to the 6.75-litre V8 engine. The result is around 325bhp and 446lb.ft of torque, which is enough, surely.

As a Mulliner, it also benefits from a vast array of cosmetic upgrades. This is number 15 of only one hundred ever built before the Arnage replaced it in 1998 and while we’ll detail the changes Mulliner wrought later, for now it’s enough to say they’re significant and highly sought after. 

Finished in Peacock Blue with Champagne Hide, it’s accrued just 43,000 miles in its life, with a documented speedo change having been undertaken at 6,630 miles. It’s been in the seller’s hands since 2014 and, as a high-days-and-holidays car, has covered just 179 miles since 2019. Which means it’s just gathering dust now and really deserves to be used more, hence this listing.

The Mulliner’s external upgrades include colour-coded bumpers, radiator surround, door mirrors, front wing vents, and headlamp bezels. It also gained chrome mesh to the radiator grille, bumper air intakes, and wing vents, plus those vast 18-ich alloy wheels, wheels whose design is unique to the model.

The eagle-eyed among you will have also noticed that all the external badges are green and the exhaust tailpipe is large and oval.

The result, especially when the car is finished in Peacock Blue, one of the most popular Bentley Colours, is nothing short of magnificent!

As for work to do, in our opinion, the car would benefit from a professional machine polish and the front alloy wheels are badly scuffed and in need of refurbishment, which would be the ideal time to replace the tyres. They are all age-perished and will need to be replaced as soon as possible; you simply can’t take chances when a car as heavy as this is mated to turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine…

There is also some typical alloy corrosion at the top the doors, especially on the off-side and some dents on the front nearside door. 

We also noted a cracked front number plate, a significant chip in the windscreen, a heavily scuffed/dented rear bumper, a scrape to the n/s on the front bumper, a "missing" telephone aerial, the door seal trim on the front o/s is also coming adrift and both mirrors have scrapes on their leading edges.

All of which however could be worked through as and when funds allow.

The Mulliner-spec also brings with it darker walnut veneer trim and this wooden embellishment extends to include fully veneered door cappings. The instruments gain chrome bezels, and the gear lever is not only unique to the model but is adorned with chrome and leather.

The top of the dashboard is finished in blue leather, with the underside being magnolia, the headrests gain embroidered Bentley wings, and the back of the front seats feature netting pockets - and you don’t need the eyes of an eagle to spot the plaque on the radio cover that proclaims this is number 15 of a hundred. 

That’s it as far as the special bits go but even that is a bit of a misnomer because the rest of the cabin is equally special. And luxurious. And beautifully curated.

Take the Champagne leather front seats, for example, which are Turbo R sports seats. Plump and virtually unmarked, they are not only electrically adjustable and heated but are also wonderfully simple as their specification demanded an absence of the piping and contrasting stitching you usually see.

The driver gets to hang onto a perforated steering wheel that’s enhanced with black hide handgrips, and to operate the brake and accelerator via drilled pedals. 

The rear seats are even better and are augmented by ornate mirrors in the C-pillars, a vast armrest, huge legroom thanks to the long-wheelbase chassis, and almost no visible wear.

All enjoy some of the best walnut veneer in the business, crystal clear instruments and controls, pleated leather door cards, natty blue carpets, and a beautiful leather headlining. 

The boot is as clean as it is well trimmed; there is simply no nicer place to put your luggage than here - and you could fit a lot of it in there too because it is on a suitably titanic scale.

There’s also a factory cut-out switch in there, which is a nice touch plus the usual warning triangle, jack, tool kit, and spare wheel.

As for work to do, we can’t spot a thing.

The engine bay is workmanlike rather than pretty, but a decent valet and some new fasteners to replace the rusty ones would make a world of difference. 

The underside looks pretty good – and no MoT tester has ever mentioned rust or structural corrosion – but a day under there with a wire brush and some good quality underseal would be a worthwhile investment of time and money.

We also noted that the ignition switch can be a bit "temperamental". As although the car is started on the large red "Start" button, once the key is turned to the right, it can on occasion return to the off position, thus cutting out the engine. 

The Bentley’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2025, and if we can ignore the advisories for tyres we’ve already mentioned, the last time it drew an MoT tester’s advisory was in 2013 and you have to go right back to 2007 to find the next problem - and that was only the parking brake…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it is thought the Bentley’s first owner was titled.

Last serviced in April 2024, we are told it has been “well maintained” throughout its life. A previous advert suggests that Hadley Green Bentley looked after it until around 2016, adding 16 stamps to the book. The seller tells us that a trusted “local chap” looked after it thereafter.

The seller acknowledges the need for a new battery.

This is a Bentley that does need some work. Four new tyres for sure, and maybe the alloy wheels refurbishing at the same time, and if you were to get your local bodyshop to sort out the dent in the door and the scuffs on the rear bumper few would think you were being overly fastidious.

And yet, to assess its value accurately, you must also take into consideration its very low mileage, comprehensive service history, impressive MoT record, overall condition, and Mulliner specification.

Our "guide" price is between £15,000 and £18,000; a shrewd purchase in our opinion, as these late special edition SZ cars are already very collectable and likely to remain so in the future.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, especially as the car is located with us here in Abingdon. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.