1993 Bentley Brooklands

This fine example of the Brooklands was completed at the Crewe factory at the end of May 1993 and first registered in August of the same year. The Brooklands went on to be used and enjoyed by nine registered keepers in the following 21 years. During that time the Brooklands covered around 71,000 miles which appears to have been accrued in a pleasingly linear fashion.

In 2014 the Brooklands found its long-term home with current owner, Monique. Monique and her late husband, a qualified mechanic, have lavished the Brooklands with boundless care and attention. As well as a “regardless of cost” maintenance regime, the car has been pampered and preened to within an inch of its life. In Monique’s own words this extended to “cleaning the engine bay by hand with a toothbrush and polishing the underside!”

All this diligence and dedication started to pay dividends as early as 2016 with the car picking up three prestigious awards in that year (Class winner - Hatfield House / Touring class winner - RREC annual rally / Elegance class winner - RREC annual rally). From there the awards came thick and fast with wins every year from then on. This impressive feat culminated in 2023 with this Brooklands doing what no other SZ car has done, by winning the Masters Trophy at the annual RREC rally. Surely confirmation of Monique’s assertion that this is the best example of this model in the country today.

Given all the attention the Brooklands has been the recipient of in current ownership, it is no surprise that the car looks amazing. The Cobalt Blue colourway is testament to the way Bentley “sweetened” the bare body shell of the Brooklands. This involves hand-flatting with fine wire wool before the body begins its journey through the multi-stage paint process. The ultra-observant will notice the badges enamelled in green, also, a feature of only the 1993 cars.

Given all the awards garnered by this car, our job of directing potential buyers to any faults or imperfections becomes nigh-on impossible. Paintwork, bodywork, brightwork, cabin glass and light lenses are all as excellent as the award judges clearly found them. A rolling program of improvement has resulted in this peerless condition. This work has included new bumper ends in 2018 and the ongoing treatment of any pesky, if inevitable, paint chips. Please enjoy our extensive photographic package to fully appreciate the car’s stunning condition for yourselves.

The flawless silver of the Brooklands specific 16-inch alloy wheels contrasts beautifully with the deep Cobalt Blue paintwork. Their condition is so good courtesy of a full refurbishment in 2023. These are shod with a set of Avon tyres in a 235/65 configuration and featuring a subtle whitewall detail. These were fitted in 2017, less than 10,000 miles ago at a cost of £1,000.

By now it will come as no surprise that the interior is as pristine as the exterior. This is, again, thanks to the diligent attention to detail of Monique and her husband. In 2020 all interior leathers were Connolised and refurbished and the door cappings were re-veneered in 2023.

Parchment hued Connoly leather blends with deep Wilton carpets and seeming acres of walnut to create the most special of “special occasion” interiors. In the obsessive spirit of W.O. himself, the veneers and trim for each car are matched side to side, so that each complete set of dashboard and door rails represents a unique mirror image masterpiece.

The deeply cushioned seats are stitched into a series of horizontal box pleats, maximising comfort and support. Full electrical adjustment goes without saying as does two stage heating. There is even a four-setting memory function for both seats. The rear cabin consists of two individual outer seats with the large centre arm rest folding away to provide a third, occasional place. C-pillar vanity mirrors with individual lighting are thoughtfully included.

The dashboard fascia is walnut dressed and populated with chromed eye-ball vents and familiar white-on-black instrumentation. The raked centre console contains three further gauges, climate and audio controls as well as that newly located gear selector. The commodious boot is exquisitely trimmed in leather edge bound carpeting. This is also home to a concealed Alpine CD changer, and complete, original tool kit.  

With the arrival of the Brooklands, the long-serving L-series 6.75L V8 engine had gained Bosch MK-Motronic fuel injection. The smooth shifting automatic gearbox was now a four-speed GM unit with Shift Energy Management (SEM) to further blur the ratio changes. Bentley were traditionally coy about power outputs and the like, but the received wisdom suggested somewhere between 240 and 280 bhp and oodles of accompanying torque from the low revving, naturally aspirated unit. 

With Bentley’s prioritisation of body control and driving dynamics the "Automatic Ride Control,” was more sportily configured whilst remaining a fully automatic system that adjusts dampers on all four wheels in real time. The seller does say "sometimes the ABS light comes on.  The mechanic has told me it's just a connection on one of the wheels.  He said it's an easy fix, but can be time consuming due to every wheel has to be checked with a meter.  It doesn't affect its braking in anyway as I have had it on a rolling road to be checked". 

Monique’s toothbrush has seemingly worked wonders under the big, counterweighted bonnet. Everything under here positively gleams, especially the smooth powder coating to the cam covers and the inlet manifold body. High quality components from the likes of Bosch and Fiamm are noted. Even the oft neglected bonnet insulation is in great shape! Not to be outdone, what we can see of the underside of the car is a sight to behold also and a true testament to all that pampering.

There is a nice archive of paperwork associated with the Brooklands, too. The V5 registration document is present. The current advisory free MoT is valid until September 2024. The remainder of the archive consists of maintenance and parts invoices, mainly from the last two periods of ownership. Some of these are of a high value underscoring the no expense spared stewardship of the car.

As Monique confirms “full-service history is recorded on paper. Some servicing was done by myself and my late husband, so these were added by us, but the bigger jobs were completed by Britania Motors who are specialists in Rolls Royce and Bentley cars.”

The Bentley Brooklands represented an important step in the marque’s overdue resurgence succeeding in raising the bar without throwing the key Bentley attributes out with the bath water. In many ways the earlier non-turbo cars are the pick of the model with the decidedly unstressed V8 being an exemplar of refinement and longevity.

Even the uninitiated can see and appreciate what an absolute gem this example is. If anyone is in any doubt just review the awards this car has collected. These are awarded by marque specialist who know these cars inside and out so there is surely no better recommendation than that. This car is now perfectly placed to continue collecting plaudits if desired and if not then just enjoyed and admired by the lucky next owner. It is most unlikely that you will find a better Brooklands so bid today to avoid disappointment.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. 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’.