Background
Launched in 2003, the Continental GT was the first of the VW-era Bentleys and arrived at a time when Volkswagen was still smarting after being out-maneuvered by BMW. But, wounded pride aside, the fact is that the firm had snagged the volume - and therefore profitable - part of the Rolls-Royce/Bentley business even if it had done so inadvertently.
Because, despite building 9,500 Continentals a year, the demand was so great that a waiting list soon built up. And no wonder: the mighty six-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine develops 560bhp and 470lb/ft of torque, all channeled to the tarmac via a complex but highly effective four-wheel-drive system. That it was swathed in body that only hinted, in the most general of terms, at the performance the car was capable of was the icing on an already very attractive cake.
And, while the early interiors could be a bit hit ‘n’ miss depending on how drunk the buyer had been when he had been when he was spec’ing it, the introduction of the Mulliner Driving Specification a year after the car was launched repositioned the Bentley even more upmarket.
Two-tone quilted leather alongside the option of goodies like colour-coded seat belts, drilled alloy foot pedals, knurled chrome controls, and embroidered Bentley emblems on the seats meant that ticking every box on the options list now gave you a better-than-even chance of ending up with a vehicle that would look pretty damned good no matter how hard you’d been hitting the port.
Despite the fact that brand has tended to suffer from Burberry syndrome, often being bought by people with more money than taste, we maintain that a good ‘un – in a nice spec and with an impeccable service history – can be a thing of beauty and a joy to own.
Which is where our next auction listing comes in.
