1992 Bentley Continental R

This Bentley Continental R was supplied by Jack Barclay and first registered on 1 September 1992. It has had six registered keepers, seven plate changes and has covered just over 87k miles - which isn’t bad going for a 30 year old car built for making long journeys.

The most recent owner bought the car in February 2016. He already had two other Bentleys but really liked the big two door coupe. Apparently he didn’t drive any of them a great deal, preferring his pickup, but he kept them well maintained and cared for until he sadly passed away last year.

The exterior is finished in beautiful Ming Blue - a deep royal blue on the lighter side of navy. There are a few scratches and marks around the car in some of the more vulnerable places like the door mirror caps and panel edges. There are also a few stone chips on the nose, but these are minor imperfections considering the age and mileage of the car.

By the nineties, too much chrome was seen as old-fashioned, so the brightwork is limited to the radiator grille slats, bumper and window trims, door handles, around the rear light clusters and the twin tail pipes. All looks to be shiny and clear of any obvious pitting or patina.

The Continental R sits on its original 16-inch alloy wheels - in a style also seen on the Turbo R. Such a small diameter for a big car means tall sidewalls and the ride comfort and handling that they bring. All five alloys (underslung spare included) were fully refurbished in 2016 - only a few thousand miles ago - and they still look in excellent condition.

All four road wheels were refitted with Avon Turbospeed tyres dated 2015 and they show in very good condition with more than adequate tread depth.

As beautiful to look at as the outside of the Continental R is, it is the interior where you’ll spend most of your time with the car, and this is where Bentley excels.

The interior is upholstered in black leather. Not just the extremely comfortable seats but across the dash, up the pillars and it even lines the roof. Aside from a little wear on the sports-style steering wheel and light creasing on the front seats - driver side in particular - there are no obvious signs of undue wear or damage to the hide.

Across the dash and centre console fascias, and along the door caps, a beautiful honey-coloured burr walnut veneer provides a classic contrast to the black leather. Usually in a modern classic, wood panelling tends to date a car but in this 30-year old Bentley it seems appropriate and elegantly modern.

This piece of British heritage is not without its technology. It was originally supplied with a “radio telephone”. That particular artefact has since been replaced with a more modern Parrot bluetooth setup but the original is retained with the car. Additionally, it has been fitted with a reversing camera which feeds to a screen integrated into a clip-on rear view mirror.

The centre console is stacked full of auxiliary instruments for temperatures, pressures and levels and it also houses the cassette radio and the controls for the air conditioning. We understand that everything works as it should.

Underfoot, the black carpets are clean and undamaged, although it is coming away slightly from the transmission tunnel in the passenger footwell. True to form in a Bentley, each footwell has a deep-pile lambswool rug to give you even more of a luxurious feel. If you’re worried about getting in with dirty shoes, there are rubber mats in the boot that can be swapped in.

Under the front-hinged bonnet, the engine bay looks clean and well looked after. The engine itself runs smoothly and sweetly with enough torque to rock the car when revved. There is a slight whine - probably from the fan belt - but nothing untoward and no dashboard warning lights show.

The undersides of the car have a layer of road dirt across what is likely to be the original underseal and whilst there is the inevitable surface rust here and there - all looks fairly straight underneath - indeed nothing that caught the eye of the inspector at the recent MOT.

The large boot is lined in a similar black carpet to the interior and it appears clean and intact. Under the floor panel is a hole giving access to release the spare wheel that is cradled underneath the car. A recess also houses the battery which was recently replaced. Under the rear scuttle the jack and wheel brace are stowed and you’ll find a toolkit and the audio amplifier behind a panel below.

The Bentley has a current MOT valid until March 2024, which it passed first time with no advisories, just as it has every year since 2014.

The history file contains past MOT reports and numerous garage invoices and correspondence related to maintenance from the past decade or so.

Of note are the various works done around 2017-18 at 85,404 miles costing £4k and a year or so previously when £1.2k was spent.

When the car was previously sold in 2015, it did at that time come with two Service Books, all stamped with 13 entries by Jack Barclay, 8 services with Hadley's and 5 with other Bentley specialists. These are not currently with the vehicle.

The Continental R is a brutal but handsome coupe with a commanding road presence and a boat-load more class than the ubiquitous Conti GT that replaced it. Don’t be fooled by the plush luxury of the interior, this isn’t just a car to waft gently along in - flex your right ankle and you’ll unleash massive acceleration potential.

This well cared for example runs beautifully and drives very well. Although the Continental R was at one time the most expensive car in the world, right now we think this one will sell for between £28,000 and £32,000.

Go on, you deserve it!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.