1990 Bentley CONTINENTAL CONVERTIBLE

Originally owned by a Lord of the realm, the included V5 shows that this car has had two owners in total. Our vendor Tom bought the car in March of this year, as a present for his wife. ‘Unfortunately it’s an unwanted present, as she wanted a Range Rover instead,’ he explains.

As such, and in order to keep the number of owners on the V5 to two, he hasn’t registered it in his name. ‘I didn’t want to add to them unnecessarily,’ he states. ‘It’s a shame it’s being sold, as it’s a lovely car and has been maintained regardless of cost. It drives beautifully, and has been over serviced all of its life – I believe there are 26 stamps in the service book.’

The odometer currently reads 138,190, which demonstrates that this Bentley has indeed been used, but as the service history shows (please see both the History Highlights section and Photo Gallery, below) it’s been finely fettled for each one of those miles covered.

The included V5 document shows two owners in total, and there are no surprises that both the original sales invoice and warranty from franchise holder H.R. Owen of South Kensington are also present.

If we're being picky (and you look very hard) there is the odd minor blemish on the exterior here and there due to age, but we've seen examples much worse with a quarter of the mileage. However, generally the Masons Black paintwork is dint-free and remains in superb condition; there’s plenty of polish on the body’s surface, and it retains a nice, deep lustre.

Come this era and the use of chrome was quite restrained, that said there’s no pitting on the window surrounds, bumpers, radiator slats or other trim items.

The hood material remains in very good condition, with no tears or creasing and the rear window retains an excellent level of clarity.

Perhaps our harshest criticism is reserved for the wheels, which present well but may benefit from some light refurbishment. We must stress though that indirectly, that’s a great compliment to the standard of the rest of the car.

We encourage any serious bidder to make their way to us near Abingdon to see this marvellous Bentley for themselves if they are not convinced by the photos. Use the Contact Seller button to arrange.

Come in, come in and take a load off, in what is a quite stunning interior environment. The air of quality inside is second-to-none. Buyers of these cars paid a premium when new for the sheer level of opulence provided.

Again this car’s mileage is a red herring, because it’s clear that this has been a cherished example. The light-coloured wood ensconced in leather-trimmed dashboard and centre column retains a lovely vibrant finish; there’s one small area of lacquer lift by the near side rear window, but that could be taken care of by a discreet smart repair. 

The crème leather piped black has developed a pleasing patina, while thick lambs wool overmats provide a high degree of underfoot opulence. Lift those and the ones underneath are in similarly nice condition. Again, even the driver's seat bolsters are refreshing free of wear - something that can only come from proper maintenance. More good news:  everything we have tried works perfectly, including the air conditioning, electrics, power soft-top mechanism and all gauges.

The Bentley has just received a fresh MOT ticket from a tester that we know, and he reported back that it’s ‘absolutely superb underneath and has clearly had significant expenditure on the rear suspension, as well as a new steering rack.’ There were no advisories from the test and overall he was very complimentary about the car.

Having conducted an extended driving appraisal we can report that it’s a supremely competent wafter, which when necessary can deliver an impressive surfeit of torque. The suspension is properly sorted with no creaks or rattles, and if you’ve ever imagined just how well these cars drive then this example will definitely confirm it for you.

We’ve had a quick look underneath just to confirm the MOT tester’s opinion and as you can see from our photo gallery, it remains pretty corrosion free. The spare wheel is present and correctly stowed.

Perhaps the only issue is that the protective outer skin of the exhaust system’s central silencer box has rusted through at the bottom – it doesn’t look to have affected the layer below as yet, but it’s worth being aware of.

Under the bonnet the engine bay remains nice and tidy (with bonnet heat-resistant quilting still in place) with no evidence of any leaks, but would no doubt respond well to a touch of detailing. Stowed under the fastidiously fitted carpet in the boot is a full complement of tools.

Ah now this is exactly what we like to see, stamps for the first through to the very last service in this Continental’s service book. These demonstrate that there’s been absolutely no scrimping in the maintenance of this fine drop-top beast.

Other examples with lower mileages could appeal, but sketchy service histories give no guarantee that a car has been looked after. In this car’s case the old tenet remains true: condition, condition, condition. Included in this car’s history file are a number of previous MOT certificates.

There are a number of recent invoices from Bentley Hampshire mainly for services and consumables, although a leaking steering rack was replaced in April 2017 (circa £1300), the front brake pump repaired (circa £675) and a repair made to the O/S/R sill panel - presumably a deep scratch or other mild impact (£1339.99).

In addition, there are another two receipts from Bournemouth-based specialist Silver Lady Services Limited. One from April 2018 for the replacement of the N/S/R shock absorber, gas springs and painting of the sill (£1814.32) and another in May of that year for a small service and road test for the previous owner.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

In Masons Black this is one mean looking beast, and yet that malevolent exterior is softened by a gloriously luxurious crème leather interior. As stated above, forget mileage and instead buy this one on condition.

It’s been cherished to the nth degree, and remains a very special car. Bodily spot on and with an interior that’s still not too far removed from perfect, it’s ready to provide a new owner with a supreme driving experience.

With 26 stamps in the service book, you can rest assured it’s been looked after. We believe this fine example will sell for between £49k-£60k, which is indicative of the car’s fine form.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located here at The Market’s Abingdon HQ; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.