1992 Bentley Eight

This car is a final run Eight with Active Ride suspension and a 4 speed auto box.

From 20 yards out, this is a very handsome motor. Particularly as it comes in the winning colour combination of Royal Blue Metallic paintwork and Parchment leather upholstery with blue Wilton carpets and lambswool rugs.

It is nothing if not imposing.

It fills up most of the horizon, is way more luxurious than most people’s homes (or members’ clubs), has an engine that pulls like a steam train, and has the ride quality of a magic carpet.

Get a little closer and there are signs of wear and tear here and there. Yes, there is some rust in evidence, but bear in mind that a lot of this car is aluminium, so many of the bubbles beneath the paint are likely to be the sort of non-ferrous corrosion that probably won’t get any worse for years to come.

We have driven the car and can attest to the smoothness of the ride, the power delivery of the engine and overall sense of a car with plenty of mechanical integrity.

We did notice a whine that starts when accelerating, builds as speed increases and dies away again when your foot eases off the pedal.

Now, while this whining is undoubtedly something, we can’t tell you anything because we know nothing.

It may, or may not be, a big or small deal.

It’s not perfect, but it is gorgeous.

It’s not concours, but it’s a long way from being a basket case.

It is what it is – an impressive pedigree cruiser with a great deal of reassuring history, that starts, goes and stops well, but needs showing some TLC and a few quid to get it in top class condition.

Bentleys of this era were still essentially hand-built, which gave the craftsmen and women of Crewe the opportunity to show off a little by making sure that every edge, gap and line was perfect. Of course, indifferent owners and a dodgy past can undermine this, but we’re confident that this Eight still stands as a fitting testament to the skills of the folk who built it all those years ago.

The acres of Royal Blue Metallic paint are in pretty good overall condition, save for the odd spot of lifting lacquer, and the finish still has plenty of shine and lustre with which to reward a foaming chamois and some elbow grease.

The panels are free of dinks, dents, creases or folds and all shut lines and door gaps are as they should be.

The badging, grille, trim and chrome work are all pretty decent for a 1992 car.

Like so many of these cars, it’s been retrofitted with Turbo R wheels at some point. These are in broadly decent nick. The whitewall tyres are pretty new and have lots of life left in them.

Royces and Bentleys of this era tend to regularly suffer around the wheel arches. While this example is no exception and is showing some rust in places in all four arches, it’s not got out of hand yet and could be sorted out without too much effort or expense.

There is also some rust to be found in the sills, particularly on the driver’s door, some of which will need looking at sooner rather than later.

Elsewhere, there is some largely superficial corrosion and/or bubbling in the front door jambs, in the rear valance, in the panel above the rear bumper, in the rear screen surround and at the tops of the doors just beneath the windows.

Some of the rubber trim around the windows is cracked or perished in places.

The interior of a Bentley is seldom less than sumptuous and you can see the bloodline of quality and hand-built craftsmanship running through the Connolly leather, burr walnut and sheepskin rugs.

The interior chrome work is another highlight; you simply don’t get quality like this now, no matter how much you spend.

The seats function as intended and, as far as we can tell, the electrics - AC included - are still doing what they’re supposed to do.

The passenger area is in top order and would be a very special place to while away a few hours.

The upholstery is in very good condition and has only minimal creasing on the driver’s seat to show for its age and mileage. It’s the same story with the carpets, which are still a bright and vibrant shade of blue. This is no doubt because they’ve been protected by a set of lambswool rugs, which you’ll now find in the boot. The rugs have faded somewhat over the years but they’re still about 3 inches thick, though, and you could easily lose your foot in there.

The headlining, dashboard, centre console and door cards are in decent overall condition, although there is a small nick in the top of the dashboard and the lacquer has peeled away on the plastic seat control panel and in one or two other areas.

The steering wheel, sans airbag of course, is surprisingly delicate; the Bentley is a car you steer with your fingertips, making tiny corrections with the pads of your fingers rather than a clenched fist.

There is an uprated Alpine Radio/CD with Bluetooth.

The wooden trim has suffered a bit. Although the wooden dashboard, instrument panel and centre console are still fine, the lacquer has peeled significantly on the door cappings and is cracked and coming away in several places.

The cavernous boot has enough blue carpet to cover the average living room and is in good condition.

The engine bay is a very big and very full place. That’s a lot of engine.

There is some superficial rust here and there, but there’s nothing that seems out of place or a particular cause for concern. The sound deadening material has gone a little sad and baggy with age.

The undersides of the car are fairly featureless and although there is some corrosion in evidence, there is nothing obvious to either delight or horrify the casual onlooker.

This car has an MoT certificate - with no advisories - that’s valid until 12.6.21.

It has covered 68,000 miles. When MoT’d on 26.7.07 it had clocked up 58,000 miles, so it’s not been doing a great deal of work over the last 14 years.

It comes with a service book that is fully stamped by Bentley main dealers and specialists. The last stamp in the book was for a type ‘A’ service last year.

The previous owner, a chap who bought the car as a retirement present for himself, addressed all of the issues raised in previous MoT advisories and, as the various bills and invoices attest, put his hand quite a long way into his pocket in the process.

There are lots of previous MoTs, receipts, invoices and bills. It comes with its original Bentley wallet, including the service and audio books.

This is a big, brutal bruiser of a car, albeit one that’s wearing Savile Row clothes and has been to the right school.

As with all Bentleys, the sage advice is to go for one where someone else has done all the heavy lifting.

We think most of the heavy lifting has been done, but that’s not to say that there’s no other work to do.

There are some bodywork issues to sort out and the interior could do with some attention, particularly to the veneers on the door cappings.

We think it’s got plenty of life in in yet, provided that it goes to a good home and a conscientious curator.

Support groups up and down the country are filled with drawn and broken-looking men (and women) weeping salty tears onto the frayed ends of their Bentley Owners Club ties.

These are often people who have bought a ‘cheap’ Bentley only to find that it steals their wallet, beats them up and makes them homeless within 6 months.

So, as ever, caveat emptor.

But we think that this particular example is a whole lot of very classy hand built car for not very much money.

This, then, could be a real bargain for someone prepared to dip a toe into the sometimes challenging, often uniquely rewarding waters of secondhand Bentley ownership.

We offer this car for auction with an estimate in the £7,500 To £10,000 range.

Viewing is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us in Abingdon. 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’.