1997 Bentley Continental T Sports Saloon
Registration no. R516 YVP
Chassis no. SCBZU26COWCH67014
Engine no. 89427L410M/TTW

Introduced in June 1996, the Bentley Continental T was a short-wheelbase version of the Continental R, some 4" being taken out of the chassis aft of the doors. With 400bhp at its disposal and crouching aggressively on 18" wheels, the low-slung Continental T looked every inch the thoroughbred Bentley sports car, the cockpit with its engine-turned dashboard recalling the heroic exploits of W O's 1920s racers. The engine start button was another neat 'retro' touch. Despite weighing as much as two Ford Mondeo 1.8s, the luxuriously appointed Continental T was certainly no slouch, racing to 60mph in a tyre-shredding 5.8 seconds on its way to a (governor limited) top speed of 156mph; that and an equally eye-watering price - £220,312 at time of launch – made the Continental T Bentley's fastest and most expensive model. Last of the hand-built Bentleys to emerge from the historic Crewe factory, only 322 were produced between 1996 and 2002, most of which were exported.

This Continental T is a relatively rare original UK-delivered car and was ordered from the well-known Roll-Royce and Bentley dealers Broughtons of Cheltenham for a local businessman. Registered in December 1997, this 1998 model incorporates numerous upgrades, not the least of which was an increase in maximum power from the original 400bhp to 426 horsepower. The car's original specification sheet comes with it, listing the numerous extras requested by the first owner, who is believed to have parted with some £230,000 as a result.
Apparently the first change of ownership occurred in 2000 when the Bentley passed to an hotelier in Yorkshire where it was mainly driven by his wife. The current vendor purchased the car from them in 2009. Forming part of his private collection ever since, the Bentley has covered only 10,000 miles in the last 12 years. The current odometer reading is 90,000 miles.

Finished in Atlantic Blue Mica with blue-piped Magnolia leather interior, the latter featuring a full set of dark blue woollen over-rugs supplied by Bentley Motors, this wonderful Continental T is in impeccable condition; it has wanted for nothing in its life and has always been serviced by Bentley main dealers or accredited Bentley specialists. The service book is stamped from new and the car comes complete with all its original handbooks and documents. This is a wonderful opportunity to acquire a thoroughbred sporting motor car - MoT'd to August 2023 (no advisories) and said to drive extremely well - with an impeccable provenance and only three owners from new.