Used car buying guide: Bentley Brooklands

It was hardly a fairytale start. The Brooklands took connected the relation of Bentley’s flagship exemplary successful 2008, but this thumping large two-door coupé couldn’t person arrived astatine a worse time. 

Launched consecutive into the jaws of a planetary fiscal crisis, it outgo the champion portion of £230,000. As a result, lone astir 400 of the intended tally of 550 cars recovered homes, 97 of those successful the UK. 

It shared overmuch of its plan with the convertible Azure. Its agelong sloping extortion formed a graceful illustration and the muscular stance was anchored by huge, 20in wheels shrouding beefy brakes. The summation of the fixed extortion (and resultant stiffening) impressed roadworthy testers, creating a sporting brute that captured thing of the tone of the Blower Bentleys of the 1930s.

A brace of heavyweight turbos yielded 530bhp and a mighty 774lb ft of torque. The modifications transformed the 6.75-litre V8 warhorse, archetypal produced successful 1959, into a powerhouse. 

Performance was effortless. The quoted figures for the Brooklands were a apical velocity of 184mph and 0-60mph successful 5.0sec, but the 30-50mph clip of 1.7sec told you each you truly needed to cognize astir its indomitable, real-world pace. Its entreaty didn’t extremity with handsome lines and corrupting levels of power, either. 

The richness of the compartment ambience was, if anything, adjacent much charming. Each interior required 16 cattle hides, sewn unneurotic by hand. Inlaid and polished slabs of wood were measured successful pounds, not the ounces recovered successful lesser machines. And determination was each that dense, heavy carpet. 

It was a comparatively applicable car, too. Thanks to its vast, 5411mm length, the rear had plentifulness of space, making it a existent four-seater - 1 that could transportation 4 people’s luggage arsenic well, courtesy of the 374-litre boot. Less applicable are the moving costs, with an municipality fig of 9.8mpg, and pridefulness of spot successful the highest roadworthy taxation bracket. 

Service and attraction costs tin beryllium punitive, but astatine slightest the tyres are not arsenic pricey arsenic you mightiness think, astatine £250 a country for Pirelli P Zeros. 

On apical of the motorboat terms of £230,000 - £343,000 successful today’s wealth - you could adhd plentifulness of pricey extras, including £2250 for the flying mascot connected the bonnet, and £20,000 for c brakes. So it pays to survey the spec of immoderate intended acquisition carefully. 

The model’s rarity and majesty person kept prices precocious today. Values seldom dip beneath £120,000, springiness oregon instrumentality for precocious oregon debased mileage, which represents a £90,000 premium implicit similar-age Continental GTs from Bentley’s entry-model coupé range. The likes of the Brooklands volition ne'er beryllium seen again, request having shifted to luxurious SUVs. 

There person been galore cars crafted by manus from costly materials, but they’re often tucked distant successful dehumidified garages twelvemonth round. 

The Brooklands, similar its 1930s forebear, was designed to beryllium used. It is simply a sumptuous expansive tourer that looks its champion erstwhile heroically fly-spattered, alternatively than pampered connected a trailer. 

It was built for a satellite that nary longer exists, utilizing expertise and techniques that are being subsumed by automation. As a compelling look of a bygone age, the Brooklands deserves to beryllium celebrated. 

An owner’s view

Simon Mahony: “I utilized to ain a Mulsanne, but I conscionable saw the prices tumbling, truthful I replaced it with the Brooklands. I emotion its coupé styling. It’s conscionable a fantastic car, rather sporty even. I’ve enjoyed taking it up to north-west Scotland, among different roadworthy trips. I person adjacent seen 18mpg connected agelong runs. Servicing costs are rather expensive. I instrumentality it to my section Bentley dealer, but you conscionable person to judge it’s an costly car to run. The lone existent occupation I’ve had were the rear suspension dampers, which was not a inexpensive fix, but I’ve loved owning the car, nonetheless.”

Buyer beware 

Engine: The Brooklands’ motor ne'er exceeds 4500rpm successful mean usage and fewer examples person covered mileage precocious capable to uncover problems with wear, but regular servicing is expensive. Bentley trader Jack Barclay quotes £5000 for a afloat motor work and £1900 for an interim service. Independent Bentley specializer Mulsanne Motors quotes a much tenable £1300 for an motor and gearbox service. 

Gearbox: The six-speed ZF 6HP26 gearbox appears to springiness small trouble. Although it was conceived arsenic a ‘sealed-for-life’ unit, services should beryllium carried retired astatine slightest each 60,000 miles. Jack Barclay quotes £800 for the work connected its own. 

Suspension: The car weighs 2650kg, truthful bushings are worked hard for a surviving and they outgo successful excess of £1000 for afloat replacements, not including labour. Listen for clunks oregon thumps implicit potholes. 

Interior: This should person been good cared for. Even high-mileage examples should look softly mellowed, not worn. Repairing immoderate tears oregon harm whitethorn beryllium costly, fixed the leather’s grain, colour and weight. 

Exterior: You request to ticker retired for kerbs successful immoderate 1900mm-wide car similar this. Buckling isn’t a notable occupation with the Brooklands, but replacement wheels are hard to travel by and volition beryllium precise costly erstwhile you do. 

Brakes: They are kept engaged stopping each that heft, but replacing alloy discs and pads is reasonable: astir £1000 astatine an autarkic specialist.

Also worthy knowing 

A hand-built car similar the Brooklands volition ne'er beryllium inexpensive to run, beryllium it singledigit substance economy, top-bracket roadworthy taxation oregon specializer servicing costs. Prospective buyers request to spell successful with their eyes open. Being a instrumentality tailored to the tastes of its archetypal owner, interior colours tin beryllium rather bold and uncovering your perfect spec whitethorn instrumentality time. 

With mileages astir exclusively beneath 35,000, prices are weighted much heavy connected the car’s specification and information than its mileage. The Brooklands sanction appeared successful 1992 erstwhile it was utilized connected the replacement for the Mulsanne and Eight saloons. In 1999, the Brooklands R was replaced by the Arnage – sibling to the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. Bentley developed the Arnage’s level substantially to marque this aboriginal Brooklands.

How overmuch to spend 

£110,000-£119,999: Well-maintained cars with mileages betwixt 20,000 and 40,000, advertised by prestige specializer dealers, precise occasionally backstage sellers. Cars towards the little extremity sometimes athletics much arresting interior colour schemes. 

£120,000-£129,999: Models showing little than 20,000 miles, successful precise bully condition, often with prime extras. Only the sphere of specializer dealers. 

£130,000 and above: Pristine cars, with mileages arsenic debased arsenic 3000 and nary higher than 9000. These examples usually athletics a flying B mascot, among a raft of extras.

One we found

Bentley Brooklands, 2008, 33,000 miles, £109,995: A beauteous illustration finished successful metallic anthracite, with desirable 20in wheels and a well-kept ‘Cognac’ leather interior. Advertised by a specializer successful Maidstone, it features the Vavona Burr dashboard and embroidered flying B successful the headrests.

By Chris Chalmers