After decades of playing second fiddle to Rolls-Royce, Bentley’s identity went through a resurrection with the Silver-Spirit-based Eight. Ian Seabrook drives the last of that line to see what all the fuss was about

Following the Second World War, Bentleys very much became Rolls-Royces with smoother grilles. Apart from the beautiful R-Type and S-Series Continentals, the Bentley identity ebbed away and few who bought a Bentley in the Sixties and Seventies can have thought that this was a firm that once won regularly at Le Mans.

Things began to change with the Bentley Mulsanne, sister car to the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit of 1980. At first, this was just another badge-engineering job, but the the Mulsanne would evolve into something a bit different. From 1982, you could buy a Mulsanne Turbo and while Bentley was still not releasing power outputs, the performance was astonishing – 60 mph came up in a mere seven seconds. Later, it was discovered that these engines were churning out 298 bhp and well over 400 lbf.ft of torque. It was a start, but a rather wobbly one, as little was done to control the soft suspension.

Bentley persevered though, and the Turbo R of  1985 was a rather more complete package. Fuel injection boosted power  to 315 bhp and a tarmac-shredding 485 lbf.ft of torque. Performance remained around the same, as extras such as thicker anti-roll bars and a Panhard rod added a touch more weight. Handing was utterly transformed however, with a nimbleness that belied the over-two-tonnes weight. Vickers was still in control of Rolls-Royce and Bentley however, and had invested huge sums of money in developing the new Bentley Arnage/Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. These, shockingly, used BMW engines, but despite being launched in 1998, there was still a final flowering for the Mulsanne-based models as limited editions.

The Bentley Brooklands R Mulliner tested here is one of those. Number 74 of only 100 Mulliner Rs built, there was a tweaked version of the venerable 6.75-litre V8 first seen in the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II of  1959. The Turbo RT was now beyond 400 bhp in the power stakes, but the Mulliner uses what was now dubbed the ‘light pressure’ turbo, which means a far-from-sluggish 300 bhp.

FACT FILE
1998 Brooklands R Mulliner
Engine: 6750cc V8 OHV
Gearbox: 4-speed automatic
Power:  300 bhp at 4000 rpm
Torque: 446 lbf.ft at 2000 rpm
Performance: 0-60 mph 7.9 secs,
Top Speed 140 mph
Consumption: 12-22 mpg
Length:  5268 mm
Width:  2110 mm
Weight: 2250 kg

VALUES
You can get a Bentley Eight/Mulsanne for as little as £4000, though you can expect some issues, high mileage or a lack of service history at that. If you want a Turbo, expect to spend at least £8000 on an early one, with later ones proving more desirable at £12,000 upwards.

The light-pressure turbo Brooklands models are still depreciating a little, due to being less than 15 years old. 500 ‘regular’ Brooklands were sold, with prices starting at around £15,000. The limited edition Mulliner still carries a value of £22,000+.

NEED TO KNOW
Bentley Drivers’ Club: www.bdcl.org
Bentley Owners’ Club: www.bentleyownersclub.co.uk
Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club: www.rrec.org.uk

THINKING OF BUYING ONE?
Regular servicing is essential but main dealers certainly aren’t – there are many good independent specialists, though it’s a good idea to budget on £1000 a year.

Corrosion can be an issue with older Mulsanne-based Bentleys: rotten rear spring pans can allow the spring to drop. Engines should be smooth and smoke-free. Refurbishing a tired interior will be costly, though specialists such as Flying Spares (01455 292949) can supply used parts. The rear suspension uses Citroën-style spheres and a hard, bouncy ride means they need replacing.

Thanks to Balmoral UK for the loan of the test car. This car has now been sold, but Balmoral UK always has a stock of similar cars: 01562 711114 or www.balmoraluk.com.

To read the complete road test see the Spring 2011 issue of Classic Car Mart