At this very point in time it is the best time ever since 1999 to select and purchase from the entire range of Bentley Continentals.
That is the Bentley Continentals from the 1990s and early 2000s.
Like the really rare ones. The hand built ones by Mulliner Park Ward. The ones that did cost about double the Bentley Continental GT range of today. The last hand built Bentleys before the Germans got involved.
This range.
For non-Aussie readers, lets contemplate the sales figures of the time just to understand what a significant event having all the Continental range for sale at one time is.
In 1996 only 25 Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars were sold. Then in 1997 only 11 Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars were sold. In 1998 15 were sold, and in 1999 only 5 Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars were sold in the entire continent of Australia. That is not just the Bentley Continental range that is the total range, like the Rolls-Royce Corniche,Bentley Arnarge and Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph etc.
You can read more about the low Aussie sales figures of that time
here.
Oh - and if you think why don't Aussies just import second hand cars from the UK or NZ or Japan or Hong Kong and get what they want? Well, we have laws that say you can not. It will probably be 2030 before you can import a year 2000 made car.
So Aussie Bentley collectors - grab yourselves some rare and amazing cars currently for sale down under!
First off. The Bentley Continental R. This ones a special Mulliner version. It is a 2003 vintage.
This car is quite well known of late, as in the last few years, since left its first owners hands. Apparently it used to sleep next to a Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph in the same Fire Glow Red colour in a garage on a country estate. The garage was also a display area for some lovely neo-classical art. The only driving it did was probably to the letter box at the front of the farm.
It has only travelled 6000kms mostly in the last couple of years I presume.
Only 131 Bentley Continental R Mulliner cars were made from 1999 to 2002, so this example was the last year made. I would be quite surprised if there were more than a few or even a couple in Australia. Rare.
A perfect collectors car currently asking $295,000
here.
If you think the Bentley Continental R is a little standard, and you want something with a little more go and a little more sportiness, the simple choice is to go with the Bentley Continental T.
The Bentley Continental T has a shorter chassis by 4 inches, which is shaved off immeadiately behind the front doors. You can tell a Continental T from a Continental R by the smaller rear window with much less roof line.
The Continental T was a lot more powerful and the options were quite sporty like a turned alloy dash instead of wood or the like.
There is a 1998 Continental T currently for sale.
This one has done a little more travelling, having seen 60,850km of the sunburnt country.
A total of 322 Bentley Continental T cars were made 1996 to 2002.
I think taking a photo of your Bentley with some kangaroos in the shot is very Aussie mate!
Look it even has a joey. Love it.
There are only 2, that's right 2 Bentley Continental T cars in Australia. And this one is for sale. If you want it, here is your opportunity.
Asking price is of $165,000 which I think is amazing value
here.
So you like the Bentley Continental body shape, but what you really want is wind in your hair?
Well the obvious answer is the Bentley Azure!
The Bentley Azure was design in conjunction with Pininfarina and is certainly a great convertible.
This one is a 1996 version and has travelled 12,300kms. Not much considering the size of the country.
As this is a standard Azure, and not a Azure Le mans, or a Azure Mulliner or Final Series, a total of 1098 Bentley Azure cars were made.
Thus making this car the most common of the bunch listed here for sale in Australia at the moment.
I am not sure how many Bentley Azure cars came to Australia from 1995 to 2002 but if there were more than say 25 I would be quite surprised. But there could be. You never quite know what Queenslanders buy.
This one is for sale in Perth with an asking price of $215,000
here.
And the final car in the Bentley Continental range? Oh yes the rarest of them all, the amazing Bentley Continental SC.
Wow.
The Bentley Continental Sedanca Coupé down under. Made on the Bentley Continental T chassis with a Sedanca Coupé body it is certainly right up there in Bentley collector cars from this period.
Actually, why hold back. The Bentley Continental SC it is the most collectable Bentley from this period.
There were only 79 made. Of those, not that many were made in right hand drive.
There is only one Bentley Continental SC in Australia. It has been previously spotted
here.
This one SCBZZ23C1WCH65004 was first registered in Australia 2000 after being made in 1998. It spent its first couple of years touring the world motor show circuit.
Talk about a rare opportunity to purchase a great Bentley! It has travelled 23,000kms.
The Bentley Continental SC cost around $AU 1 million when new, and has an asking price of $349,000
here.
So in summary Aussie Bentley collectors:
Bentley Continental R Mulliner2003 model - 6000kms
131 made between 1999-2002
Presume about a handful or less in Australia
asking $295,000
Bentley Continental T1998 model - 60,850kms
322 made between 1996 - 2002
Only 2 in Australia
asking $165,000
Bentley Azure1996 model - 12,300kms
1098 made between 1995 - 2002
Guess about 25ish in Australia
asking $215,000
Bentley Continental SC1998 model - 23,000kms
79 made between 1998 - 2000
only 1 in Australia
asking $349,000
Want to spend $1 million today? Buy them all.
Want to spend half a million today? Get the Bentley Continental T and the Bentley Continental SC.
If you get the Conti T and Conti SC you will then have the best collection of 1990s Bentley cars in Australia. You will have the best collection of 1990s Bentley cars in Australia until you sell one of them or until the year 2028 when some cheeky person like myself will be legally allowed to import a Conti SC!
Go for it!
PS if you do buy them all, the next step would be to call up the Sultan of Brunei and ask nicely if you could buy his 4 door version of the Continental as well as his Estate or station wagon version of the Continental. See pictures
here.
It never ends.
Labels: bentley spotting, Continental, Pininfarina
