Late 1970's bentley Spotting

Late 1978 (or '79 - I didn't date the article), I came across this in The Autocar or Motor (again, I wasn't a terribly well organised teenager). It's an article about the only Bentley T Pininfarina ever built. The car was for sale at 225,000 Pounds Sterling. A lot of money for a ten year old car- a new Camargue was less than a quarter of that back then. It had been mildly updated by the owner, replacing the chrome bumpers with the current series II rubber bumpers and also a few series II mods.

From BENTLEY SPOTTING

I was going to be in London the week the magazine was on sale, so the day I arrived I went to H.R.Owens showroom to photograph this rare car. Well, the car wasn't there anymore as the owner had decided not to sell it . I was dissapointed, and upon telling the doorman at the showroom (yes, they had those back then) he proceeded to give me the owner's address where the car was garaged - just around the corner in Mayfair.
Off I went and rang the doorbell.

No relply. I tried again, yet still no reply.

I sighed , and set off to take photos of the 'ordinary' RR's & B's on the streets of London, and never thought about it again.

Thirty years later, in 2009, I'd booked a trip to Las Vegas and just the week before I was to go, I was looking at the 'Hemmings Motor News' website.

To my surprise, I came across the 1968 Bentley T1 Pininfarina Coupe Speciale for sale in, of all places, Las Vegas.

From BENTLEY SPOTTING

The first day in 'Vegas , I rushed off to the 'Imperial Palace Auto Collection' expecting it not be there anymore.

From David Irvine

But it was there, and I took lots of photos. Upon hearing my old story, one of the staff members (Tom) even let me open the door and climb inside. The price was 'only' $400,000 U.S.

From David Irvine

From David Irvine

A bargain compared to the price thirty years ago when you consider the Dollar value and inflation!

From David Irvine

(Posted by David Irvine)