1987 Bentley Turbo
- Only 33,000 miles from new
- Stunning condition inside and out
- Sold new by Jack Barclay and offered with original books
- Up to two-year warranty available
| YEAR | 1987 |
| MAKE | Bentley |
| PRICE | POA |
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
This exquisite Bentley Turbo R has covered only 33,000 miles from new, and sitting behind the wheel still imparts the same sense of luxury and comfort as its first owner would have experienced in 1987.
First registered on 29 May that year and supplied by prestigious London dealer Jack Barclay– whose nameplate is still affixed to the sills – the Bentley blends old-school quality with features such as electric memory seats, cruise control and a Blaupunkt Toronto radio-cassette player.
Throughout the 1990s, the car was fastidiously maintained by Jack Barclay, and by the time it received an ‘A’ service there in April 1999, it had covered just over 15,000 miles. The history file includes a number of more recent invoices from the same company, as well as independent specialists. The car’s ownership history, meanwhile, ranges from Nigerian diplomat Phillip Asiodu – who owned it for many years – to motoring journalist Martin Buckley, who sold the Bentley to its current owner.
He kept it in a dehumidified environment as part of his cherished collection, with the result being that this Turbo R is now being offered for sale in exceptional condition throughout.
Presented in Deep Ocean Blue with a chromed radiator shell, it has considerable presence even at rest, and with its piped leather seats and lambswool overmats, it’s a very fine way to travel whether you’re sitting in the front or the back. With 328bhp on offer from its turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine, it perfectly embodies the blend of performance and quality that has always been a Bentley hallmark.
MODEL HISTORY
Introduced in 1985, the Bentley Turbo R was developed from the Mulsanne Turbo, which had been launched three years previously. The 298bhp V8 engine was carried over but – under the stewardship of Engineering Director Mike Dunn – the chassis was tightened up courtesy of stiffer anti-roll bars and firmer dampers, and a Panhard rod was added to the rearsubframe.
Its alloy wheels were a first for Bentley, and high-speed testing at Nardo in Italy led to a deeper front air dam being added in order to reduce drag and lift. Suspension was independent all round, with double wishbones at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. There was also automatic self-levelling at the rear.
The new model was an immediate hit, and in 1987 it was updated courtesy of a Bosch fuel-injection system, which replaced the previous carburettors. Power was increased to 328bhp, and while the robust three-speed GM400 automatic transmission was unchanged, other upgrades included the adoption of anti-lock brakes.
In 1987, the Bentley cost £79,000 at a time when the average UK house price was about £36,000, but Autocar magazine said that it was ‘beautifully built, with a skill and care greater than those lavished on genuine works of art.’ Despite the fact that it was a luxuriously appointed four-door saloon, it still recorded a 0-60mph time of 7.0 seconds and a top speed of 143mph.
The Mulsanne Turbo and Turbo R helped to reinvigorate Bentley during the 1980s and distanced the marque from its Rolls-Royce parent. As Autocar put it, Bentley was now the ‘enthusiast, high-performance partner’.