Lot details

Registration No: MF52 CEN
Chassis No: SCBLC37F03CH09052
MOT: None

Purchased by the (late) vendor brand new from Bentley Manchester

Very low mileage with just c.19,000 miles from new

Offered as a 'garage find' following his passing two years ago, and while running and driving, requires recommissioning

Garaged and kept on trickle charge throughout its life

Offered with a large history file including the original purchase invoice

The Bentley Arnage and its Rolls-Royce sibling, the Silver Seraph, were phased in during the spring of 1998 as replacements for derivatives of the long-serving Bentley Mulsanne and Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. The bodies for the new cars were built at the Bentley factory in Crewe, while the engines were bought in. Initially available as a single model, the Arnage was powered by a DOHC 4.4-litre BMW engine force-fed by twin turbochargers. However, it was around this time that Bentley passed into the hands of the Volkswagen Group and Rolls-Royce was acquired by BMW. Not surprisingly, BMW declined to see a rival marque powered by one of its engines, so Volkswagen was forced to find an alternative powerplant for the Arnage. In fact, the company sourced two and created the option of the Arnage Red Label and Arnage Green Label. The Red Label was initially powered by a Cosworth-built version of Bentley's stalwart single-turbo OHV 6.75-litre V8, while the short-lived Green Label utilised a Bentley-modified version of the Arnage's original BMW unit. The Red label gave way to the Arnage R in 2002. In common with the long wheelbase RL launched the previous year, it was powered by a completely reworked version of Bentley's venerable 6.75-litre V8. Courtesy of Bosch Motronic engine management and a pair of Garrett T3 turbochargers, it produced 399bhp and a whopping 616lb-ft of torque.

There are garage finds and there are garage finds - any Bentley which is rediscovered after years stashed away is an exciting prospect, but when that Bentley is a highly original, low-mileage, one-owner car, it's surely even better. This 2002 Arnage R in Silver Pearl is all those things, and beneath the layer of dust it looks to be in fine shape.

It was purchased new by the late owner from Bentley Manchester for £147,913 and in 2004 it was fitted with a new engine by authorised dealership JCT, but it has mainly enjoyed a life of light use, with six services recorded prior to 2017, when it was laid up after just 19,000 miles. Since then, it has been permanently garaged and the battery has been kept on trickle-charge. Consequently, it fired up without difficulty when we took our photographs, although it goes without saying that basic recommissioning will be required before it can go back on the road.

Aside from being in lovely condition internally and externally, another highlight of the Bentley is its impressive history file which, among other things, includes the current V5C, many old MOTs, the original sales invoice and specification sheet, original sales literature, plus the owner's handbook, Quick Reference Guide, tracker pack and spare keys.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452