Why are older Bentley cars so inexpensive? | FerrariChat

Why are older Bentley cars so inexpensive?

Discussion in 'British' started by GrigioGuy, Mar 20, 2004.

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  1. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    Nov 26, 2001
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    A random link the other day sent me to a Bentley enthusiast site. I was surprised to see that they depreciate so quickly. Any particular reason why? It seems a bit odd that you can pick up a 90s or earlier Bentley for as little as 30K. That's Honda territory these days.

    Are they just ridiculously expensive to maintain outside of the warranty period?

    Does anyone here own a Bentley T2 or newer? How's the ownership experience?
     
  2. Agent Smith

    Agent Smith Formula 3

    Apr 20, 2002
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    My best guess is the astronomical maintenance costs. Not to mention parts prices.
     
  3. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 20, 2004
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    I think they drop in value rapidly just like other large, nice cars like BMW 7 series or big Mercedes. I believe it is because, although these cars are very nice , they are not really enthusiast cars and don't have that pressure to keep the price up. I say that with no first hand knowledge as I have never had one (I rather have something sporty) but as an American I have a right to voice my totally baseless opinions!
     
  4. jordan747_400

    jordan747_400 F1 Veteran
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    LOL!

    You guys are also forgetting about the older Rolls Royces. Ive seen several ~1970 cars go for under 10k. Are they really that unreliable and expensive to maintain? Much more than Ferrari?
     
  5. LA Swede

    LA Swede Formula Junior

    Dec 5, 2003
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    some of the older Bentleys and Rolls Royces are really nice looking. I like the 50's and 60's style cars.
     
  6. WJHMH

    WJHMH Two Time F1 World Champ
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    You hit the nail on the head, Agent Smith.
     
  7. l'esecuzioneItaliana

    Jan 29, 2004
    166
    Maybe its because they were so ****ing ugly that no one would even take 'em. From 1970-1995 they are really cheap, but then like the 60's models(s2) are around $30,000-$50,000.
     
  8. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
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    Sep 18, 2002
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    Anything like a Bently or a Rolls is HUGE money to maintain. You think a Ferrari is expensive? Those things make them look like an economy car. These cars are crazy money to keep on the road. Also not to many independant shps will service them either because of the costs involved.
    I tried it, and beleive me everytime one of these things rolled into the shop I lost my shirt fixing it. Most of the problems were brake and suspension related. Horriable car to work on. Nothing but a tank. The engine seem to be very good though..but they do seem to like to pop head gaskets on the early 90's models.
     
  9. shmark

    shmark F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2003
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    I've wondered this too. My ideal garage includes a Turbo R parked next to the Ferrari, midnight blue/creme, what a car. I've seen them go as little as $25k for one with miles and from what I've hears, they benefit from being driven just like Ferraris. I want one!

    Mark
     
  10. jsa330

    jsa330 F1 Veteran
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    Depreciation on a new luxury car was a major factor in my decision to go for a desirable vintage car of comparatively modest price rather than a new loaded out BMW 330CI or Jaguar sedan. Choices narrowed down to 60's 4 seater Ferraris or Jag XK120, 140, or XKE. There was no actually no choosing to be done - I never even looked at any Jaguars.

    Our 96 Merc Grand Marquis and 99 Toyota 4Runner are excellent daily drivers.
     
  11. andrewg

    andrewg F1 Rookie
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    As well as the previous brake and suspension problems, they also rust like a 70's Fiat in spite of having several alloy panels on em. oh and with the factory suspension theyre pretty nasty to drive quickly (turbo R and continetal excluded)
     
  12. kenny

    kenny Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2003
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    Because they are so ludicrously expensive to repair and maintain, and only a handfull of mechanics who can work on one and fix a problem correctly the first time around..
     
  13. Klint

    Klint Karting

    Dec 7, 2003
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    It's not soo much mantinence and runnings costs but the fact that there is no second hand market for these cars once they are passed on from the first owner.

    Think about it, the Rolls Royce Phantom, 230,000GBP base price New.

    Will someone like to buy a second hand one for 180,000GBP? In that price range there is a very very tiny market for second hand cars, flood it with a few hundred Phantoms then the chances of them all selling in that price range are ziltch, thus driving prices down and down.

    When buying such a vehicle new, you got to be able to afford the depreciation, not the running costs.
     
  14. Juice It

    Juice It F1 Rookie

    Sep 22, 2002
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    It isn't all that cheap when you compare it to another expensive luxury car of the same year. Say a 1990 Bentley R Turbo sold new for 130k (not sure of the price new) and a 750 il sold for 90k new. The 750 is now 10k and the Bentley is 40k. Seems cheap when you compare it to the cost of a new bentley but the same goes for all marques. A 1990 s600 benz sold new for 120k and now is probably worth 18k.
     
  15. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
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    Because the English built Bentleys and Rolls Royces are crap!!

    Before you buy one please ensure you have a good test drive. The Rolls Royce I drove is close to the worst car I have ever driven. Great to sit in, lovely power buy show it a corner and they are pathetic.

    The engineering is a joke and this makes maintenance unbelievably difficult and time consuming and just plain stupid. My father repeared this car for a friend and had to borrow many special tools and use torque settings that are way higher than needs for a 'simple' car to work.

    Rolls Royce and thus Bentley (they were the same under the skin until recently ... unless you go back to the 30's) are way over engineered rubbish. Their are many American and German cars that are better cars and engineered as though they are a car NOT the Concorde!

    It is a very sad state of affairs that these companies that started out as some of the leaders of the auto industry allowed themselves to get confused about what a car is and ended up building the most old fashioned ineffective crap ... just sad.

    Pete
     
  16. Tyler

    Tyler F1 Rookie

    Dec 19, 2001
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    Everyone here is right, it's the cost to maintain them. The newer ones are a whole different world, much, much more reliable than the older ones. Good examples are hard to find and the combination of cheap entry price and buyers with short money lead to many cars with half-assed repairs and shoddy attempts at re-engineering things.

    IF, and I do mean IF, you can find a perfect example of an older model, they are quite pleasant to cruise around in. Handle in the corners? Not on your life, but then again, who wants to upset the passengers cocktails with those kind of antics? These cars were made for leisurely cruising. Sit down, kick back, light a cigar, and cruise. :)
     
  17. stephens

    stephens F1 Rookie
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    Do not confuse Bentley and RR, I had both a modified 750iL and Bentley Turbo R in '96. The Turbo R leaves the BMW for dead in handling, balance and performance. The biggest problem with the Bentley was brakes. The Turbo R eats them with a passion and they were around 5K a pop to replace. I went through two sets over 12 months. Other than that it was just fuel and normal servicing. There are many non authorised specialists, like with Ferrari, who know the cars well and can look after them with reasonable costs.
     
  18. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

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    The Bentley Turbo R was designed or improved by an ex-Ford engineer I believe when he joined Bentley, and together they created a great car. Every other model handles just as poorly as a RR.

    You can buy handling kits for them ... but why bother, there are heaps better cars out there that go around corners, and there are better couches to sit in too ;)

    Pete
     
  19. stephens

    stephens F1 Rookie
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    But none with the presence of the Bentley :)
     

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