Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The December Timed Online Auction on Wednesday the 18th of December, Online. Background:
Introduced at the New York Motor Show in April 2006, the Bentley Continental GT Convertible (or GTC) added a soft top option to the already successful Continental GT Coupé. The new Continental had been introduced as a more affordable Bentley range, while still preserving the exclusivity, luxury and - crucially – performance, which the Crewe marque had traditionally espoused. The Coupé had proved an immediate sales success, and the reaction to the new convertible promised much the same reception from potential buyers.
Since time immemorial, car manufacturers have struggled with slicing the top off their saloons and retaining a degree of stiffness and Bentley naturally encountered the same problem. Scuttle shake is not however what Bentley buyers pay for, so determined to engineer the most torsionally rigid open four-seater that money could buy, the Crewe manufacturer incorporated additional steel tubing within the newcomer's A-posts and windscreen frame, reinforced its sills and cross-braced the floorplan to a greater degree. The result was a class-leading 16, 595lb/ ft per degree, which was not far from the car's tin-topped sibling.
The Convertible utilised the same smooth, powerful, twin-turbocharged 6-litre W12 engine, Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive system, massive ABS-backed disc brakes, and sophisticated all-round independent air suspension.
Electro-hydraulically operated, the Bentley's luxuriously padded fabric roof not only stowed away neatly but provided almost limousine levels of refinement. Reputedly capable of over 190mph with the top down, the GTC featured two sturdy steel hoops concealed beneath its rear headrests, which could be deployed within fractions of a second if the onboard computer sensed an impending roll. Arguably more of a 2+2 than a true four-seater, the Bentley could raise or lower its hood at speeds of up to 20mph, always a bonus in capricious British weather conditions.
The Car:
First registered and supplied by Bentley Leicester in April 2007, this beautiful Bentley Continental GTC carries Silverlake Blue paint over Magnolia and Portofino leather interior, and a blue roof, all finished with Birds Eye maple wood.
The order form also carried a number of options at the time of build, namely: Power boot, matching boot carpet, aluminium fuel cap, 4-spoke hide steering wheel, and deep pile overmats.
The car presents in a condition that truly belies its miles and still oozes the luxury splendour for which it was designed.
Servicing has been cared for by a mixture of main agents and specialists. P&A Wood, for example, carried out work to the tune of £3, 000 during the pandemic. Supplied with a long MOT, valid until September 2025 and a full service, as carried out in October.
Summary:
Superb condition and freshly serviced. A refined drophead wafter.
Location: London
Seller: Trade
Photos: Professional
