Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The January Timed Online Auction on Thursday the 30th of January, 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 Jack Barclay in May 2007, this beautiful Bentley Continental GTC carries triple Beluga Black for paint, hood and interior hide.
The original purchaser wasn't meek when they specified optional extras, with cross-stitching requested in Hotspur, along with a 4-spoke wood and guide steering wheel, lambswool rugs, massage seats, veneer door and rear quarter inserts, power boot opening, TV tuner & infotainment system, embossed 'Bentley' seat facings and a space-saver spare wheel.
The car's history backs up its extraordinarily low mileage, having covered an average of 2, 500 miles per year, still oozing the luxury splendour for which it was designed.
The car has an excellent history with 15 stamps in the book, mostly from main agents. Supplied freshly serviced, with a 12 month MOT.
Summary:
A very low-mileage example of one of Bentley's greatest hits. Presented with a fresh service and a fine history.
