Used car guide: the best second-hand Bentleys from £8000

And the rest was fabulous. When new, it was more powerful than the most powerful Ferrari on sale. Despite its size and weight, it would pop sub-5.0sec 0-60mph times and this, remember, is not the still more gutsy ‘Speed’ version we’re talking about, just the everyday standard product. 

Why are they so cheap today? Luxury saloons aren’t cool and never have been. Almost all made in reasonable numbers plummet in value and just because this one is a Bentley does not make it an exception. That, coupled with the fact that Bentley oversupplied the market with cars in the early years. 

But there’s nothing wrong with the car itself. They didn’t just look built to last, they really were, and come with remarkably few horror stories. The engines and transmissions are fairly bombproof if properly maintained, and a Spur will tolerate years of being taken for granted without turning into a sloppy, creaking and rattling shadow of its former self. 

A Spur is not for everyone and, even it’s for you, the usual caveats about known provenance and service history stand. But the very fact such a superbly crafted, astonishingly fast and amazingly robust car is available for so little money has to be good news; the added fact that it also happens to be a Bentley is perhaps what’s most incredible of all.

Here's some more flying B-badged gems you could pick from the classifieds:

Azure (2006-2009): The second-generation Azure may look a bit old hat with its land-yacht proportions and breeze-block styling. However, there are bits of carbonfibre in its construction (a first for a road-going Bentley) and it’s got a top speed of 174mph – provided that the roof is up. It’s rare, mind, with prices starting at £100,000. 

Turbo R (1985-1999): They might have been opulent, but the Rolls-derived Bentleys weren’t known for their sporting performance. Enter the turbocharged Mulsanne with formidable straight-line speed and, later, the magnificent Turbo R with a beefed-up suspension for more amiable cornering. Prices start at £10k and work up to £40k for the later ones. 

Mark VI (1946-1952): The 1946 Mk VI was a huge commercial success and Bentley enthusiasts loved them for the density of their engineering. It was the first complete car built at the Crewe factory, and so impressive that most customers went for the standard steel factory bodies rather than a coachbuilt one. Watch for rust, though, and you’ll need between £25k and £75k for one now. 

Brooklands (1993-1998; 2008-2011): Confusingly, there were two cars called Brooklands: one was a four-door 1990s saloon that offered nearly everything you could get from the Turbo R without, initially, the turbo; the second was an immense two-door, four-seat pillarless coupé (above) that shared much with the Arnage and the drop-top Azure. Buy the four-door for as little as £8k and the coupé for at least £100k more. 

‘Blower’ Bentley (1929-1931): Born out of a need to show the Mercedes rivals what for, the ‘Blower’ Bentley is a forced-induction, or ‘blown’, version of a 4.5-litre Bentley. The supercharger sits right out at the front and gives the car its distinctive shape. If you can find one of the 50 original production cars (excluding the five Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin race cars), be prepared to part with £4m-£5m.

S-Series (1955-1959): The S replaced the R-Type, not surprisingly, and was the last of the separate-chassis Bentleys. Wafting was now officially in. Based on the Silver Cloud, the initial 1955 S1 had an inline six and an auto ’box, the later S2 added a 6.2-litre V8 and the final S3 had quad headlights and a more sporting look. Pay £15k for a ratty one but nearer £50k for a good one. 

T-Series (1965-1980): The 1965 T-Series was a carbon copy of the Silver Shadow but sported a different grille. It was also the first production Bentley with a monocoque construction. It was barefaced luxury, with all the Roller’s roly-poly handling thrown in for good measure. All this wood and leather can be yours now for as little as £10k, but you’ll need to shop carefully. 

Arnage (1998-2009): Closely related to the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, the Arnage had a difficult first few years because of the tussle between Volkswagen and BMW for ownership of the two British brands. Early Green Label cars sport a turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 from BMW, while later Red Label examples have the venerable 6.75-litre V8. Plan on spending upwards of £16,000 for a good one.