At $12,500, Is This 1988 Bentley Eight A Class-spanning Classic?

There are definite things nan British do amended than almost anyone other connected nan planet, and being snootily upper-crust is 1 of those things. Today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Bentley is an illustration of classical British upper-classiness. Let's spot if its value proves much proletarian.

In nan automotive world, nan resurrection of a moribund exemplary is rare, but not unheard of. That occurred successful 1963 erstwhile a posse of Studebaker dealers bought nan authorities and nan tooling to proceed accumulation of nan Avanti sports car aft Studebaker went belly up. After that, nan avant-garde Avanti went connected to bask a decades-long accumulation run. Time will show whether a akin early awaits nan Karma Revero, nan reborn type of a car initially sold arsenic nan Fisker Karma. 

The 2021 Karma Revero GT we looked astatine connected Monday didn't look to connection truthful agleam a early astatine its $42,500 asking price. That was contempt it being half what a caller 1 would group you back. Many of you besides praised nan car's wide bully looks successful nan comments. Unfortunately for nan seller, that wasn't compelling capable a combo, arsenic nan Revero fell successful a 72% 'No Dice' loss.

Yesterday's Revero mightiness beryllium 1 mentation of what modern luxury looks like, but successful nan past, that image was wholly different: much upright and starched-suited successful galore ways. The eventual realization of that old-school luxury thought was Great Britain's Rolls-Royce. For personification seeking a small athletics pinch their luxury, nan institution besides offered a lineup of Bentley models, which were near-copies but pinch a small much edge.

That was backmost successful nan day. Today, Rolls and Bentley person been divided for illustration formerly conjoined twins whisked disconnected to unrecorded pinch different foster families. Rolls-Royce is now portion of BMW's holdings, while Bentley leverages Volkswagen's in installments statement and parts bins. Back erstwhile this 1988 Bentley Eight rolled retired of nan Crewe Works successful Cheshire, nan 2 companies were one, and this Bentley, prevention for nan stately grille and badging, is precisely nan aforesaid arsenic nan Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit.

The Eight was introduced successful 1984 arsenic a lesser-specced and lower-priced replacement to nan modular Mulsanne. Initially, it was offered pinch cloth upholstery, less colour options, and non-antilock brakes. Both leather and ABS were added mid-way done nan model's eight-year accumulation run. 

This car has leather on pinch handsome walnut veneer connected nan dashboard and doorway caps. It besides has nan expected luxury features, specified arsenic automatic ambiance power and representation seats; however, according to nan ad, nan A/C is presently blowing lukewarm owed to a leak, and nan representation seats person forgotten their function. One different issue: nan odometer collapsed astatine 50,868 miles, pinch nan coming proprietor unaware of really galore miles nan car has genuinely done. It should besides beryllium noted that this car comes from nan unfortunate era earlier airbags and alternatively has nan crummy automatic enarthrosis belts that were a pre-airbag replacement for passive safety.

On nan positive side, nan interior looks to beryllium successful very bully information and comes pinch a group of 4 deep-pile Bentley-branded level mats. There's besides a group of unopened WeatherTech protective mats that will travel pinch nan car. It's a good-looking car connected nan outside, too. The stately achromatic overgarment still pops, and nan mill alloys look uncurbed. There is nary connection connected nan tires' age, but they don't look bad successful nan photos, either.

Per nan seller, this Bentley is mechanically sound, prevention for nan A/C and spot representation issues. Those mechanicals see nan iconic Rolls-Royce 6.75-liter V8, whose powerfulness nan institution ever described simply arsenic "adequate." In truth, nan motor makes location astir 230 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque successful this exemplary year's spec. 

That's backed up by a three-speed automatic originated from General Motors, which is arsenic elemental arsenic a pimple and astir apt nan easiest constituent connected nan car to work and maintain. In its favor, this car doesn't suffer from nan onerous complication of nan much caller VW-birthed Bentleys, making it a spot of a safer stake for a semipermanent narration that doesn't break nan bank.

More info successful nan ad: this is 1 of only 274 Eights built successful 1988 retired of a full accumulation of conscionable 1,736 successful all. It besides has what nan seller claims is simply a moving mobile telephone successful nan console, but that astir apt conscionable intends it lights up since immoderate web it would person erstwhile worked connected has agelong since been unopen down.

A cleanable title and existent Arizona registration complete nan image connected this Bentley. The seller boasts of nan car: "For an enthusiast aliases collector, you're not going to get a amended illustration for this price." We'll conscionable person to spot astir that.

The asking value for nan Eight is $12,500, and nan seller claims that pinch $4,000 to $8,000 more, nan car could easy beryllium worthy $30K. That seems for illustration wishful thinking, and speech from nan thought of driving a car pinch nonworking A/C during nan upcoming sadistic summertime heat, location doesn't look to beryllium immoderate request for specified an finance correct away.

What do you think? Does this stately saloon coming successful a mode that makes that $12,500 value tag look appealing? Or does this once-cheaper Bentley now request a overmuch cheaper value tag owing to its property and flaws?

You decide!

Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

H/T to Don R. for nan hookup!

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