1988 BENTLEY EIGHT

Description

The Eight shared a lot of hardware with the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur. This is a massive car, make no mistake, but it hides its proportions well, and even nearly 30 years later, it still cuts a commanding swath through traffic. We'll wager you've never driven a car that makes people pay attention like this one does. Fit and finish are superb, as you'd expect, and that is as much due to the care it has received over the years as to the quality of the original workmanship. The rubber parts have not been ruined by UV rays and the lamps and lenses remain in excellent shape. Someone really loved this low-mileage Bentley.

There are old-world materials throughout, including leather that's impossibly soft and carpets that are so deep and plush that it feels like a crime to put your shoes on them. Fortunately, someone has added a set of color-coordinated mats. Everything that looks like wood really IS wood, and the chrome switchgear feels substantial when you use it. It's a remarkable feeling to close the massive doors on this car and feel almost complete isolation; there could be a bomb outside the door but you might not notice, it's so quite inside. Rear seat room is limousine-like and the controls are straightforward and easy to learn once you've spent some time behind the wheel. All the little toys work, including the button that switches the fuel gauge to an oil level gauge, the ice cold A/C, and all the power accessories. The GM-sourced AM/FM/cassette stereo is a bit of a bummer, but that's how it came and that's how it should remain. There's also a seriously huge trunk that's beautifully upholstered and includes a factory battery shut-off, just in case.

Rolls-Royce used a "six-and-three-quarter" liter V8 whose horsepower output was "adequate" and that's what you'll find in the Bentley as well. There's massive torque at any speed and adequate isn't quite the right word to describe the way all 6000 pounds of burgundy sedan lunges forward when you abuse the throttle. This Bentley doesn't mind playing a bit! It's well maintained and a fantastic runner, so no worries about deferred maintenance issues, and you can see just how clean it is under the hood. The transmission is actually a GM TH400 3-speed automatic, but the good news is that it's also bulletproof reliable and easy to repair. The all-independent suspension uses a self-leveling system and the brakes charge themselves each time you start the car, so watch the dashboard for the warning lights to go out before you set off. Big disc brakes live at each corner, hidden behind handsome alloy wheels and 235/70/15 Goodyear radials.