2001 Bentley Arnage Le Mans

This car is offered from outside of the European Union. It has been imported under temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to Dutch import tax on top of the winning bid price (9%). Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% Dutch import tax plus 21% VAT on the hammer.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, as their proof of purchase.

This vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and the documented history available is limited to that displayed in our photography section.

We have not tried to drive the car, and cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

As CARS Europe BV is the guarantor of all customs duties and taxes for vehicles within Dutch customs bond, the car cannot be released to the buyer or transporter immediately after the sale. For all enquiries relating to Customs, please contact CARS Europe BV.

Purchases will only be released once cleared funds are received. All vehicles must be collected after the payment of funds. All storage charges must be paid in full prior to the vehicle’s collection or onward transportation.

Storage charges payment must be arranged with the storage company. Collection is strictly by appointment only.

Please send a booking email to the storage centre to ensure vehicle(s) are ready at time of collection. Photographic ID will be required at time of collection. If a third party is collecting for you, then written authorisation is required in advance from you and photographic ID of the third party is required at the time of collection. Collection either by buyer or third party is only possible for vehicles within customs bond if applicable import taxes paid are paid to import into country of bonded storage location.

As soon as The Market by Bonhams will receive your payment, The Market by Bonhams accounts service will inform the manager of the storage facility where your car(s) is stored: a release note will be sent to them.

CARS Europe BV will contact you just after the sale to confirm onward transport requirements. Direct contact at CARS for enquiries is as follows; Joanna Herlihy, +31 (0) 252 682 526, +44 7483 433912, joanna@carseurope.net.

STORAGE CHARGES - €30 + local VAT per motor car per day commencing from the sixth day following the auction end.

CUSTOMS CHARGES - €500 per motor car (plus applicable permanent import taxes from bond).

VIN: SCBLC31E61CX06781

Odometer: 2,318 km.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, the car comes with no history or service records.

With the proviso that it starts, but we haven’t tried to drive this car and can therefore only comment on its cosmetic condition, we think this LHD automatic 2001 Bentley Arnage Le Mans Series is an exceptional example of a rare model by one of the world’s great marques.

We believe it was bought new by a Kuwaiti customer for delivery to Geneva in 2001.

We know that it was bought by the vendor for his static display collection in 2014.

This is, in effect, a virtually brand-new car, having done little more than delivery kilometres since leaving the factory in 2001.

It is in extraordinary condition.

This car has barely made an impression on the odometer and looks and feels like a new vehicle.

It presents beautifully from each and every angle.

The ‘Sunset Red’ paintwork has plenty of shine and lustre to it and is pretty much flawless except for a scratch on the boot lid near the Bentley badge and another running up past the aerial.

The same is true of the bodywork, with no panels compromised by any indentations, bumps, nicks, chips or creases as far as we can see.

All shut lines and panel gaps are consistent and even.

All exterior trim is in excellent condition, as are the chrome, badging, lights, lenses and windows.

The wheels seem to be good all round.

There is really very little to fault with the exterior of this magnificent car.

The interior looks just as exceptional as the exterior.

The colour scheme is a combination of what Bentley describes as ‘Autumn’ leather upholstery, with light brown carpets and burr oak veneer.

It’s all very classy, very luxurious and in very good condition.

The two-tone leather seats are unmarked and uncreased – both front and back.

It looks like what it is – the interior of a car that’s hardly been used since it was purchased.

The steering wheel is fine, as is the gear selector, the door cards, the headlining, the carpets, the mats and all fixtures and fittings.

The carpets are thick enough to keep your ankles warm. The veneers on the dashboard, door cappings, centre console and inserts are glossy enough to use as a mirror.

The boot looks as unused and pristine as the rest of the car.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t tried to start the vehicle.

Everything looks almost showroom-fresh. There is no rust anywhere that we can see.

All visible exhaust, braking and suspension components are present, correct and apparently untroubled either by time or use.

Everything in the engine bay is in its right and proper place and appears to be clean and dry.

The car doesn’t come with any history or service record.

Any paperwork we have is photographed and displayed in the photo gallery. We do not have anything else. What you see in the photo gallery are photocopies.

It is very difficult to believe that this car was built in 2001. Everything about its condition - inside, outside and underneath - suggests that it’s a much newer vehicle.

It could be 21 weeks old, not 21 years.

It is in very good condition indeed.

Provided that the engine and mechanicals are as good as the rest of it, this car could well be one of the best-preserved examples of this rare and highly desirable Bentley Arnage Le Mans Series anywhere in the world.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of €25,000 - €50,000.