1990 Bentley Turbo R

Finished in Royal Blue, as a 1990-model ‘G900 YJU’ benefits from the later car’s quad-headlamp setup, an anti-lock braking system, and Bosch fuel injection.

In need of some work, this one isn’t MoT’d, was written-off in 2006, and will need to be trailered away as the brakes don’t work: It is fair to say the winning bidder will face a few challenges – or opportunities for those of you whose resources are more practical than financial. 

To continue with the Turbo R’s positives – and there are many – the odometer reads just 64,000 miles, and has an interesting story behind it: the seller bought it, along with three other cars, in 2021 on behalf of a film producer who needed them for a project he was working on.

Sadly, the film never got made, and the seller has been left with the four cars, which he’s decided now need to be sold. 

They’ve all been kept on a trickle charger in dry storage for the past four years, and he tells us they’ve also had a heat cycle put through them now and then and moved regularly to stop the tyres squaring off. 

The Royal Blue coachwork is an attractive proposition, both in condition and hue. Sure, it is developing a bit of a patina, which we’ll discuss later, but overall, it presents well both in bodywork and paintwork. 

As you can see, it aligns well with good shutlines, ripple-free flanks, and an imperious-yet-roguish air, even now, helped by the quadruple round headlamps that help distinguish this later model from the earlier cars.

The slatted radiator grille is also straight and shiny, and the winged ‘B’ bonnet emblem is, like the rest of the badges, colourful and undamaged. The lamp lenses are free of sun-damage and cracks too, and the glazing is similarly free of damage. 

The Turbo R was also the first Bentley to be fitted with alloy wheels, which younger readers may find hard to believe, and these 17-inch jobbies are in fine fettle with no obvious scuffs or other kerbing damage. They sport good centre caps too, and are fitted with a matching set of Michelin Latitude Sport 3 tyres from 2016. All have good tread, including the (non-matching) spare that sits in a cradle under the boot.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

As for flaws, in addition to the usual stonechips along the lower edges, there is an orange scuff to the offside front corner, along with light scratches to the nearside front corner, both door mirror caps, both nearside doors, and the rear bumper.

The trim on the nearside rear corner has come adrift too, and there is light damage to the offside rear corner, including a dent and marks above and below the light cluster. There are also chips to the door edges, the rear screen is delaminating, and we spotted a small touch-up to the offside rear wheelarch.

More intrusive is the corrosion that has broken out on the lower nearside rear of the Bentley.

A machine polish should also remove most of the fine scratches that every car collects over the years due to enthusiastic washing and polishing.

Finally, if you’re after a quick, easy, and cheap win you could replace various rusty screws holding things like air vents in place. 

The interior is even better than that of the coachwork; while it might be starting to show its age, it remains in an impressively well-preserved condition. 

The combination of blue hide and red piping is unusual, but we think it stands out for all the right reasons, unlike, say, some of the weird colour options folk like Porsche was offering at the time.

The front seats, which are electrically operated and heated, are only very gently creased and don’t show any damage, not even colour loss, to their facings and their cushions are still pleasantly plump.

The front seats have their own armrests too, of course, and the tambour door opens to reveal a leather-lined wooden tray underneath.

As is usually the case, the rear seats are in an even better condition. Sculpted to fit two very comfortably, they could accommodate three at a pinch. Better though to pamper a pair and allow them to enjoy the vast central armrest that adds comfort.

Speaking of which, the rear-seat passengers can also enjoy matching footrests as well as a walnut picnic table apiece. There are also good-sized pockets in the back of the front seats, walnut-framed mirrors in the C-pillars, and huge chrome ashtrays in the doors.

The driver benefits from a simple-but-lovely leather-covered, three-spoke steering wheel, and comprehensive instrumentation that includes data on road- and engine speeds, distance covered, oil pressure, coolant and ambient temperatures, fuel level, time, and battery charge – as well as both town and country horns.

The carpets feature the same colour scheme – and the same impressive condition. 

The door cards are equally striking, the blue leather headlining is clean, taut, and free of damage, and even the top of the leather-covered dashboard is absent the sort of cracking and dehydration the sun can cause in even the most carefully curated examples. 

Of course, there are great slabs of walnut veneer too, plus some of the heaviest chrome controls of any era, and both materials are still in fine fettle with the veneer only showing a few light chips to some of its edges.

The boot is well-trimmed and clean, although the underside of the boot lid is missing its carpet. A hidden shelf holds the tool kit, and the Turbo R came from the factory with a battery cut-off switch.

The boot also contains a sub-woofer which plays through the Alpine DVD-player in the dashboard. The fold-out screen looks a bit out of place when it is deployed but the head unit is otherwise discreet.

As we mentioned earlier, the interior is in a very good condition overall so, there isn’t much to do. If you’re very fussy then you will have noticed that some of the carpet edges are frayed, and we picked up the fact that only the nearside rear electric window works.

A previous owner, who sold the car through us in 2021, is said to have spent around £5,000 in sorting out its mechanical foibles, and some of the receipts for this are in the history file. 

This was a few years ago though, and it hasn’t really been used since then – and few things are more detrimental to rubber seals and the like than inactivity.

It is, therefore, no surprise that our short test drive revealed brakes so poor that the Bentley will need to be trailered away; there is a warning light on the dashboard for low fluid, but it feels like the braking system will need more than merely topping up to regain its effectiveness.

Other mechanical and electrical issues include the engine, which idles high and smells like it is burning oil – but this then clears and runs fine after a while, so further investigation will be needed. Also, the electric mirrors don’t change position, some of the under bonnet wiring is missing connectors, and main beam on the headlamps doesn’t work.

That might sound like a daunting list but now would be a good time to remind you that a Turbo R is an analogue car, so you aren’t going to need a 17-year-old and a laptop to sort it out, just a decent tool kit and commonsense. 

With that out of the way it is worth taking the time to motivate yourself by watching the video, which shows the V8 engine starts well, even if it does sound like the exhaust system is blowing. 

No MoT tester has ever had cause to mention underbody corrosion, and a quick peek underneath suggests nothing has changed since the last ticket was issued.

The Bentley doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, the last having expired in June 2023. The previous four were issued with no advisories though, which is worth knowing. 

The recent Vehicle History Check shows it was a Cat C write-off in 2006, although we have no further details, and the history file contains some invoices from 2019-20, plus an expired MoT certificate from the same era.

Because the Turbo R will need to be collected on a car transporter or a trailer, it is being offered with no reserve.

This means it will be going to go to a new home after the very first bid has been placed, no matter how derisory that bid might be. 

It might even end up being the cheapest running Turbo R in the country.

Maybe. 

Either way, this example, one of the most iconic saloon cars of the late 20th century, is unlikely to break your heart. 

Or bankrupt you, because if it all goes wrong you could just sell it for spares.

But that would be a shame because it’s got plenty of life left in it, it just needs someone with fortitude to revive it – and, if you’ve a mind, its resurrection could be YouTube gold #justsaying.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £5,000 - £8,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.