2005 Bentley Continental

With just one previous keeper, an unimpeachable service and MoT history, and just 35,000 miles on the clock, this gorgeous Moonbeam Silver Metallic Bentley Continental GT has been in the seller’s care since 2009.

This means that if you’re tired of looking at under-the-arches specials that’ve been limping from one MoT to the next for the past decade, the quality of this one is going to come as a very welcome treat - and, if that wasn’t enough, the owner is so confident of its quality he’s offering it with no reserve.

Yup, that’s right. ‘LF05 KPJ’, one of the very nicest examples we’ve seen for a long while, is going to sell from the very first bid.

What excuses does that leave you with for not buying the Continental GT you’ve always promised yourself?

The Moonbeam Silver Metallic coachwork is, as you’d expect, fabulous. With mm-perfect panel alignment, tight and consistent shutlines, and a complete absence of dents, dinks and other damage, we can’t recall seeing a better one.

This fastidious curation extends to the massive 19-inch alloy wheels, which are pretty much unmarked. They’re also fitted with a good set of matching Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tyres.

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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The badges and light lenses are practically flawless, which means there’s very little for the new owner to put right.

There is a tiny chip in the top left-hand corner of the windscreen and a small mark on the nearside rear wing immediately behind the passenger’s door.

That’s it.

The Beluga hide interior is just as impressive. Complemented by an engine-turned aluminium dashboard in addition to the usual walnut veneer and chrome, it’s as elegant as it is understated.

The electrically adjustable and heated front seats offer comfort and support in equal measure, not least because they also have a massage function; if Dear Diedre were a car seat, this is the one she’d be.

They’re also in great shape despite the passage of 18 years. They do have a few light creases but nothing more and they’re every bit as impressive now as they ever were.

The two rear seats are separated by an imposing walnut and leather armrest; while the Continental GT is very much a driver’s car, the passengers haven’t been neglected and all are cossetted in the Bentley tradition.

The extensive walnut veneer trim is in an excellent condition throughout. Bright and undamaged, the quality of the workmanship shines through, even now.

The headlining is also taut and undamaged, the door cards are clean and unsullied, and the instruments and controls are every bit as good as you’d hope; the Continental GT might have expanded Bentley production to new heights but examples like this remind us it wasn’t at the expense of quality.

An engine-turned aluminium dashboard and flappy paddles hint at the Bentley’s prodigious performance, while the Breitling clock reassures you that elegance has not been neglected.

The boot, which is home to the warning triangle and a space saver spare wheel as well as a natty soft case for a litre of engine oil and a battery conditioner, is as well trimmed as everywhere else.

Flaws are few. There are a few small dimples in the leather of the driver’s seat and door card but that’s about it; if you didn’t know better you’d think it is three years old rather than almost twenty.

The engine and engine bay are a little grubby but nothing more. As for the underside, it’s solid, well maintained, and free of damage, which is exactly as it should be.

As you can see, it fires up immediately, settles into an instantaneous idle, revs beautifully and makes a wonderful exhaust note, all without so much as a flicker of a warning lights - and on a car like this, an illuminated warning light spells nothing but trouble, so their absence is reassuring.

Speaking of reassuring, the Bentley’s MoT certificate, which is valid until January 2024, was gained, like every single one bar 2016’s (“Offside Side repeater has light sources not illuminating, but not more than 50%”) with no advisories. How reassuring is that?

But then this is what happens when you look after a Continental GT properly. But, we hear you asking, what does “properly” actually mean?

It means this:

• 10.01.2023 and 34,907 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey

• 11.01.2022 and 33,715 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey including fresh brake fluid

• 10.02.2021 and 32,777 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey

• 21.02.2020 and 32,432 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey including an air-conditioning service

• 15.02.2019 and 31,919 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey including fresh brake fluid and new sparkplugs

• 23.02.2018 and 30,743 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey including rear tyre TPMS sensor replacement

• 17.02.2017 and 30,234 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey including air-conditioning service

• 19.02.2016 and 29,027 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey

• 23.02.2015 and 27,297 miles – service and MoT by Bentley Surrey plus new front brake discs and pads and an air-conditioning service

• 19.02.2014 and 26,274 miles – service and MoT by Broughtons of Surrey

• 22.02.2013 and 25,440 miles – service and MoT by Broughtons of Surrey

• 22.02.2012 and 23,921 miles – service and MoT by Broughtons of Surrey

• 22.02.2011 and 22,672 miles – service and MoT by Broughtons of Surrey

• 26.02.2010 and 21,588 miles – service and MoT by Broughtons of Surrey

• 03.03.2009 and 20,287 miles – service by Broughtons of Surrey

• 04.04.2008 and 13,075 miles – service by Broughtons of Surrey

• 12.04.2007 and 8,349 miles – service by Broughtons of Surrey

• 27.04.2006 and 3,904 miles – service by Broughtons of Surrey

• 19.05.2005 and 1,018 miles – service by Broughtons of Surrey

• 28.02.2005 and 16 miles – pre-delivery inspection by Broughtons of Surrey

And we’re not finished yet…

• 22.08.2023 - instrument cluster repair, including lifetime warranty, by Cartronix

• 24.02.2022 and 33,757 miles – all four TPMS sensors replaced by Bentley Surrey

• 11.01.2022 and 33,715 miles – battery and lock set replaced by Bentley Surrey

As you can see from the invoices, the owner has consistently paid for the extra warranty, so anything that ever needed doing was done as cost wasn’t an issue.

The recent Vehicle History Check is and the Continental comes with no fewer than three key fobs, the book pack and wallet,

The Bentley Continental GT’s combination of other-worldly luxury alongside a sure-footed chassis and intercontinental ballistic missile performance makes it a very seductive proposition.

And yet, few of us are daft enough to actually follow through, prudence and cowardice conspiring to steer us towards the mid-market Ford Focus that everyone buys because that’s the sensible solution.

But, sensible be damned because here is a Bentley Continental GT that appeals to the head AND the heart: It looks magnificent, has an interior to die for, and an impeccable service and MoT history.

And, its long-term ownership by a Bentley enthusiast – he’s got a classic Bentley to the same Black Label specification as this – means that if we were betting types, we’d put our money on a car exactly like this.

How much will you be gambling?

Probably less than you think because our best guess is that the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £20,000 and £25,000 but as it’s being offered with no reserve it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.