1997 Bentley Continental R

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 (9%) on top of the winning bid price. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% Dutch import tax plus 21% VAT on the hammer. If exporting immediately to another country, then tax/duty will only be paid in that country.

The winning bidder will pay €500 customs charge on top of the ‘hammer’ price.

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

This vehicle has been on static display in the Middle East for a number of years and the only history or paperwork available is displayed in the photo gallery. In all cases the papers shown are photocopies unless otherwise stated. We do not have the original paperwork.

Unless otherwise stated, we have not tried to start or drive the car and cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. The car is not registered anywhere.

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 until full payment received.

All storage charges (€30 + local VAT per day commencing from the sixth day following the auction end) must be paid in full prior to the vehicle’s collection or onward transportation. Collection and viewings are strictly by appointment only.

Please send an 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.

CARS Europe BV will contact you after the balance payment is received to confirm onward transport requirements. For enquiries about import tax and shipping contact Madam Joanna Herlihy, +31 (0) 252 682 526, +44 7483 433912, [email protected].

VIN: SCBZB16C5VCX53444.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection of static display cars, this 1997 LHD auto Bentley Continental R comes with no history or service records beyond whatever is shown in the documents section.

We believe it entered the vendor’s collection in 2012.

The car doesn’t currently start or run, but we have been able to get power to the dashboard and can confirm that the odometer reads 85,606 kms.

As we haven’t started or driven the car, our appraisal of it is entirely based on its cosmetic appearance.

The car’s Mulliner Park Ward bodywork is in very decent condition, as is the vast expanse of cream paintwork, aside from one or two scuffs and scratches here and there.

The driver’s door can only be opened from the inside at present.

There are a few small scuffs in various places along the passenger side.

We think there’s a slight difference in paint tone between the driver’s door and the rest of the bodywork.

The rear light cluster on the passenger side is currently held in place with masking tape and will need re-attaching.

There is a piece of round rubber at the front of the roof above the windscreen, perhaps where a phone aerial was once situated. We don’t know.

The rubber trim around the rear screen is warped and lifting in places. It’s starting to do the same around the windscreen, but to a lesser extent.

The interior is authentic, largely intact and in pretty good condition, although it’s very much in need of a thorough clean everywhere you look.

The cream leather upholstery is good overall, both front and back.

The carpets in the driver’s footwell have been attacked by moths and their offspring.

They are rather better elsewhere.

The headlining is fine.

The centre front armrest is a little discoloured and slightly worn at the edges.

Part of the driver’s door card is missing – but you can find it in the passenger footwell.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t started or driven the car.

The clean, dry engine and engine bay look fine and the undersides of the car appear to have a reasonable amount of structural integrity, as far as we can tell.

This car comes with no history and no service records.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this.

No documents shown in the gallery in any way constitute any kind of licensing or registration certification unless otherwise stated.

These are rare, hand-built, exclusive machines and this one seems to have enough residual quality and condition to make it a potentially very rewarding buy - provided, of course, that the engine, electrics and mechanicals are amenable to recommissioning and as good as the rest of it.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of €20,000-€30,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in a bonded warehouse near Amsterdam. To arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.