1988 Bentley Eight

A dark green Bentley with a V8 and tan leather and wood veneers inside never disappoints, and this 1988 Eight is no exception. “Entry level” or not, the car conveys nothing but positive associations of wealth, refinement, and taste.

The auction example features a vertically slatted grille, though most Eights wore a wire mesh item from the factory. Correct Eight badging remains in place on the bootlid, and wheels are factory 15” items complete with center covers.

The delicate gold-colored coachline breaks up the car’s long flanks quite nicely, and hints at the light colored leather covering much of the cabin.

The interior is slathered with what looks like several acres of top-quality Connolly leather, including on the seats, door panels and dashboard, for starters. Likewise, hand-selected, hand-finished wood veneers and Wilton wool carpets further enhance the air of traditional luxury, and overall the cabin’s condition looks to be holding up quite well, just as with its exterior.

The Eight is powered by a 6.75 liter L-series Rolls-Royce/Bentley V8 with no turbo. Both RR and Bentley were still somewhat hush-hush when it came to power and torque ratings at the time, and while these cars were advertised as providing “adequate” thrust, actual figures are believed to have been in the range of 230 hp and nearly 400 lb-ft of torque.

This particular example appears to be all standard underneath its large, forward-tilting hood, and shows none of the wear to the green and yellow hydraulics info plate as is common in many.

The auction car is sold with limited historical documentation, though sale does include a clean Carfax detailing several servicings as well as long-term California registration

Big, cozy, green, and very, very British, there’s approximately two-and-a-half tons of car to love here.

Estimated $20,000 -$30,000.