1981 Bentley Series T2

Finished in Caribbean Blue Metallic with a Luxan Beige leather interior, this 1981 Bentley T2 featured in the BBC sitcom White Gold between 2017 and 2019.

It’s been in the seller’s care since he bought it from Hanwells of London in July 2021, at which point the odometer read 82,051 miles. With a still-lowly 93,000 on the clock, BKD 378X’s last service was in July of this year.

The 11,000 miles he’s covered in the past five years tell a lovely story: He’s driven from Wiltshire to Yorkshire and back three times, a journey that revealed the T2 is still very comfortable and rewarding to drive, not least because of the wonderful conversations he’s had with folk along the way.

His affection for the Bentley shone in every sentence of our conversation with him, but then he has “never given any trouble” with it and has “just enjoyed it!” 

He’s also honest enough to admit that he’s not terribly mechanically minded, preferring to entrust maintenance to a specialist. However, he says he was so besotted that he used to set aside a day each month to clean it inside and out, that being his way of showing his faithful companion that he appreciated it.

Further proof of the seller’s fastidiousness comes via an advisory-free MoT plus a comprehensive condition report from a well-regarded specialist. Dated the 3rd of July 2026, this independent, third-party assessment of the Bentley’s condition should reassure potential bidders as to the quality of the car they’re bidding on.

Doesn’t it look magnificent? While the usual sober metallics suit the T2’s discreet lines very well, we think this one’s Caribbean Blue finish (paint code 9500683) looks even better.

Mind you, that presence is bolstered by the fact that it has had running repairs made to its bodywork over the years, all of which appear to have been carried out so well that we only became aware of the work having been done by reading the comprehensive paperwork that accompanies the car.

The chromework, which is extensive and contributes so much to the car’s considerable authority, is in a very good condition; with almost no tarnishing, pitting, or other signs of aging, your only job will be to maintain it.

Which would be to continue a tradition because this car has been very well looked after: The four headlamps were changed for new Cibie items in 2018, and the bulbs upgraded. This job set its then-owner back around £750 for parts and labour, but it was worth every penny as they worked even better than standard right up to the point the outers were again replaced in 2024.

It sits well too, with a perfectly judged stance that shows nicely even gaps between the top of each wheel and its respective wheelarch. Good gaps between the panels too, plus the sort of shine that only comes with decades of dedicated polishing.

The 15-inch wheels boast very good full-width chrome and body-coloured wheeltrims. The whitewall tyres are matching 235/70R15 Avon Turbosteels too, the very best possible tyre for a luxury motorcar like this.

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. 

There isn’t, therefore, too much to worry about. We spotted a chip on the leading edge of the bonnet; cracked paint on the nearside front wing near the windscreen plus bubbling on the bottom edge and a dink in the wheelarch; a scratch on the boot lid plus some chips; scratches to the offside rear wing and rust on the bottom edge; a chip on the leading edge of the offside rear door; chips on the trailing edge of the driver’s door; fine scratches to the rear bumper; and a scuff and a crack in the nearside rear corner of the bumper.

The Luxan Beige leather interior, trim code VM3234, was professionally re-Connolised in 2015 and 2016. The result is a pleasing interior that has just enough of a patina to give it the character we love but nowhere near enough to have you reach for your wallet to get it rejuvenated. 

Headrests were still a bit of a novelty back in the late seventies and early eighties, so the fact this T2 has them on its electrically-adjustable front seats makes it a bit of a rarity. So much so, in fact, that the seller tells us that it’ll cost you a solid four-figure sum to buy a pair. These ones were also upgraded in 2019, the ones that had been fitted a year earlier being exchanged for wider versions.

How’s that for fastidious?

And it continues because it’s got rear head restraints too, the dashboard lighting was professionally converted to blue LEDs in 2018, and the cruise control system was repaired two years ago. Hanwells also went through the air-conditioning system in 2024, so that still blows so cold that Our Man, who is notoriously hard to please, described it as working “beautifully”.

In fact, everything we tested worked as it should but then that won’t come as too much of a surprise, will it?

Nor will the fact that the extensive walnut veneer is both shiny and well-varnished. It is also free of chips, cracks, and other damage, including the elegant mirror frames that sit in either C-pillar.

You are unlikely to be surprised to see that the door apertures are all clean and the door lights all work either, nor by the presence of a set of very good blue overmats that protect the equally good carpets, or the taut, clean, and undamaged headlining.

The cabin is filled with glorious details like the height-adjustable armrests in the front doors, burr walnut picnic tables in the rear of the front seats, rear foot rests, slots to store cassette tapes in the centre console, and beautifully labelled switches and controls that still operate with a precision no touchscreen’s haptic feedback can ever hope to match.

A modern Alpine headunit has been neatly fitted beneath the factory original Blaupunkt that still sits in the dashboard.

If we’re being hyper-critical then the mirror glass fitted to the offside C-pillar is showing its age, the ashtray in the driver’s door is easing away from the walnut trim beneath it, the driver’s footwell has a modest amount of surface rust, and the carpet in the capacious boot has some stains on it.

(The latter, which the seller tells us is easily big enough to swallow a picnic table and chairs, also features the wonderfully-named ‘Lucas Pacemaker Battery’.)

The Bentley’s service history booklet and the invoices on file record the following from 1986 onwards:

• 12.09.1986 and 32,940 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 27.08.1987 and 36,126 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 23.08.1988 and 41,338 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 01.08.1990 and 47,747 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 23.08.1991 and 51,447 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 26.08.1992 and 54,422 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 21.09.2003 and 64,523 miles – service by Harvey Wash Ltd
• 18.05.2010 and (unknown) miles – service by E.R. Bauly (Engineering)
• 28.04.2011 and 68,215 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 23.10.2012 and 71,492 miles – new sparkplugs, rear pads, fresh brake fluid, and five litres of engine oil by Bramwells of London
• 15.12.2015 and 76,420 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 16.01.2018 and 77,178 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 30.01.2019 and 79,775 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 21.07.2021 and 82,051 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 16.07.2022 and 86,081 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 30.06.2023 and 88,525 miles – service by Hanwells of London
• 17.07.2025 and 91,530 miles – service by N Sandell plus much more at a cost of £6,489
• 07.07.2026 and 93,287 miles – service by N Sandell

The last two invoices from N Sandell, an independent Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialist, are worth examining in detail, not least because they tally more than £7,500 between them…

It also received new valve stem seals in 2013, and much more from folk like Hanwells of London and The Chelsea Workshop among others. The invoices are on file and some of ‘em are biggies, so why not sit back with a cuppa and revel in the completeness with which it’s been looked after?

Little surprise then that the test drive went very well, with the T2’s rack-and-pinion steering, simpler and tauter hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, and smaller steering wheel making themselves felt. Our Man also commented on the absence of the sort of knocks and rattles that are so ubiquitous on lesser examples as to be almost unremarkable. 

The video shows that the V8 starts well, with good oil pressure and a healthy charge to the battery, even at idle. It also revs with enthusiasm and an appealing exhaust note.

The engine and underbonnet area are both clean and well-ordered without being prissy. You could detail them further if that sort of thing makes you happy, but few would accuse you of being slovenly if you were to maintain them exactly as they are either.

This includes the underbonnet sound-deadening pads, which are in a very good condition.

Moving underneath, the Bentley’s floorpans appear to have been protected by a good coat of older underseal, although this has cracked and flaked away in a very few places to reveal rust spots. This appears to be superficial at present, although it would be as well to get this sorted out sooner rather than later. We also note a small oil leak when sat stationary for a day or 2. 

Everything else looks to be in good order, including the steel suspension and steering components, which, in the main, lack the usual veneer of surface corrosion. We also spotted a full-size spare wheel in a cradle.

Despite being exempt, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Bentley has an MoT certificate. Better still, it’s a long one and doesn’t expire until the end of July 2027.

The good news doesn’t end there either because it was also issued with no advisories – but then you have to go all the way back to 2015 to find an advisory, the ten tests it’s had since all being clear passes.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys.

The history file also includes expired MoT certificates, invoices for work and servicing over the years, and the Owner’s Handbook and wallet.

With guide price of between £18,000 and £23,000, the seller acknowledges that he’s going to take a hit since he bought it five years ago for almost £40,000.

Not that he’s too worried because he’s the sort of enthusiast who understands that every hobby has a cost and he doesn’t begrudge a penny, not even the £7,500 he’s spent on maintaining it, because it’s a good ‘un and he believes in the adage “buy once, cry once”.

You should too because the market is stuffed full of bodged examples that limp from one MoT to another, passing from one pair of hands to another in a desperate game of musical chairs – and you really don’t want to be left holding the wrong Bentley when the music stops.

This one is a pukka example though: It’s had the right money spent on the right things with the right people; regular readers will know that out in-house assessor is fastidious to a fault, so, when he describes a car as being “a REALLY nice example”, you should sit up and take note.

Still wavering? 

Our experience is that the best cars invariably come from the nicest people, so the fact the seller is such a lovely chap is also worth mentioning. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) 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’.