Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this Australian delivered 2002 Bentley Arnage Le Mans Series.

This car is one of only 153 examples ever produced and the second from last one built. It was delivered new through Bentley of Sydney to its first owner, Dr. John P Sheehy, on the 16th February 2002.

Whilst it is hard to see in the photos the colour of this car is actually a very dark metallic green called Midnight Emerald. It is absolutely STUNNING in the flesh! Depending on the light and at which angle you look at the car, the colour will change from a dark green metallic to almost black.

This car has had only three owners from new and it has always been well maintained by either Bentley dealers or marque specialists. There is a substantial history file with the car which documents the ownership and maintenance history.

The Second owner, who is a well known car tragic from Melbourne in Victoria acquired the car on the 5th July 2014 and an that time the odometer read 137,445km. His time with this wonderful Bentley lasted some eighteen months and just over 2,500 km.

The current and third owner acquired the car in January 2016 with 140,030km on the odometer. He has used the car sparingly in his ownership but did have some significant maintenance work carried out through his ownership.

In January 2016 as part of the deal to purchase of the car, Chequered Flag Motors in Melbourne, Victoria replaced the auto ride control unit, completed some suspension work which included replacing the left hand front suspension upper arm inner bushes, the right hand front lower ball joint and the left hand rear lower shock absorber joint boot. The air pipe and the air pump belt were also replaced and satnav screen cover was adjusted.

In 2021 significant work was completed by Bentley in Southport on the Gold Coast in Queensland. The owner had noticed a small coolant leak which resulted in the heads being removed from the engine and serviced. A new head gasket set was required. All of the cooling and fuel system hoses were replaced, new engine drive belts were installed and a new crank angle sensor was installed. Additionally, the front and rear suspension struts were removed and the insulators were replaced. At this time the odometer read 140,686 km.

In June 2023 at 141,290 km the car received its annual service from Bentley in Southport and in August 2024 at 141,433 km the engines ECU unit was replaced by Ferrari Gold Coast.

Today the odometer reads 141,713 km.

This car certainly has a presence and with a length of 5,390 mm (212.25 in) and a width of 2,125 mm (83.7 in) including door mirrors, this is definitely not a small car! The cars stance along with its aggressive look from the front, combining the mesh grill, the headlights, even the bumper are all subtle hints that this is not just another normal big sedan. This Bentley is a car that means business but in a very refined way.

At first glance from a few meters away the car looks black. However, from different angles and as you get closer you will start seeing the most magnificent dark metallic green. It is a very sophisticated colour for this car. Overall the paint on the car still presents very well. It has retained its high gloss and strong depth of colour. When you look close there are a few imperfections and a few small stone chips consistent with a car which is now 23 years old and has been used the way its makers intended. That said, its overall presentation is probably more consistent with car that has travelled 41,713 km rather than 141,713 km!

All the glass on the car is still in very good condition. The same can be said for all the lights and lenses. When you walk around the car you realise there is actually quite a bit of bright work. All of it, including the badges, is in a very good condition.

The wheels are in excellent condition with no sign of any curb rash. They are shod with Pirelli Scorpion Zero tyres, size 255/55 R18 all around. The front tyres are date stamped 4113 (week 41, 2013) and the rear tyres are date stamped 3511 (week 35, 2011). The tyres are still in a good condition but if the next owner wants to do some serious driving then they should be replaced based on age.

When you open the door there is only one word that describes the first impression. Luxury! The combination of the leather upholstery with just the right amount of timber is simply opulent. It is sophisticated without going over the top. The interior presents beautifully, essentially just the way it did when the car left the Crewe factory almost 25 years ago. There is just the slightest sign of wear and tear, but everything is just beautiful. The seats are still in excellent condition with no cracks or tears in the leather and as one might expect they are seriously comfortable and provide ample support. The rear seats appear to have been hardly used. The two timber tray tables are in excellent condition and present like new..

The dashboard presents well and all the instruments are clear and in good working order. The dark green instruments are a reference to Bentleys racing heritage and are a subtle reminder that this car is not just another Arnage. When you sit in the car there is a lot to take in. In fact, there is so much detail that on our first outing we were so engrossed we almost forget to take it out for a drive.!

Both the engine bay and the boot present well. The boot appears to have been hardly used.

The car starts easily, even from cold and immediately settles into a smooth idle. As one would expect from this kind of car, the engine is extremely quiet. We select D and gently drive it out of our showroom and onto the street. Whilst this is a big car, it does not feel like it when you are behind the wheel. Out on the road this car is an absolute delight to drive. The car weighs in at around 2.5 tonne, however, lie its size you dont feel it. The massive 6.75 litre engine pumps out an impressive 405 hp and with 835 nm of torque it is a real wolf in sheeps clothing. The car has a top speed limited to 250 km/hr and is capable of accelerating from 0 100 km/h in less than 7 seconds. Fortunately, the brakes are also up to the task and easily slow the car down quickly and in a straight line. What is also impressive are the gear changes, which are so smooth that you hardly feel them.

Accompanying the car is the complete set of books, including the service book, a 2002 Sydney street directory in a leather Bentley cover, a history file, spare wheel, tool kit and a jack.

What a car!

Highlights:

- An Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example.
- 1 of only 153 Bentley Arnage Le Mans built.
- Finished in the most stunning colour combination.
- Well maintained.
- A beautifully presented car.

Price $64,950.


Background:

The Bentley motor car company was founded back in 1919 by brothers W.O. and H.M. Bentley. The Bentley brothers were involved in the motor industry having acquired the agency to sell French built DFP (Doriot, Flandrin & Parant) cars in 1912, however, they desperately wanted to build their own cars. So that they did and the first Bentley motor car, being just a chassis with a dummy engine, was shown at the 1919 London Motor Show and in late 1921 the first production Bentleys were built and delivered to their new owners.

Bentley got the formula right and their cars proved to be luxurious, reliable and fast thus attracting buyers from the elite of society in period. The cars were also incredibly successful on the race track with Bentley achieving the ultimate success winning Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.

The difficult economic times in the late 1920s had a major impact on Bentley and they stopped motor racing soon after winning Le Mans in 1930 and ultimately fell into receivership in 1931. Rolls-Royce acquired the assets of Bentley in late 1931. In this period Bentley produced some fabulous motor cars including the 3 Litre, 4½ Litre, Blower Bentley, 6½ Litre and 8 Litre models that are all today highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors all over the world. The first new Bentley produced following Rolls Royces acquisition was the Bentley 3½ Litre which evolved into the Bentley 4¼ Litre. Bentleys of this era are also known as Derby Bentleys as they were built at Rolls Royces factory located in Derby in the north of England. Subsequent models included the Mark V, Mark VI and R-Type.

Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Cloud and the Bentley S-Type in 1955 and for the next eleven years these models were at the cornerstone of Rolls-Royce / Bentley production. The Silver Cloud / S-Type evolved through three major model iterations, being the Silver Cloud I / Bentley S1, Silver Cloud II / Bentley S2 and Silver Cloud III / Bentley S3 until superseded by the Silver Shadow / Bentley T-Series.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and Bentley S3 were introduced at the Paris Motors Show in October 1962. The most visible difference to their predecessors was the twin dual headlamps. The interior was also upgraded. The S3 received individual seats for the front passengers and leg room was increased for the passengers in the rear. The V8 engines had more power and there was a weight reduction of 100kg. The last iteration of the Silver Cloud and S-Type were very successful models for Rolls-Royce and they were sold to the rich and famous, including celebrates and movie starts. Many were chauffer driven.

In 1965 Bentley introduced a totally new car, the T-Series, which was a Bentley badged version of the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. The T-Series remained in production through until 1980 and 2,336 examples were built before it was superseded by the Bentley Mulsanne.

The Mulsanne was a significant car for Bentley. Whilst it was essentially a rebadged Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, Bentley starting building its own brand recognition with the introduction of the Brooklands version and in 1982 the Mulsanne Turbo. The Bentley Mulsanne remained in production until 1992 and a total of 2,019 were produced before it was superseded by the Bentley Brooklands and the Bentley Turbo R. The Brooklands and Turbo R models were successful for Bentley, remaining in production through until 1997 and 1999 respectively. Incredibly Bentley built 7,230 Turbo Rs.

In 1998 Bentley introduced the Arnage, which was the sister car of the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. It was the first entirely new design since 1980. The Arnage was powered by a BMW M62 V8 engine with a Cosworth engineered twin turbo. Throughout Bentley introduced a number of special or limited edition versions of the Arnage. Most notably, in 2001 Bentley introduced the Bentley Arnage Le Mans Series to celebrate Bentleys return to racing at Le Mans after 71 years. Only 153 examples were produced.