Used car buying guide: Bentley Brooklands

On top of the launch price of £230,000 - £343,000 in today’s money - you could add plenty of pricey extras, including £2250 for the flying mascot on the bonnet, and £20,000 for carbon brakes. So it pays to study the spec of any intended purchase carefully. 

The model’s rarity and majesty have kept prices high today. Values seldom dip below £120,000, give or take for high or low mileage, which represents a £90,000 premium over similar-age Continental GTs from Bentley’s entry-model coupé range. The likes of the Brooklands will never be seen again, demand having shifted to luxurious SUVs. 

There have been many cars crafted by hand from expensive materials, but they’re often tucked away in dehumidified garages year round. 

The Brooklands, like its 1930s forebear, was designed to be used. It is a sumptuous grand tourer that looks its best when heroically fly-spattered, rather than pampered on a trailer. 

It was built for a world that no longer exists, using expertise and techniques that are being subsumed by automation. As a compelling expression of a bygone age, the Brooklands deserves to be celebrated. 

An owner’s view

Simon Mahony: “I used to own a Mulsanne, but I just saw the prices tumbling, so I replaced it with the Brooklands. I love its coupé styling. It’s just a wonderful car, quite sporty even. I’ve enjoyed taking it up to north-west Scotland, among other road trips. I have even seen 18mpg on long runs. Servicing costs are quite expensive. I take it to my local Bentley dealer, but you just have to accept it’s an expensive car to run. The only real problem I’ve had were the rear suspension dampers, which was not a cheap fix, but I’ve loved owning the car, nonetheless.”

Buyer beware 

Engine: The Brooklands’ engine never exceeds 4500rpm in normal use and few examples have covered mileage high enough to reveal problems with wear, but regular servicing is expensive. Bentley dealer Jack Barclay quotes £5000 for a full engine service and £1900 for an interim service. Independent Bentley specialist Mulsanne Motors quotes a more reasonable £1300 for an engine and gearbox service. 

Gearbox: The six-speed ZF 6HP26 gearbox appears to give little trouble. Although it was conceived as a ‘sealed-for-life’ unit, services should be carried out at least every 60,000 miles. Jack Barclay quotes £800 for the service on its own. 

Suspension: The car weighs 2650kg, so bushings are worked hard for a living and they cost in excess of £1000 for full replacements, not including labour. Listen for clunks or thumps over potholes. 

Interior: This should have been well cared for. Even high-mileage examples should look softly mellowed, not worn. Repairing any tears or damage may be costly, given the leather’s grain, colour and weight. 

Exterior: You need to watch out for kerbs in any 1900mm-wide car like this. Buckling isn’t a notable problem with the Brooklands, but replacement wheels are hard to come by and will be very expensive when you do. 

Brakes: They are kept busy stopping all that heft, but replacing steel discs and pads is reasonable: approximately £1000 at an independent specialist.

Also worth knowing 

A hand-built car like the Brooklands will never be cheap to run, be it singledigit fuel economy, top-bracket road tax or specialist servicing costs. Prospective buyers need to go in with their eyes open. Being a machine tailored to the tastes of its first owner, interior colours can be quite bold and finding your ideal spec may take time. 

With mileages almost exclusively below 35,000, prices are weighted more heavily on the car’s specification and condition than its mileage. The Brooklands name appeared in 1992 when it was used on the replacement for the Mulsanne and Eight saloons. In 1999, the Brooklands R was replaced by the Arnage – sibling to the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. Bentley developed the Arnage’s platform substantially to make this later Brooklands.

How much to spend 

£110,000-£119,999: Well-maintained cars with mileages between 20,000 and 40,000, advertised by prestige specialist dealers, very occasionally private sellers. Cars towards the lower end sometimes sport more arresting interior colour schemes.