Winter is slowly knocking on the door and many are looking for a winter car. And not a few dream of an everyday vehicle that stands out from the tired monotony on the streets. Why not squint into the absolute luxury league and rave about a used luxury model? The VW Golf and Mercedes E-Class were the day before yesterday – there are also affordable luxury liners.
And that even applies to absolute luxury brands like Bentley or Rolls-Royce. The best example is the Bentley Continental GT Coupé, which shared a platform with the excellent but not very successful VW Phaeton in the early 2000s. At its time, the Continental was probably the best coupé money could buy in the world: luxury equipment, elegant design, 560 hp twelve-cylinder power and all-wheel drive. Even today, the Bentley Continental GT with its four-eye face looks anything but old. At that time, they sometimes cost 200,000 euros, but solid models from the first half of the 2000s on the used car market now start at less than 30,000 euros. But there is equipment that leaves nothing to be desired with air-conditioned leather armchairs, admittedly aged navigation and a top speed of 300 km / h. Well-maintained models with a mileage of less than 150,000 kilometers and no maintenance backlog are available for 25,000 to 30,000 euros. The four-door Continental Flying Spur variant offers the same luxury, more space and four doors mostly for a few thousand less and even a model in top condition from 2006 hardly costs 40,000 euros.
Especially with a luxury model, it’s not just about the equipment, color, previous owner or accident-free. The maintenance history makes the music, because a small repair quickly costs thousands of euros. If there is a defect in the automatic transmission of a Bentley Continental GT or the similarly elegant limousine brother Flying Spur, the variable all-wheel drive drips or the air suspension has a leak, it gets expensive – very expensive. If you are therefore unsure, you should take a few hundred euros into your hands when making an imminent purchase and have the potential garage growth put through its paces by a testing organization such as the TÜV, the ADAC or even a Bentley dealer. Then there will be no nasty surprises afterwards and the supposedly good purchase will not turn into a financial disaster.
However, the risk can be limited beforehand if the maintenance history is complete. If the service booklet or the correspondingly prescribed maintenance is missing, do not think twice and simply cancel it with the eloquent seller – there are other cars that come into question. The history is the be-all and end-all of a luxury model that was once so expensive, because anyone who did not look after it had good reasons for it that, as a subsequent owner, should not be paid for. The Bentley Continental does not have any real weak points. Due to the high engine output of over 500 hp, you should not only look at the all-wheel drive, but also the drive shafts, the chassis and especially the front suspension and steering.
If you want something more exclusive and you don’t want to change the country of manufacture of the dream car you want, then prospective buyers looking for a spectacular luxury model can also take a look at Rolls-Royce. The easiest way to find what you are looking for for manageable sums is in the league of classics. A legendary Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow from the 1970s is already available for well under 10,000 euros. But there is a silky engine run, 200 hp and a spectacular appearance on all sides with the best luxury sedan money could buy at the time. In contrast to the younger Bentley models, whose cheaper models on the used car market were often on the road as long-haul distance guzzlers, Rolls-Royce models such as Silver Shadow I or II are mostly on the road with fairly manageable mileage. Less than 100,000 or even 50,000 kilometers are not uncommon and the right-hand drive is usually set.
Even with such a classic, which in a solid condition from the late 1970s costs maybe 15,000 or 20,000 euros, you not only have to pay attention to the history, but especially to the technology. Many things can be repaired relatively easily and inexpensively due to the technology that has been installed for decades; however, many special parts are outrageously expensive and difficult to repair. If you are unsure, you should not necessarily stop by a Rolls-Royce dealer for a preliminary check, but rather look around for a workshop specialist for the British luxury brand when you are looking for a car. There is a lot of background information here, which you would otherwise have to spend a lot of time reading, and the workshop foreman often has a few customers in mind who are about to sell their Rolls-Royce. That saves money and a lot of nerves.
If you can’t warm up to the old Silver Shadows, you might consider a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit from the late 1980s. However, some repairs, especially on the chassis, electrics and drive, are more expensive here than with the classics. Or if you are interested in a luxury sedan like the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn; One of the last models at the end of the 1990s, before BMW took over the Rolls-Royce brand and redeveloped the vehicles on a different technical level. A well-tended Silver Dawn is rarely available, but sometimes for less than 35,000 euros. The luxury on board knows hardly any limits with an orgy in wood and leather. Mandatory: the 6.8 liter legendary engine.
I am a 24-year-old writer and journalist who has been working in the news industry for the past two years. I write primarily about market news, so if you’re looking for insights into what’s going on in the stock market or economic indicators, you’ve come to the right place. I also dabble in writing articles on lifestyle trends and pop culture news.
