The simple fact that Queen Elizabeth II was a passenger at one point in this Bentley owned by the Duke of Devonshire should make it very appealing for certain bidders, or at least that’s what the folks from Silverstone Auctions believe.
If that is not enough, other notable passengers in the Duke’s Bentley were Sir John Betjeman, former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and Princesses Alexandra and Margaret.
This particular 1970 Bentley T1 was bought by the Duke of Devonshire in 1970. The car was ordered in Black Masons 501 with Beige VM 3234 interior and Cumberland Stone carpets.
Since then, the car is said to have covered 70,000 miles (112,654 kilometers) and was well maintained during its life. In 2012, for instance, maintenance receipts totaled £3,750 (€4,588) and included overhauling the brakes. According to the ad description, “mechanically the car is very good but the bodywork would benefit from some attention in places and a set of carpets would improve the interior.”
Current owner Leslie Bricusse, the English composer famous for writing the theme song to James Bond’s “Goldfinger”, is selling it due to lack of use. Powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine, the car is offered with no reserve at the May 24 auction taking place at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK.
The Bentley T-Series was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1965 to 1980 and was essentially a Bentley-badged version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
By Dan Mihalascu
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