Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver March - April 2022

After a hugely enjoyable four years at the helm of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, the time has come to bid adieu. Yes, by the time you read this, I’ll have moved on to another title and will have said a fond farewell to the magazine that’s been such a major part of my life since 2018. And what a journey it’s been. You can read more about my experiences on page 98, the final editorial page of my final issue. I’m excited by my next challenge, but I’ll certainly miss the readers of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver – a group of real enthusiasts who have helped to make this such a rewarding experience. Rest assured, the magazine will be in very safe hands with its next editor – a true enthusiast who…

Figures released in January by both Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Bentley Motors show that each company smashed its own sales record last year, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global shortage of semiconductors. Britain’s two best-known luxury car brands saw an increase in demand, leading to a major boost in worldwide sales. It proved to be the most successful year in Rolls-Royce’s 117-year history, with volumes increasing 49% year-on-year. The company sold 5586 cars globally in 2021 – an increase of 1836 units compared with pandemic-affected 2020. It also represented an impressive 461 extra cars compared with the previous record set in 2019. Rolls-Royce says the sales volumes achieved in 2021 make it the “undisputed leader in the plus-€250,000 (£209,000) segment”, with growth said to be largely driven by…

For today’s first-time buyer of a classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley, there’s certainly no shortage of choice. From pre-war models to modern classics, there’s an abundance of options to suit most budgets. It is, however, when we start talking about finances that the restrictions start to kick in, as those potential buyers with the least amount to spend will inevitably have fewer choices. That, I’m afraid, is the reality of a classic market that has seen so much upward movement in recent years, as demand increases and specific models become more sought after. This is exactly what’s happened to the SY-generation cars, typified by the Silver Shadow and its Bentley T-series sibling. There was a time when perfectly decent examples could be picked up for a song; but as the worst cars…

SILVER SHADOW TRENDS The fact that the Silver Shadow is Rolls-Royce’s most prolific model means there’s never any shortage for sale at auction, with the UK sale conversion rate at ‘physical’ sales – as opposed to online ones – varying between 55% and 90%, according to Car & Classic (carandclassic.co.uk). Yet despite there being plenty of choice, the same sales specialist reports an upward trend in Silver Shadow prices achieved over the last year or so. The original British list price of the Silver Shadow at launch was £6557, which compares with an average paid in 2008 of less than £4000. The model then more than doubled in value by 2011 before settling at around £7000 in 2012. It’s now averaging £13,000 at UK auctions, according to Car & Classic. Looking at international…

Buying a classic that you haven’t even seen, let alone inspected at close quarters, is a potentially risky strategy. And when the car in question is a highly valuable Bentley R-Type Continental that’s situated 12,000 miles away in New Zealand, the risk is arguably even more acute. Nevertheless, when Gloucestershire-based Ian Owen decided to look for just such a vehicle to complement the S1 Continental he already owned, he wasn’t going to let something like geographical distance stand in his way. Ian has been the proud custodian of this fastback R-Type since 2010, when he took the plunge after several months of emailed discussion between him and its New Zealand owner, Jim Sawers. “It was the Bentley Continental specialist, Jeremy Padgett, who first introduced me to Jim,” explains Ian. “I was…

The R-Type Continental featured here was purchased brand new by Leon Hudson, born to a wealthy family in 1906. We’re grateful to Simon Topman, owner and managing director of of J. Hudson & Co, manufacturer of the ACME whistle, for the following information: The Hudsons were fiercely proud Brummies. They believed in selfsufficiency, prudence, saving and self-betterment. They believed Birmingham offered them this and was something of a paradise where the God of Opportunity had his temple. They were positive people with a positive outlook. This was Leon’s inheritance; this culture was his upbringing and the paradigm for his own persona. He was sent away to Wrekin College, an elite public school, where he boarded. He was the only generation of his family to have this kind of education and was imbued…