1998 Bentley Turbo RT Olympian

This is a 1998 Bentley Turbo RT Olympian by Mulliner, and is one of four examples produced during the final year of production, three of which were commissioned for Mayfair Bentley agents, Jack Barclay. But this one is unique, because it’s the only one commissioned by HR Owen. 

The Olympian was built by Bentley’s in house coachbuilders, Mulliner, and had literally hundreds of special features to make these rarest of motor cars truly unique. It is believed that only three Olympians are still in existence. The factory build sheets detail dozens of pages of special features that only these models had. 

(The personalized registration number you see here does not come with the car.)

As with all the Olympian cars, this example initially left the factory finished in Twilight Blue, and it’s understood to have been changed to the current Graphite Grey by the first owner – it’s believed that the car was sent back to the Bentley factory for this work to be carried out.

Some of the most notable features include a small Hooper style rear window, wrap around waist rails with hand painted coach lines, and HR Owen door tread plates.

There appears to be minor corrosion starting on the bodyshell where the bottom of the front offside sidelight unit meets the bodywork. It’s a very small area and dealt with now could well be an easy repair. Underneath this there is a paint scuff on the corner of the substantial front bumper. 

The offside rear bumper looks to have had a knock which has dislodged the bright trim strip from it.

There is the odd small mark in the paint showing the original blue colour but the huge chromed alloy wheels appear to be in good shape.

The ride height also looks good – these cars have self-levelling rear suspension which can sag over time leading to a nose-up stance, but this one sits level as it should.

This RT Olympian has a ruched leather interior in Darkest Grainy Blue leather with St James Red piping, Mulliner reading lamps and aluminium drilled pedals to set it aside from ‘ordinary’ Turbo Rs.

Lots of cars have leather interiors – you can get one in Ford Mondeo these days if that’s what you want, but it won’t look like this. Plush, thick Connolly hide like this is reserved for cars such as a Bentley, as well it should be. 

There are vast swathes of the stuff in here too – seats, dashtop, headlining, doorcards, gear selector (Bentleys don’t have anything as gauche as a knob), the sides of the imposing centre console, the steering wheel – it’s everywhere. The area covering the driver’s arm rest could do with some hide food because it’s developing a slight crack in the surface, but generally speaking the trim is in very good order.

Deep pile blue carpets compliment the hide, and the majority of the finely polished walnut trim also looks to be in lovely shape, although that surrounding the rear vanity mirrors is slightly degraded, and one of the door cappings has a mark where someone’s caught it with something that’s dinged the lacquer.

The cavernous boot looks to have been largely untroubled by kids’ muddy sports kits or trips to B&Q, and is very clean. It also boasts a fire extinguisher and two umbrellas, which together cover a multitude of emergencies.

Under the bonnet is the turbocharged 6.75-litre V8, which in this, the most powerful incarnation of the Turbo R, delivers more than 400 brake horsepower and 600 ft-lb of torque, propelling this two and a half tonne leviathon to 60 miles per hour in just 5.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 155mph. These cars are fitted with Bentleys big brake package, a limited slip differential and restricted lock steering rack. 

The under-bonnet area houses the famous and immensely long lived Rolls Royce/Bentley L-Series V8 (it was in production for a staggering 61 years), here in one of its most powerful forms. The engine bay is very smart, and this engine has had its head gaskets replaced recently – a known failure point on these cars.

This is because at some point Bentley started sourcing head gaskets from a new supplier, and the new parts weren’t up to spec. Worse still, you simply can’t tell whether they’re about to fail, as this can happen suddenly and with no warning. The only way to avoid this is to replace them.

The car was sold by HR Owen to its first owner in August 1998 for an eye watering £160,000, and was delivered to School Road, North Acton on December 1 1997. It has had four keepers since then. 

Maintenance has been carried out by Bentley Pulborough and Ghost Motor Works Ltd. Having now covered 71,000 miles the most recent work has included a full 24,000 mile service, all important replacement of the cylinder head gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets, new exhaust lock tabs, a new ram pipe to the head joints and plenum joints, water bypass joints and new O-rings, and replacement of the rocker cover gaskets. 

The engine oil, oil filter, spark plugs, antifreeze, and HT ignition leads have also been changed, along with the suspension system’s mineral oil. The current owner has spent around £20,000 on servicing and maintenance, and assures us the car is on the button and wants for nothing.

The brakes have been overhauled and discs and pads replaced in recent years. Offered with an impressive history file detailing the build and subsequent maintenance of this car throughout its life, the history file is also complete with original handbook, and past MoT test certificates. 

This car has had a lot of money lavished on its mechanical health, and as such we think it provides an excellent basis for an enthusiastic new owner to enjoy it and improve the small cosmetic niggles as and when time allows. With all the engine work and the healthy looking suspension it’s a car that’s ready to be used.

The RT Olympian is truly the rarest of all the SZ Bentley range, and we can find no evidence of any other RT Olympian having been offered for sale. This is a genuinely unique opportunely to acquire a piece of Bentley history, the last and rarest of all the true English Bentleys. 

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £35,000. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located in Sevenoaks, Kent. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our 'Frequently Asked Questions'.