BENTLEY AZURE

Introduced in 1995, the Bentley Azure was intended to reflect the standards set by the Bentley Continental Convertibles of the 1950s and 1960s as the silent sportscar. A luxury convertible to comfortably seat four adults, accommodate their luggage and hide an engine sufficiently powerful to propel the entire ensemble towards the horizon in a linear fashion, the Azure helped secure the Bentley brand for the future, emerging from amongst the coat tails of Rolls-Royce as an independent motorcar, hand-finished and superbly engineered to simply be the best.

It is not without exaggeration to claim that the success of the eye-wateringly expensive Azure and its Continental stablemates convinced Volkswagen that the double-winged badge had a future. Bentley’s early sporting heritage still burbled quietly during the decades that followed the pre-war take over by Rolls-Royce and the somewhat louche reputation held steady with those who preferred a cravat over a tightly knotted club tie. Tycoons, pop stars and lottery winners gravitated towards a Rolls but Bentley buyers remained loyal, wryly pocketing the £50 saving over a Silver Shadow, whilst appreciating the power of the later Turbo R and Continental models. The Azure remains as one of the last pinnacles of true coachbuilt excellence, offering the very best of British, luxury, top-down motoring.

During the carve-up of Rolls-Royce and Bentley by BMW and Volkswagen in 1998, it is obvious that the Azure’s presence loomed over the 'People’s Car' maker who had long-term plans for Bentley that required the support of wealthy enthusiasts who happily embraced the re-emergence of the brand, regardless of the price. The first generation Azure, produced until 2003, totalled some 1,152 cars and was based on a platform dating back to 1980 and perhaps for the first time in automotive history, a 'foreign' manufacturer took a complicated and expensive British motorcar and improved the end product immeasurably.

Now based on the well proven Arnage platform, the 2006 launch of the second generation Azure was no mere facelift, but a complete engineering upgrade with even the stalwart 6.75-litre V8 adopting state of the art twin-turbochargers and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Those lab-coated boffins responsible for the car's quantum leap in performance could hardly be expected to foresee the risk to casually stowed linen jackets, as the new Azure reached 60mph, top down, in around 5.6 seconds. Not bad for a car that weighed the same as a contemporary Range Rover.

With a base price that is the equivalent of £356,000 today, this Azure was one of just 20 right-hand drive examples produced in 2007 from a total worldwide production of 716 cars, of which only 131 were in right-hand drive. Specified in rare Sequin Blue, it was supplied new on 1st March by Jack Barclay of Mayfair to the first of just three former keepers.

The interior is classic Bentley featuring Oatmeal leather with Beluga Blue accents, gleaming Burr Oak veneers and the milled switchgear and chrome dials so reminiscent of the Art Deco salons enjoyed by the vacationing aristocrats of the W.O. era of Bentley owners. The list of driver comforts is extensive and includes twin cup holders in the front console, a nod perhaps to the twin drinks cabinets often present in older Bentley convertibles.

A motorcar that repays diligent maintenance with a sublime driving experience, the high performance engine and precision auxiliaries have been meticulously looked after from new. The detailed history file reflects the maintenance of most Bentleys of this period, namely initial main dealer servicing with later attention by established specialists. Most recently serviced in March 2025, the car has an exemplary MOT history and the most recent certificate is valid until 19th January 2026.

We note that only two other convertible motorcars come close to this Azure, the Rolls-Royce Dawn and Phantom DHC. So at a third of the price of the Dawn and a fifth of the Phantom, the smart money is on the Azure with its modern styling, refinement and (relative) modesty. Offered to auction as perhaps the lowest mileage example currently available with just 6,161 miles, at the time of cataloguing, we commend this very special motorcar to the market.