Help me to decide which Bentley to buy please
Discussion
I am a wedding photographer and am expanding my company by starting a wedding car business. I am set on a Bentley but unsure on which to go for. I have it down to two:-
1994 Bentley Brooklands at £17k
1997 Bentley Turbo RL at £24k
Business wise the Brooklands makes sense as it is less expensive so I will get a better return initially. Both are a similar colour, interior and mileage and both from a dealer with warranty. The advantages of the Turbo R is that it is the long wheel base so more room for the wedding dress, it is a 1997 model so one of the last and specked quite well with electric rear reclining seats. I also think that the Turbo R may hold its value more. This is a for a long term purchase and for the car to be used to pay for itself and hopefully generate a little money as well to finance a second car and so on. I do like the idea of the better handling as well as I currently have a 911 and may use it for personal use on occasion. The £7k difference would be made up easily within a year and considering that I plan to have it for 10+ years this outwardly does not seem to be a problem. Brides do not really care if it is a Brooklands or a Turbo but I think they will love the extra room in the back.
Which would you go for? Is one far more expensive to service and get parts for than the other? I am guessing £4k a year for the Turbo R. Which is likely to hold it value longer and what were the prices of these 1 or 2 years ago?
Should I buy the Brooklands now at the lower cost and then buy a Turbo R later on, or go immediately for the Turbo with the larger leg room and a great selling point and thus likely to result in more sales? I don't think I will be in a position to purchase another car for about 4-5 years to add. I am guessing over this time the extra leg room would get me 7 or 8 more bookings a year and thus make up the £7k anyway.
Sorry if I have rambled a little here!
Thank you for your help.
1994 Bentley Brooklands at £17k
1997 Bentley Turbo RL at £24k
Business wise the Brooklands makes sense as it is less expensive so I will get a better return initially. Both are a similar colour, interior and mileage and both from a dealer with warranty. The advantages of the Turbo R is that it is the long wheel base so more room for the wedding dress, it is a 1997 model so one of the last and specked quite well with electric rear reclining seats. I also think that the Turbo R may hold its value more. This is a for a long term purchase and for the car to be used to pay for itself and hopefully generate a little money as well to finance a second car and so on. I do like the idea of the better handling as well as I currently have a 911 and may use it for personal use on occasion. The £7k difference would be made up easily within a year and considering that I plan to have it for 10+ years this outwardly does not seem to be a problem. Brides do not really care if it is a Brooklands or a Turbo but I think they will love the extra room in the back.
Which would you go for? Is one far more expensive to service and get parts for than the other? I am guessing £4k a year for the Turbo R. Which is likely to hold it value longer and what were the prices of these 1 or 2 years ago?
Should I buy the Brooklands now at the lower cost and then buy a Turbo R later on, or go immediately for the Turbo with the larger leg room and a great selling point and thus likely to result in more sales? I don't think I will be in a position to purchase another car for about 4-5 years to add. I am guessing over this time the extra leg room would get me 7 or 8 more bookings a year and thus make up the £7k anyway.
Sorry if I have rambled a little here!
Thank you for your help.
Edited by wineman02 on Sunday 30th August 08:54
Edited by wineman02 on Sunday 30th August 08:59
My 2 penneth........You seem like you prefer the later car, but are trying to justify the additional cost maybe?
The TurboR will be the more satisfying car to drive, but the Brooklands is more than adequate and not exactly slow either. The 97 model cars do have a few additional bits and bobs but nothing hugely significant.
I would advise going for a car with a pale interior magnolia, parchment etc, more attractive to look at and easier to sell come the time.
£4K per year to run........very sensible amount, given I would assume low mileage, I think there will be times you may only spend £1500 or even a bit less, providing you buy a good one to start with. Whichever car you buy, check it over for rust, and try and assertain the quality of the paintwork it has already had (which it will). They rust at the bottom of the wings, tops of the doors, around door handles, arouns the boot badges, arouns either screen, boonet edges.
The LWB car will be more suited to the job you have in mind, the standard car isnt quite as generous in the rear as you would imagine.
What colour scheme of cars are you looking at?
The TurboR will be the more satisfying car to drive, but the Brooklands is more than adequate and not exactly slow either. The 97 model cars do have a few additional bits and bobs but nothing hugely significant.
I would advise going for a car with a pale interior magnolia, parchment etc, more attractive to look at and easier to sell come the time.
£4K per year to run........very sensible amount, given I would assume low mileage, I think there will be times you may only spend £1500 or even a bit less, providing you buy a good one to start with. Whichever car you buy, check it over for rust, and try and assertain the quality of the paintwork it has already had (which it will). They rust at the bottom of the wings, tops of the doors, around door handles, arouns the boot badges, arouns either screen, boonet edges.
The LWB car will be more suited to the job you have in mind, the standard car isnt quite as generous in the rear as you would imagine.
What colour scheme of cars are you looking at?
Thanks for the reply. I am looking at a midnight blue with magnolia interior. A good combination I think. It has fsh, 50000 miles and is 24k. Do you think this is an ok price from a dealer with a warranty?
I am trying to justify going for the turbo thinking the ROI will be worth it with the extra benefits of the larger leg room being a good selling point.
Really appreciate your help.
I am trying to justify going for the turbo thinking the ROI will be worth it with the extra benefits of the larger leg room being a good selling point.
Really appreciate your help.
I have a 96 RL in navy blue with Magnolia which I use for my chauffeur car business. Bookings wise I get about a 4:1 ratio in favour of the Flying Spur but for some, the older car is unbeatable as a wedding carriage. Mine has the reclining seats and extra door veneers with matching pic nic tables. It really is a fantastic way to travel.
From experience with wedding dresses, you will need to have the extra 5 inches in the RL. Some brides inspect the car before a wedding, and if you display at wedding shows, some will be put off by the shorter car I'm sure.
A word of warning with these cars - mine was a good car, low miles etc, but I still spent over 10k sorting out the headgasket and saggy suspension!!
From experience with wedding dresses, you will need to have the extra 5 inches in the RL. Some brides inspect the car before a wedding, and if you display at wedding shows, some will be put off by the shorter car I'm sure.
A word of warning with these cars - mine was a good car, low miles etc, but I still spent over 10k sorting out the headgasket and saggy suspension!!
£24000 sounds rather expensive. There where a lot of 97 Turbos made and sold, so look around. For that money you should get a 98 Model Year RT which in my experience are better sellers, as they where the last of the ' old shape cars '. Brookland R Mulliner's are also good news as they where one of a hundred made, also LWB and a 325 bhp LPT engine.
For chauffeuring duties you want the car with goosefeathers in the suspension struts which here, is the less expensive car.
I remember being enormously impressed with a 96MY Brooklands which filled the interregnum between custody of an early RT loaner and an RT which was to follow as a keeper.
Similar logic existed between Arnage Rs and Ts; waft rather than crash, over them thar tarmac defects.
I remember being enormously impressed with a 96MY Brooklands which filled the interregnum between custody of an early RT loaner and an RT which was to follow as a keeper.
Similar logic existed between Arnage Rs and Ts; waft rather than crash, over them thar tarmac defects.
I have thought about a Spur but TBH I am not a Rolls Royce fan. I am a firm believer that you have to have passion to sell something and my passion is for a Bentley. I am going to go with a Brooklands (MY96+) and a S-Class Merc instead I think.
Although a business decision the Brooklands will replace my 911 so I need to love the car as well. I just don't feel anything for the RR's really.
Although a business decision the Brooklands will replace my 911 so I need to love the car as well. I just don't feel anything for the RR's really.
Couple of points. The 97 & 98 model year Silver Spur has the LPT 300 bhp engine fitted to the Brooklands and is a fantastic car to drive. Unfortunatly they are quite rare and fetch strong money but I think a good bet for keeping their value. The Flying B looks a little odd without the bonnet strip to go with it, which stopped being fitted from 93 MY onwards ( when the Brooklands was introduced ) I think you'll also find that they are illegal.
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