BENTLEY MULSANNE S 4dr (1987)

Becoming affordable for your average pleb like me!

About ten years ago I got myself a 20 year old Mercedes, which had been top of the line in its day. It was kind of an impulse purchase, spurred in some ways by a recent divorce. I loved the look of it, but my ex would never have allowed such a thing! It was a risk but it really paid off. For about a thousand quid I got a car that would have cost a fortune new (or even second hand for many years), and it ran happily for ten years with minimal costs.

I saw the Bentley Mulsanne and knew that was my next step in owning a recent classic car. I'd already got a name for myself at work for being that guy with the old-but-classy car, so that was seamless enough. The Bentley Mulsanne has been everything I wanted it to be. I bought it six months ago for just over £7000. I say it was an impulse thing but I did shop around and found simliar vintage Bentley Mulsannes above and below this price.

It's been worth every last penny. The comfort is the first and for me the main thing that's so brilliant about it. Sumptuous doesn't begin to describe it, just layers of comfort on top of each other. The seats you just lean back endlessly into, wonderful feel to them, easily trumps my Merc.

The power is great too of course. Mine has done 130k miles but it's always been well serviced so it's really just still tight as a drum. I'm not a racer but it can REALLY move when it needs to.

The biggest problem, like all really big luxurious cars, is the fuel economy in the Bentley Mulsanne (or lack of). I have a fairly clear run at my commute, and I get in the mid 20s MPG, quite a bit less if I ever take it round town. I consider it fairly reasonable, although the rising cost of petrol is starting to tip the balance a bit. I may sell up in a couple of years, but I'll be sad to do so.