I have been consistently amazed by how inexpensive relatively new RR's and Bentleys have sold for at the Barrett-Jackson auctions. While its difficult to determine their mechanical condition without inspecting in person, visually, they looked stunning. Each time one went across the block, the commentators would remark that the reason for their weak selling price was the cost of maintaining them. While they are beautifully built cars, and considering the labor and skill that goes into building them, they are quite a bargain. But the thought of having an accident in one, even a minor one, would break my heart. They are truly works of art, unlike MB or Audi's, which through fantastic cars, are, in my view, mass-produced machines.
Auctions are entertaining, but it's hard to imagine making such an investment without doing comprehensive research on the car going across the block... unless it was just a crazy good deal.
Man you got that car for a steal! Great color combination and I'm sure you'll have to put very little money in it since those motors are awesome. Nice wheels man and make status updates, interesting to see how much fun you'll have with it as time progresses.
I am fortunate to live in an area that has a Bentley Dealer nearby, as well as several European car mechanics. I've also found a Bentley/Rolls Royce specialist (former dealer technician). The cost will be several thousand dollars. I plan on creating a video that contains more details.
Great stuff. I choked on my morning cuppa when I saw my name pop up. Good on you. I hope you have much fun together. Do a road trip up to Northern Michigan in the Summer!
Hey just wanted to say thanks for sharing this experience with us, I find your videos really interesting. You've also given me new hope that I might actually be able to own a Bentley one day so that's nice :D
That sounds like a good price because your car is in such good condition and is a special edition. I have seen the prices all over the place in my searches. I find most of the Bentley's in my price range have terrible looking leather seats and interiors in general. I am also curious about the insurance cost. Is is significantly higher than a regular car in that price range?
I've seen some Arnages priced as low as $25k, but those tend to be well-worn. I am working on a video that explains the cost of insurance. I've managed to get a reasonable price on insurance.
Awesome stuff. Can't wait to see more. Do you have data where the Arnage/Silver Seraph prices ''bottom out'' at? I'm sure there are some rough examples out there.
I've seen some Arnages in the mid-20s, but I would stay away from those because they probably need $15k worth of work right away. My "data" is merely based on my own shopping experience.
I bought a Continental Flying Spur, seven years old with 65000 miles, and drove to Italy next day. We had a great holiday and did it the same next year. For the third year we went north to Sweden, another 2500 mile round trip. Good fun. Apart from tyres I've only had to pay for the usual annual service. I use my local Bentley dealer. It's about £1000 each year. I've had lesser cars like BMW and Mercedes Benz cost almost as much. Most people are very happy to see it and make warm comments. It's dark blue, so looks dignified and unobtrusive. It's poor on fuel but not as bad as a Range Rover, which is still the worlds best car, and anyway, we have two electric Renaults for day to day trips. They are quieter than the Bentley, though.
JoshsWorld.com I feel like you, rather pleased to be a custodian! Try - they have different characters. My dealer in Wales let me drive a V8 Flying Spur, a Mulsanne, and a Rolls Royce Wraith. Forty miles in each on the same afternoon. Quite different from each other. I was really pleased to get back into mine at the end of the day, so it helped me enormously to know which suited my frame, temperament, aesthetics and so on.
You saved it from the flood in Houston! Did you finance it or check for financing? I am wondering what the interest rate would be compared to new cars..
Hi, I am considering the purchase of a privately owned year 2000 Arnage Red Label with 3 owners, 85000 miles. But I’m really concerned about maintenance and repair costs and that is holding me back. Any advice ? Thanks
Ok ,You got me in your hand, I am now a fan.. I will keep watching.. When I purchased my 81 Silver Spur over 12 years ago, It cost me 8K in only 6 months so I had to sell it. When they picked it up, she was running like a new car,, hhhmmm I fix everything is why but could not take the chance of something else from wrong..
You put 8k into your car and then sell it on?! That's like pumping a ton of quarters into a slot machine and walking away because you didn't win! The next guy hits the jackpot with a primed machine!
Josh, Thanks! Great video- I am virtually the same scenario as you, but I have a 15 to 20 min commute, (in Dallas traffic!). Can you tell us who in Houston looked at the car for you? There seem to be quite a lot of cars down in the Houston area.
+angurisloud I drove down to inspect the car myself. The dealer let me put the car on a lift and thoroughly investigate it. There were no glaring issues, so after purchasing it, I brought it to my local specialist to go over it in finer detail.
Insurance is surprisingly affordable because this car qualified for collector car insurance. I will be posting a video that covers the insurance expense. I also have a road trip coming up so I will be able to give a good measure of the MPGs.
hey Josh...I got a line on a 2000 Arnage for 22,500 in west palm beach, Florida. I have been wanting to buy a Bentley for some time. It only has 35000 miles and is in good repair. What is your opinion? Color combination is black on black.
That price sounds attractive. Almost too attractive. If you are serious, I would definitely get a Pre-Purchase Inspection from a Bentley/Rolls Royce specialist. You can expect to pay around $200 - $500 for such a report. I prefer the later Arnage cars (2003+) because some of the mechanical issues (such as head gasket failures) had been addressed.
Very nice video. Thanks for all the info. Since you've probably done all the research on the Bentley, I just had a question. If I wanted to use a 2004 Bentley as a daily driver, what mileage on the odometer would indicate end of life. The reason I ask is that some of these luxury cars never seem to ever make it to 100,000 miles. Thanks in advance for your reply.
There are examples of cars lasting over 100k miles, and there are some that are dead before 30k. Just like any car, if you take care of it, it will serve you well. The cars are well-built. The real question is whether or not you want to continually pay the higher maintenance costs.
My understanding is that the 'T' is prone to a number of catastrophic failures, as was the original Red Label model. Unless you have extremely deep pockets, my advice is to go for the very first Arnage model, with the 4.4 BMW engine. It is reliable, easier to stop as lighter, slightly better on fuel, yet no less a car. I have owned a Red Label and a 4.4 (generically known as the Green Label) Arnage, and the Green Label has been by a mile the better (and cheaper) of the two to run.
A friend got me looking at Bentleys (CGT) for him & got me thinking. Your journey may be like I imagine mine would be. How was financing & insurance? (If you financed).
There are many financing companies that specialize in high-end and classic cars. The rates are a little higher than a regular auto loan, but you can also get longer terms. For insurance, I went with a classic car insurance company, and the coverage is cheaper than my 1997 Toyota 4Runner! I will be making a video about these topics in the future.
If you look at your car reflected in a window whilst driving too many times you can also look at your car going into the back of another one if you are not careful !
Yo Josh,...Tim again in Hurricane Alley(FL),....forgot to tell you what I gave for my 2003 Arnage R I found in Atlanta with only 23,000 miles. It's in absolutely pristine shape both inside and out, zero wear on carpeting, no stains, leather looks almost new,...still smells new inside! Near perfect Magnolia white paint with only 2 tiny tiny hardly noticeable very shallow dings, no paint chips at all,...everything shines under the hood as new, crazy good! Undercarriage shines as new also,...nothing rusted. I gave $46,500 for the car and she's a cream puff! The umbrellas were missing from the trunk and there was no remote for the stereo. Feel like I got a smoking deal considering the sticker price new in 2003 was $240K! :-0
Tim Richey No umbrellas?! Send it back! jk 😀 Sounds like it was well cared for and super low mileage. What's the mileage today? Hope you're enjoying driving it.
Josh,...think I've only put 800 miles on it so far,...I wanted to ensure the charcoal air filters(under hood along firewall)and the cabin air filters(under both sides of dash) were not dirty before going on a distant trip. Read on Bentley Forum that if these filters are dirty the AC blower motor could overheat and if it fails it requires removing the dash to replace the thing!,...can't imagine what that would cost,...possibly a small goat farm + arm & leg! :-0 Anyway, I ran across Sam Smyth's videos a few days ago on how to replace these very filters and I just 2 days ago pulled my filters to find them squeaky clean so it was obvious they were changed not long before I bought the car which was a relief since the OEM filters run around $600! Enjoy that T model,....can't imagine pulling more torque than my R(616 ft. lb),...that T has to be a rocket,...all the best Josh,...Tim
I owned a 2004 Bentley Arnage and it was an insane money pit. I paid $69,000 in 2010. There were only 24 of my Le Mans edition cars, but mine cost me $30,000 in the first 6 months. It was insane.
I have no idea. It was a 2004 Le Mans, like yours only 2004. Black, Black. It was 1 of 24, but only 1 of 6 that were black/black. Absolute disaster. Spent 3 months in the shop after i bought it. Bentley Newport Beach did the Pre-Purchase inspection and they fucked me. Found out the Service Manager at Bentley Newport Beach was the brother in law of the guy at EuroCar that sold it to me. Figure. When I traded it in on my 2010 Nissan GTR they found as many as 3 different accidents and different paint thickness. For sure it is one to stay away from.
Gordon Miller That's terrible. Sounds like you've got a solid ride now. 👍 If you ever come across that VIN (really just the last 2 digits), that would be invaluable to me as I am trying to keep an archive of those 24 cars.
I will look back and see. 54 cars in 27 years and the Arnage was a distant memory. The dealer told me that the 24 cars in 2004 were made up of 6 black/black, 6 black/grey, 6 silver/black and 6 silver/grey.
The Autotrader article led me here. Loved your writing, and the car is wonderful as well. Keep us updated.
Thanks! More videos coming soon...
I have been consistently amazed by how inexpensive relatively new RR's and Bentleys have sold for at the Barrett-Jackson auctions. While its difficult to determine their mechanical condition without inspecting in person, visually, they looked stunning. Each time one went across the block, the commentators would remark that the reason for their weak selling price was the cost of maintaining them.
While they are beautifully built cars, and considering the labor and skill that goes into building them, they are quite a bargain. But the thought of having an accident in one, even a minor one, would break my heart. They are truly works of art, unlike MB or Audi's, which through fantastic cars, are, in my view, mass-produced machines.
Auctions are entertaining, but it's hard to imagine making such an investment without doing comprehensive research on the car going across the block... unless it was just a crazy good deal.
I love the aranage classy look but also a sporty look I've always loved them the day they came out
Found you on AutoTrader, you're my new hero!
Beautiful car, really looking forward to your ownership experience. Thanks for letting us watch, two thumbs up.
I was looking at this car to purchase a while back and wow they came down big time. Good luck with it. It looks awesome
Oh cool. Were you looking at this exact one?
Cool hat! The purchase price is spot on for a good car. Look forward to more vids, pump them out.
great video and i think for the millage and the condition of the car you did good and can't wait for more videos :)
Man you got that car for a steal! Great color combination and I'm sure you'll have to put very little money in it since those motors are awesome.
Nice wheels man and make status updates, interesting to see how much fun you'll have with it as time progresses.
Thanks for the feedback! I've got lots of video updates planned. Stay tuned...
Josh, how much is the 60,000 mile service? And is that service price from the Bentley Dealer or a foreign car mechanic shop? Please inform.
I am fortunate to live in an area that has a Bentley Dealer nearby, as well as several European car mechanics. I've also found a Bentley/Rolls Royce specialist (former dealer technician). The cost will be several thousand dollars. I plan on creating a video that contains more details.
Great stuff. I choked on my morning cuppa when I saw my name pop up. Good on you. I hope you have much fun together. Do a road trip up to Northern Michigan in the Summer!
Ha! Yep- that's what it took to get you to subscribe... :) I do hope to do more road trips.
Hey just wanted to say thanks for sharing this experience with us, I find your videos really interesting. You've also given me new hope that I might actually be able to own a Bentley one day so that's nice :D
That sounds like a good price because your car is in such good condition and is a special edition. I have seen the prices all over the place in my searches. I find most of the Bentley's in my price range have terrible looking leather seats and interiors in general.
I am also curious about the insurance cost. Is is significantly higher than a regular car in that price range?
I've seen some Arnages priced as low as $25k, but those tend to be well-worn. I am working on a video that explains the cost of insurance. I've managed to get a reasonable price on insurance.
hope to see more real soon love the pumpkin video :) what is your fuel econ on the bentley ?? also you a member of the RROC ??
Awesome stuff. Can't wait to see more. Do you have data where the Arnage/Silver Seraph prices ''bottom out'' at? I'm sure there are some rough examples out there.
I've seen some Arnages in the mid-20s, but I would stay away from those because they probably need $15k worth of work right away. My "data" is merely based on my own shopping experience.
I bought a Continental Flying Spur, seven years old with 65000 miles, and drove to Italy next day. We had a great holiday and did it the same next year. For the third year we went north to Sweden, another 2500 mile round trip.
Good fun. Apart from tyres I've only had to pay for the usual annual service. I use my local Bentley dealer. It's about £1000 each year. I've had lesser cars like BMW and Mercedes Benz cost almost as much.
Most people are very happy to see it and make warm comments. It's dark blue, so looks dignified and unobtrusive.
It's poor on fuel but not as bad as a Range Rover, which is still the worlds best car, and anyway, we have two electric Renaults for day to day trips. They are quieter than the Bentley, though.
Amazing! Sounds like she's been a great car for you. Those are lovely machines. I might consider the Flying Spur next.
JoshsWorld.com I feel like you, rather pleased to be a custodian! Try - they have different characters. My dealer in Wales let me drive a V8 Flying Spur, a Mulsanne, and a Rolls Royce Wraith. Forty miles in each on the same afternoon. Quite different from each other. I was really pleased to get back into mine at the end of the day, so it helped me enormously to know which suited my frame, temperament, aesthetics and so on.
You saved it from the flood in Houston! Did you finance it or check for financing? I am wondering what the interest rate would be compared to new cars..
Nice, are you going to upgrade to flying spur or Gt they are going for a little more
This car is an upgrade over my 1997 Toyota 4Runner, so I am going to stick with this for a while. :)
+JoshsWorld.com Nice! i feel you man im in the market for one.. Sweet ride man!
Hi, I am considering the purchase of a privately owned year 2000 Arnage Red Label with 3 owners, 85000 miles. But I’m really concerned about maintenance and repair costs and that is holding me back. Any advice ? Thanks
If the car doesn't have a good service history, move on to the next one.
You did very well for price Sir.
I subscribe the vedios are honest.
Happy motoring Josh.
Ok ,You got me in your hand, I am now a fan.. I will keep watching.. When I purchased my 81 Silver Spur over 12 years ago, It cost me 8K in only 6 months so I had to sell it. When they picked it up, she was running like a new car,, hhhmmm I fix everything is why but could not take the chance of something else from wrong..
You put 8k into your car and then sell it on?! That's like pumping a ton of quarters into a slot machine and walking away because you didn't win! The next guy hits the jackpot with a primed machine!
Yes, I agree. I could not sell it if it was not running so I had to before something went out. I am still sick over it..
That administrative fee is mental! beautiful car though man, i think the price is quite reasonable for the quality. Look forward to more vids.
That is a bit ridiculous... I probably should have done a little more negotiating there.
Josh, Thanks! Great video- I am virtually the same scenario as you, but I have a 15 to 20
min commute, (in Dallas traffic!). Can you tell us who in Houston looked at the car for you? There seem to be quite a lot of cars down in the Houston area.
+angurisloud I drove down to inspect the car myself. The dealer let me put the car on a lift and thoroughly investigate it. There were no glaring issues, so after purchasing it, I brought it to my local specialist to go over it in finer detail.
Nice Bentley! What are you paying for insurance and are you getting the EPA mpg?
Insurance is surprisingly affordable because this car qualified for collector car insurance. I will be posting a video that covers the insurance expense. I also have a road trip coming up so I will be able to give a good measure of the MPGs.
hey Josh...I got a line on a 2000 Arnage for 22,500 in west palm beach, Florida. I have been wanting to buy a Bentley for some time. It only has 35000 miles and is in good repair. What is your opinion? Color combination is black on black.
That price sounds attractive. Almost too attractive. If you are serious, I would definitely get a Pre-Purchase Inspection from a Bentley/Rolls Royce specialist. You can expect to pay around $200 - $500 for such a report. I prefer the later Arnage cars (2003+) because some of the mechanical issues (such as head gasket failures) had been addressed.
Nice !
Very nice video. Thanks for all the info. Since you've probably done all the research on the Bentley, I just had a question. If I wanted to use a 2004 Bentley as a daily driver, what mileage on the odometer would indicate end of life. The reason I ask is that some of these luxury cars never seem to ever make it to 100,000 miles. Thanks in advance for your reply.
There are examples of cars lasting over 100k miles, and there are some that are dead before 30k. Just like any car, if you take care of it, it will serve you well. The cars are well-built. The real question is whether or not you want to continually pay the higher maintenance costs.
My understanding is that the 'T' is prone to a number of catastrophic failures, as was the original Red Label model. Unless you have extremely deep pockets, my advice is to go for the very first Arnage model, with the 4.4 BMW engine. It is reliable, easier to stop as lighter, slightly better on fuel, yet no less a car. I have owned a Red Label and a 4.4 (generically known as the Green Label) Arnage, and the Green Label has been by a mile the better (and cheaper) of the two to run.
tq for ur guide...i m really goin to be owning one of them with the help of u..
Thineshwar Bolt Excellent!
@Joshsworld.com Hey so at 49k, why didn't you go for the Flying Spur with the W12 TT? You could def get one sub50k
A friend got me looking at Bentleys (CGT) for him & got me thinking. Your journey may be like I imagine mine would be. How was financing & insurance? (If you financed).
There are many financing companies that specialize in high-end and classic cars. The rates are a little higher than a regular auto loan, but you can also get longer terms. For insurance, I went with a classic car insurance company, and the coverage is cheaper than my 1997 Toyota 4Runner! I will be making a video about these topics in the future.
If you look at your car reflected in a window whilst driving too many times you can also look at your car going into the back of another one if you are not careful !
Yo Josh,...Tim again in Hurricane Alley(FL),....forgot to tell you what I gave for my 2003 Arnage R I found in Atlanta with only 23,000 miles. It's in absolutely pristine shape both inside and out, zero wear on carpeting, no stains, leather looks almost new,...still smells new inside! Near perfect Magnolia white paint with only 2 tiny tiny hardly noticeable very shallow dings, no paint chips at all,...everything shines under the hood as new, crazy good! Undercarriage shines as new also,...nothing rusted. I gave $46,500 for the car and she's a cream puff! The umbrellas were missing from the trunk and there was no remote for the stereo. Feel like I got a smoking deal considering the sticker price new in 2003 was $240K! :-0
Tim Richey No umbrellas?! Send it back! jk 😀 Sounds like it was well cared for and super low mileage. What's the mileage today? Hope you're enjoying driving it.
Josh,...think I've only put 800 miles on it so far,...I wanted to ensure
the charcoal air filters(under hood along firewall)and the cabin air filters(under both sides of dash) were not dirty before going on a distant trip. Read on Bentley Forum that if these filters are dirty the AC blower motor could overheat and if it fails it requires removing the dash to replace the thing!,...can't imagine what that would cost,...possibly a small goat farm + arm & leg! :-0 Anyway, I ran across Sam Smyth's videos a few days ago on how to replace these very filters and I just 2 days ago pulled my filters to find them squeaky clean so it was obvious they were changed not long before I bought the car which was a relief since the OEM filters run around $600!
Enjoy that T model,....can't imagine pulling more torque than my R(616 ft. lb),...that T has to be a rocket,...all the best Josh,...Tim
I plan on making a video about the filters. $600 seems a bit high from what I've shopped.
I owned a 2004 Bentley Arnage and it was an insane money pit. I paid $69,000 in 2010. There were only 24 of my Le Mans edition cars, but mine cost me $30,000 in the first 6 months. It was insane.
+Gordon Miller Can you find the VIN of that car? I have some follow up questions.
I have no idea. It was a 2004 Le Mans, like yours only 2004. Black, Black. It was 1 of 24, but only 1 of 6 that were black/black. Absolute disaster. Spent 3 months in the shop after i bought it. Bentley Newport Beach did the Pre-Purchase inspection and they fucked me. Found out the Service Manager at Bentley Newport Beach was the brother in law of the guy at EuroCar that sold it to me. Figure. When I traded it in on my 2010 Nissan GTR they found as many as 3 different accidents and different paint thickness. For sure it is one to stay away from.
Gordon Miller That's terrible. Sounds like you've got a solid ride now. 👍 If you ever come across that VIN (really just the last 2 digits), that would be invaluable to me as I am trying to keep an archive of those 24 cars.
I will look back and see. 54 cars in 27 years and the Arnage was a distant memory. The dealer told me that the 24 cars in 2004 were made up of 6 black/black, 6 black/grey, 6 silver/black and 6 silver/grey.
Gordon Miller 54 cars in 27 years?! You're livin' well, brother!
Why didn't you pick the car up yourself? Would've been an epic road trip!
+HybridAero
It was cheap and easier to have it delivered. I took it on a road trip a couple months later... there's a video about it.
I have friends who bought cars out of state or country and they saved on shipping by driving.
OMG your in dallas!! same here, maybe ill see your car around
Sometimes I'm at Cars & Coffee... look for me there!
You mention the 60K service, is that the MILEAGE, or the COST? :-)
Ha! If the cost of the service is $60k, the car better be free!
subscribed for the Bentley
Another one used is POA(price on asking).
Good bargaining
Jealous, looking forward to more videos.
Sounds great to me
You should sell it to me.
Def didn't plateau
I think you overpaid by about $8,000 even in that condition