1988 Bentley Eight

1988 Bentley Eight Sedan As an entry-level model, Bentley made some effort to distinguish the Eight from its more expensive brother. Primary among the changes were a mesh grille in place of the slats worn by the Mulsanne, as well as a lower level of power equipment. More of a corner carver than other offerings, the Eight also had a firmer suspension. Upon introduction, the Eight had a cloth interior, steel wheels, and a carburetor. That kept the price under 50,000 in the UK, which was important to portray its affordability to customers. Through 1985 there were no anti-lock brakes, 1986 saw the introduction of electronic fuel injection, and memory seats didnt appear until 1987. As the consigner states a lot of flash for a little cash! That would sum up this Bentley Eight offering from 1988. Very luxurious with leather, burl, Wilton carpeting, and a powerful 6.75 Liter V8. Surround yourself with luxury and have a look at how the other half lives on the road. Exterior Purchased from the original owner 12 years ago, our current consigner inherited a nice black painted exterior of this big car meant for shuttling folks to various locations in style. Essential late 1980s square and rectangle design, this car fits that bill and then some. Straight steel panels are covered with older black paint, which shows some areas of wear and scratching. The remainder of this luxurious automobile is adorned with shiny polished stainless and chrome trimmings. A nice big front grille surround leads it off and is flanked by dual rectangular headlights. 4 wide sweepers of doors allow easy access into the passenger compartment and sport all nice chrome trimmings and window surrounds. Bentley alloy wheels are on all 4 corners and wrapped with black wall bands. Interior Plenty of Camel colored leather, plenty of burl trimmings, plenty of luxury for this nicely preserved interior. Chromed panels house electric power option toggles on the door panels, and the central leather covered console with more toggles and controls. Nicely padded and full bucket chairs are upfront all bathed in more Camel leather and looking very clean and like new. A spacious rear bench is in back, and all this comfort floats in a sea of thick pile reddish brown carpeting from Wilton. Upfront the burl encrusted dash has all the instruments, margin lights and buttons and idols a 747 pilot would want to reach for. But alas its your Bentley, you are driving, so calm down! Climate controls and AM/FM/Cassette radio, power seats, power mirrors and windows and an ash receptacle and this is livin! Drivetrain Like lifting the hood in the showroom, the engine bay is immaculate. No corrosion, no rust, not even any dust here on the massive 6.75 liter V8 with EFI. A TH400 3-speed automatic is on back and power from this setup goes rearward to a 3.08 rear axle. Just a beautiful feat of engineering and use of limited space for this engine. Undercarriage Structurally sound underneath, we see only minor surface rust on the suspension. We note 4 wheel independent suspension along with 4 wheel power disc brakes. Dual exhaust snakes its way back from the engine and is quieted by a stock style muffler. All buttoned up spit spot down here! Drive-Ability As will all the special cars that come into our hallowed halls, this one got the treatment where we get in and make ourselves totally comfortable. Once this has been adjusted and achieved, we fire it up and go off to the test track. Here she performed beautifully, a wonderful ride, smooth acceleration from the 6.75 liter, and all functions were in working order during our test drive. All looking good on the body and interior fronts, and on the powertrain front. Some concern for that rear spring setup invasive rust which will need to be addressed before it becomes a structural ride problem. All else is just swimming wonderfully, and powering along the road in style is the code word for this 1988 Bentley Eight. VIN DECODE SCBZE02BXJCX23557 S-Europe C-United Kingdom B-Bentley ZE-Bentley Eight 02-6.75L V8 B-Manual Belts X-Check Digit J-1988 C-Crewe, England Assy Plant X23557-Sequential Unit Number