Unveiled in 2003 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Continental GT was a different animal altogether, a world apart from its genteel predecessors, the Continental R and T models in terms of concept. Although much of the car is hand assembled, it is not a coach-built car but utilises modern production techniques, thereby considerably reducing the labour content and consequently the build cost. As a result, the price at launch was proportionately less than the Continental R (approximately half) and this immediately exposed the car to an entirely different and much wider customer base. The Crewe-built car's statistics were impressive with twin-turbo VAG 6.0-litre W12 engines, developed in the VW Phaeton and stillborn W12 sports car, producing 552 bhp and 479lb.ft of torque. This prodigious output was fed through a six-speed automatic box borrowed from the new Audi A8, and distributed by the Quattro four-wheel drive system. 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph were remarkable numbers for a car of this stature.

Introduced at the New York Motor Show in April 2006, the Bentley Continental GT Convertible (or GTC) also benefited from generally being considered affordable, even though it wasn't really, and also proved an immediate sales success. From time immemorial, car manufacturers have struggled with slicing the top off their saloons and retaining a degree of stiffness and Bentley naturally encountered the same problem. Determined to engineer the most torsionally rigid open four-seater that money could buy, the Crewe manufacturer incorporated additional steel tubing within the newcomer's A-posts and windscreen frame, reinforced its sills, and cross-braced the floorplan to a greater degree. The result was a class-leading 16,595 lb.ft per degree which was not far away from the car's tin-topped sibling. The Convertible utilised the same smooth powerful, twin-turbocharged, 6-litre W12 engine, Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive system, massive ABS-backed disc brakes, and sophisticated all-round independent air suspension. Electro-hydraulically operated, the Bentley's luxuriously padded fabric roof not only stowed away neatly but provided almost limousine levels of refinement. Reputedly capable of over 190 mph with the top down, the GTC featured two sturdy steel hoops concealed beneath its rear headrests which could be deployed within fractions of a second if the onboard computer sensed an impending roll. Arguably more of a 2+2 than a true four-seater, the Bentley could raise or lower its hood at speeds of up to 20 mph, which was handy, and quite good fun, in slow moving traffic.

This Continental GTC was specified new in the stylish colour combination of Dark Sapphire with a matching dark blue mohair power hood and Portland hide with a contrasting Nautic Blue secondary hide. Apart from the standard equipment and industry leading interior refinements, the car was optioned from new with a four-spoke, dual-tone leather trimmed steering wheel, Walnut veneers to the doors and rear quarters and power boot opening and closing. The car was supplied new by Bentley Hampshire and registered to the first of three former keepers on the 5th May 2007. Prior to our vendor’s purchase on the 4th October 2017, it was owned by a Lord Quarr and garaged at his country house.

The car was serviced annually by the supplying dealer, Bentley Hampshire, with the most recent conducted at our vendor’s local workshop by his trusted mechanic in April 2021. There are a total of 14 stamps in the service book, the indicated mileage, at the time of cataloguing, was some 42,000 and the advisory-free MOT is valid until the 26th January 2023. With a modest collection of classic Mercedes-Benz, our vendor regretfully offers the GTC to auction, conceding that his recent purchase of a 280SL Pagoda, from Silverstone Auctions, now serves as his open-top motorcar of choice when the sun shines. The car is supplied with both keys, the aforementioned service book, book-pack, recent invoices, its build sheet and the Swansea V5C.