Bentley Eight Classic Cars for Sale

The Bentley Eight, which came out in 1984, was Bentley's entry-level model, made at their Crewe factory in the United Kingdom. Although this car clearly displayed the distinguishing features of the extremely upmarket brand, its price tag of under £50,000 ensured its high level of popularity at the time of production. Even though this was still considered quite an expense, it did put a piece of exclusive Bentley luxury into the hands of many who had previously never imagined this to be possible. The Bentley Eight was produced faithfully for eight years, and its manufacture came to a close in the new year of 1993.

Defining Features of the First Bentley Eight

The Bentley Eight was very much inspired by their very own, higher priced Mulsanne model. In terms of basic specs, the Bentley Eight was a 4-door saloon with a 6.75 litre Rolls Royce V8 engine, and an FR (front engine, rear wheel-drive) layout, meaning that the engine was at the front and the driving wheels were at the back. However, instead of the Mulsanne's vertical slats, this model had a wire mesh grille radiator on the outside. Internally, the Bentley Eight was initially upholstered in fabric, and it had a shorter central console than the Mulsanne, leaving it less well-equipped. It was such aspects that allowed it to be sold at a much lower price point than other Bentleys.

The Bentley Eight Improves With Age

In 1986, anti-lock brakes and fuel injection were added to the Bentley Eight, along with a leather interior. The next year, in 1987, power memory seats came along. In 1990, automatic ride height adjustment became a standard feature, while catalytic converters became an option on British models. However, this was not a new feature as such; car catalytic converters were already compulsory in a number of countries, and so, of course, when the Bentley Eight was sold on those markets, it, too, included this feature. Until August 1992, the Bentley Eight had a three speed automatic gearbox, although between August 1992 and January 1993, the last few Bentleys Eights were created with four speed transmission as well as high level brake lights.

The End of the Bentley Eight Era

Over its eight years of production, 1,736 units of the Bentley Eight were created. By this time, it had become so popular that it was being sold in the United Kingdom, all over Europe, and even in the USA. The Bentley Eight remains a sought after model with classic car lovers although it was discontinued in January 1993.