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This is a beautiful example of the curvaceous and high performing 1997 Bentley Azure.  These were hand-built masterpieces with a total production of 130 LHD examples built through the year. The coachwork is pure Bentley but the convertible top modifications were from Pininfarina.  The Azure has a classical elegance that looks contemporary today. When new, this special-order motorcar is said to have had a retail price of about $339,000.

This Bentley is in nice overall condition, belying the fact that its 23 years old and having covered a mere 49,600 miles. It has lived most of its life in Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington and Texas, and has been regularly serviced and well maintained (documented mainly through CARFAX reports and our inspection).  It was ordered new by Lauderdale Imports Ltd. and ordered on March 27th, 1996 and purchased by Larry Schubert on November 4, 1996.  This Bentleys present owner is an RROC member and has enjoyed it for the past three years.

The livery is striking in Masons Black, being accented with a black Haartz cloth canvas convertible top and striking 17” Bentley five major spoke wheels with the Blue Bentley “B”s in the center caps.  These top-of-the-line convertibles express the workmanship of Bentley’s hand-crafted excellence.   The exterior paint is nearly perfect and a clear bra was added to the front fender tips. There is no evidence of any prior paint work and it is in remarkable condition today.  There is one very small blemish in the crease where the trunk lid meets the upper bumper, a photo of which is included in the photo gallery.

The interior is in very nice condition overall.  The Parchment leather with black piping is all original and in very nice to excellent condition.  The interior required minimal touchup of the leather, mainly from the seat belt area in the driver’s seat bolster.  The dash pads are also matching black leather and look excellent. The black Wilton wool carpet has black binding and the carpets are in very nice condition as well.  A complete set of the mouton sheepskin overlays are included and are in very nice condition along with a set of Bentley logoed daily mats.   All of the leather is soft and supple with minimal age-related creases. The interior shows typical wear for a 46,000 miles car.

The burr walnut veneers for the cap rails are in excellent condition with no cracks or fading.  The dash wood veneers are original and are in excellent condition.  The wood overall look as new.  This can be seen in the photo gallery.  This example is consistent with Bentley’s country club ambiance.

The true heart of the Continental R is the engine and drivetrain. The entire drivetrain is based on the Turbo R and it shared all of its components. Built with the venerable Bentley turbocharged 6.75 liter V8, this Bentley has the upgraded 385 bhp about 600 ft. lbs. of torque and incredible torque available at low RPMs. This provided the power to achieve 150 mph and a 0-60 mph time in just over 6 seconds. The power is transmitted through the tried and true GM 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission. And this performance is from a motorcar weighing nearly three tons!

We have service receipts showing that many of the common problem areas have been addressed.  The convertible top hoses and most of the important rubber items and hoses have been replaced during this time.  This Bentley comes complete with its owners’ manuals, two sets of keys, tools, safety equipment.  The Bentley has a set of correct Pirelli radials.  These Azures are sure to increase in value over time.

We completed a detailed inspection and found most everything to be in proper order. See the inspection report for details.  The speedometer does not work, but the odometer does.  We ran out of time to make the repair.  The estimate for repairing the speedometer is $500.  We ran a CARFAX and found it to be pretty detailed with no accidents or other issues.

This Bentley is ready to show, drive and enjoy. For more details and information please call or text Harry Clark at +1.602.245.7200 or email us at harry@classicpromenade.com. The Bentley is available for inspection at our Phoenix showroom.