The scenario in which a customer asks for work to be performed on a high-end luxury vehicle and then effectively disappears when the invoice comes due is a more familiar scenario than you might think. Not only do these customers skip the payment aspect of the transaction, but they’ll even go one further and leave the vehicle on the property of whomever was working on it last. While this may seem like a fair trade, it’s actually a huge pain for the property owner. Regardless, the owner of this rare “Red Label” 2000 Bentley Arnage here on eBay is trying to recoup the loss of unpaid invoices.
The Arnage appears to have both cosmetic and mechanical issues based on the description, the latter of which have been addressed by the seller. The description states that the engine’s headgaskets were recently replaced, but the bodywork is not done. It’s not clear whether the seller is a British car specialist or a bodyshop (or some combination of both), but given this year of the Arnage returned to the Bentley-built powerplants (as opposed to the BMW mill from prior years, which offended the sensibilities of Bentley loyalists), one hopes a marque expert performed the work.
The in-progress bodywork above would suggest some level of accident repair was underway before the bills stopped being paid, but the seller doesn’t elaborate as to how it ended up there. The interior looks decent still, but the televisions mounted in the rear headrests suggests an owner who may have prioritized bling over mechanical integrity. The picnic tables are still in nice shape and the seats and carpets look pretty fresh yet, and certainly decent enough for a luxury car with over 60,000 original miles. The Bentley, at the moment, does not run.
The seller suspects it is due to an anti-theft system that is not working properly at the moment (or maybe it is doing exactly what it’s supposed to). The Bentley did run after the engine work was completed, however. The front seats also look to be in good condition, so hopefully, this was an example that was loved before it fell on hard times – or, more to the point, its owner did. Leaving cars behind is rarely the smart move financially, and certainly doesn’t endear you to the shop owner that poured hours of labor into a car that they may never be made whole for. Hopefully, someone gets a good deal for this bargain exotic.
I currently have a car sitting in my shop that the owner doesn’t want to pick up. Thankfully she only owed about $2500 before she skipped town. Regrettably, in Michigan I can apparently only collect $1000 from the lender who let her borrow money. The state really looks out for the financial industry and screws over the small entrepreneur.
I remember back in the 70s I was in the Army in Washington state and a sergeant I was stationed with knew I was looking for a car to just get around base and elsewhere. Now this was to time of Gas shortages and long lines at the gas stations.
The sergeant approached me and told me his mechanic had a GTX with a 440 and a 4 speed that the owner disappeared and stuck the mechanic with the repair bill of $550.
Well the mechanic had to go to court and get a mechanic’s lien on the car and was told he could sell it only for bill due, so I bought it. Great car, but couldn’t drive it much as I couldn’t afford to gas it up. I ended up selling it to a guy I heard took the motor out of it for his skiboat…
Similar story from 2/2 Inf. Mechanic in the motor pool did some moonlighting for a civilian on a ‘67 Mustang. Guy couldn’t pay and the mechanic got a lien as described. This was at Ft. Lewis in ‘75.
What an indignant fate to befall such a fine British motorcar. Unspeakable damage to that beautiful red paintwork caused by God-knows-what kind of shenanigans and a handcrafted leather and stitched interior sullied by a “stereo system” that would be right at home in a 2007 Chrysler 300. One might as well stick a junkyard sourced GM LS1 under the bonnet at this point and complete its utter fall from grace.
I was thinking the same thing. It’s a beater alright. I wonder what happened to it and why it needs so much body work. I’m thinking hemi from a late model but it looks like a nightmare.
Mr. de Ssucke, why knock the 300? I bought my ’07 Chrysler 300C nearly new in 2008 and I love it – the Hemi positively throws it down the road and it rides like a Benz because it basically is a Benz with a truck engine in it. My car is in far better shape than the Bentley above and even one less pristine than mine would be a far better risk to take than that beat-up British sled for considerably less money.
Sorry, nothing per se. It remains a very strong seller to date. Well the Charger version anyway. It’s just that when I’m driving at night and 2 bright TV screens dilate my pupils, it is invariably some Chrysler LX product.
On that note, it would be kind of cool to put the drive train from your car into this. I wonder how easy that would be to do…
When I had my ’95 Corvette we double dated with a couple who had just bought a used (but nice) 300S 5.7. We were talking about the car and the guy decided to punch it to show me what he meant by, “It’s pretty powerful.”
Even with 4 adults in the car I don’t think I’d have challenged him with my Corvette.
300s and Chargers are Bad A$$ vehicles with the big motor in them.
The current one with the 6.4 liter Hemi is even more impressive. 0-60 in 4.2, 1/4 mile in 12.4 @ 115 MPH. I nearly bought one but there was no way I could justify the fuel usage as a daily.
I see my humour may have been lost on some. Oh well, so be it, though I do admit I’d seriously love to stick an American honkin’ V-8 in this thing with straight pipes and see the looks it’d get. Heck, would a Cummins 6.7 liter diesel fit?
Mr.de Ssuck, now yer talkin’.
Totally agree with you Dan, I’ve got a 2006 RHD 300C Hemi and it blends in with the traffic well, until the light turns green that is then ‘watch out’, it turns into a rocket. I doubt the heavy weight Bentley would have that get up and go with the Hemi in it but then again who knows, someone needs to try it, might be surprised.
I bought my Charger Blacktop Edition new in 2015 and 140K later, still loving it. I’m usually good with a car for about 3 years before tiring of it, so that is saying something, at least to me.
Yeah, it’s got the 300HP V6, but driving the amount that I do, the Hemi didn’t make sense. With the 8 speed auto, I get 30mpg if I try hard enough. The Sport Mode feature on the Blacktop Package gives it 0 – 60 performance equal to the first of the new generation of Hemis.
I’d prefer to install a Hellcat Redeye engine myself, but only after thoroughly inspecting it to see what needs to be addressed or improved.
Doing an eBay search, these are selling for $23K to $30K. You would have to get this one for no more than $10K. Not knowing what is wrong with it, you would be upside down on it real fast. Nice looking car, though.
There’s no right-side up when it comes to these cars. Their listings are full of “$40,000 in recent bills, asking $60,000” for models that never change hands for more than $30,000.
There is another one on ebay right now, 78K miles, runs drives, no bullet holes $22.9 https://www.ebay.com/itm/2001-Bentley-Arnage-RED-LABEL/283926093742?_trkparms=aid%3D888008%26algo%3DDISC.CARDS%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200220090753%26meid%3Db1ba3616c7cf4b2ca289fa6a9b83aec8%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D174329471686%26itm%3D283926093742%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDiscV1&_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982
Dan how is he “knocking the 300”? You’re reading things that arent there.
Facts are 300 was a basic, cheap full size sedan, sadly the entire bodystyle went extinct.
I Daily Drive the last full size (10th gen Impala) and i adore it.
If a body shop unfamilar with Bentleys attempted the head gasket repair, there’s no telling if they did it right. ‘Non-runner’ is no way to buy any English car, unless you just need parts.
This is near me. I saw it on FB Marketplace for $11.9K I think then the add was quickly changed to $14.9K . I have to admit I started doing research on what it might be and how to fix when I saw it. I always loved these cars. If it is what they think it is, it might involve a key recoding or new key at the dealership. Cars like this hate having flat batteries. You could get very lucky, or not.
Non runner, eh? Look..I’ve been a master tech for over 40 years and work on all kinds of things that other people will not even let in the door. I’m looking under that hood (sorry, “bonnet”) and shaking my head. Alternator I got..AC compressor? check..and then there’s an…a…errrr…OK the hoses look like it’s an air pump but it has a clutch on it. OK sure..it’s common to have an air pump that only comes on for cold start to get the cat up to temperature. OTHER people use a light weight and simple electric air pump for this. And so it appears that Bentley used a mechanical pump with all the bearings, belts and pulleys AND a clutch and control circuit for same..Brilliant! And I’m not even back to the block yet! Intake has what looks to be a SMALL hose going into a large version of a thermostat housing but then, maybe it IS a thermostat housing, what with the small hose running off of it…And the hoses…Wow….Bentley specialist? Not to be easily found. Most are sitting on the floor of their room rocking back and forth in their straitjacket mumbling things like “God save the Queen..hand me that spanner like a good lad….”
Perhaps its an air pump for the pneumatic suspension?
This average guy bought one and documents it here https://joshsworld.com
I quite imagine that the history of this car would read something like this:
1. Original owner finds that they’ve unfortunately gotten a trouble-prone example and, after several overnights at the dealership, elects to bail out–and most assuredly does not want another Bentley.
2. Original owner discovers that dealerships of other luxury marques are surprisingly uninterested in accepting the Bentley in on trade.
3. Car is then sold via private treaty at a much-below-market price to someone who normally couldn’t afford one.
4. New owner, unfamiliar with the upkeep requirements and associated costs, soon discovers that it is far beyond their means to keep a trouble-prone high-end import on the road.
Steps 3 and 4 may repeat once or twice. At the end of the day, we end up with what we have on offer here.
What’s truly tragic here isn’t the condition of the car–it’s all the frustration, expense, and heartbreak that it has already caused, and will continue to visit upon its subsequent owner(s).
“WE ARE NOT GOING TO FIX THIS CAR ANY FURTHER
WE HAVE TOO MUCH TIME AND MONEY INVESTED INTO THIS BEAUTY”
Now this inspires confidence
Maybe it can repurposed as a small apartment? Nice leather couch in the back. Who who ever suspect you were living in your Bentley?
Was this the inspiration for “My Hooptie”?
I read very little because don’t you think finishing the paintwork will get a top buck for it and seeing the body filler soaking wet tells me the shop is a dump with the Three Stooges running it. Finish the car and stop wining like you have a ton of money into it, Bullshi…
Good Lord, the comments sound like motorcycle dudes commenting on a typical British bike. Having owned three british cars (none in this class to be sure) all these problems seem to run in the family. What makes these things worse is the arrogant attitude of the factories and their sales and service departments. There is a myriad of reasons why these things are bought ONCE by the rich – but never again.