[john.wigley]

Well, that created a bit of a furore, Alan! I can understand why you might lust after a Continental GT; I think they look drop-dead gorgeous too, but it would appear that their beauty is only skin-deep.

I hadn't realised that they were held in quite such high disregard, but having read the faults listed by '360beast', I can begin to understand why. Perhaps I should not be that surprised, having worked on the build lines of a number of different manufacturers. Since Ford's Model 'T', cars have primarily been designed for ease of assembly, rather than that of maintenance or repair.

With advancing technology, the increasing complexity of motor vehicles serves only to exacerbate the problem. The CGT would appear to have elevated this trend to a whole new level. They may look gorgeous, but it would appear that they are also a sure-fire way of losing money - fast!

If I had a Bentley itch to scratch, I would look not for a CGT, but for an immediate pre or post-war car. They were (relatively) simple cars writ large.
Given your skill-set and facilities, I feel sure that you would have little difficulty in maintaining one - something that may prove more difficult with a CGT.

Bentleys of that era and earlier were seriously over-engineered cars; as Ettore Bugatti once said of W. O. Bentley: "Mr. Bentley - He builds fast trucks."! This means that not only have many survived, but those that have, have often done so in good, usable condition. It is also unlikely that you would loose money in the long term, neither would one embarrass you on the roads of today.

That would be my choice, but obviously you could feel differently. Either way, if one has the means and is not hurting anyone else by indulging a whim, I would say 'go for it'. Experience has taught me that life really is much too short for 'what ifs' and the like.

Regards, John.