The legendary Silver Ghost made Rolls-Royce’s reputation and fortune what it is, and it was, perhaps, not until 1965 that another car, the John Blatchley-designed Silver Shadow, made such an impact. In 15 years, 32,000 four-door Silver Shadows were produced, and it became the bestselling car for the company since the Ghost. Unitary body construction, disc brakes, and all independent suspension were refinements that appeared on a Rolls-Royce for the first time in the marque’s history. Power output was not disclosed for the 6.2-litre engine, as Rolls-Royce always preferred to quote it as “adequate”. The car’s top speed was 115 mph, with a 0–60 mph time of 10.9 seconds.

The Bentley T-Series cars were Silver Shadows badged as Bentleys, and they also sported a Bentley radiator with badging. Between 1965 and 1980, 2,280 T-Series cars were built. This represented just seven per cent of the total number of Silver Shadows produced. Only 1,703 Bentley T1s were manufactured, as opposed to 16,717 Silver Shadows.

The T1 presented here is in beautiful condition. The car is finished in a two-tone silver over grey with a light tan leather interior and beige carpets. The luxurious Connolly leather seats bode for utterly restful travel in modern traffic conditions. The walnut trim is complemented by the delicate two-spoke steering wheel, and the dash features all the correct and original Bentley instrumentation. Mileage is currently reading 5,240 miles, which is believed to be accurate.

This is a wonderful entry-level opportunity for Bentley motoring in the “Silent Sports Car”.