Named for the historic racing circuit at which Bentley had achieved some of its most legendary victories, the Brooklands was designed as the coupé version of the second-generation Azure drophead coupé. Hand-assembled in very small numbers, using the best of both modern technology and traditional coachbuilding techniques and craftsmanship, it saw a total production of just 550 units between 2008 and 2011. Reportedly a full 530 of the cars had already been ordered by the time that production began, with the remaining 20 reserved for loyal Bentley clientele. It was virtually impossible to acquire a new Brooklands, and even today they remain treasured by their owners and do not frequently change hands.

The reason for this is that each Brooklands is, simply put, a silky-smooth powerhouse. It was equipped with a 530-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V-8, six-speed ZF automatic gearbox with Tiptronic manual gear selection, and carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite brakes. Belying its size and luxurious appointments, it was a genuinely rapid automobile, capable of acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds and achieving a top speed of 296 km/h. There can be no doubt that the Brooklands is the true modern heir to the great “big six” and supercharged Bentleys of the W.O. era.

The collection’s left-hand drive Beluga example has been a favorite touring automobile, which was exhibited at the 23rd British Car Meeting at St. Moritz in July 2016. It is a joy to behold, with the interior reflecting a fabulous attention to fine detail in the jewel-like craftsmanship of its instrumentation and controls. Typical of the level of attention and sorting for the collection, the car is in nearly showroom-new condition and immaculate throughout following a recent detailing. The history file includes the invoices for regular services by Bentley Zürich, beginning in July 2012 and continuing to, most recently, April 2020, with any minor needs attended to on each occasion. Accompanying is the original First Aid kit and Bentley-badged battery charger.

This is a wonderful example of one of the most iconic modern Bentleys.