Bentley Azure T Review. For Sale at Frank Dale & Stepsons: www.frankdale.com/ The Bentley Continental R was unveiled in 1991 after six years of development and it became an instant success. Its stylish sports coupe coachwork captured the imagination of Bentley enthusiasts and the orders flooded in. The success of the Continental R and the slightly sportier Continental T made it inevitable that a convertible variant would be developed and in 1995 Sergio Pininfarina was approached and given the task of styling the Bentley Continental R convertible which became known as the Azure.
Production of the first-generation Azures took place between 1995 and 2003 and then in 2006 with the company now under Volkswagens ownership, production began on the second-generation Azures which were now built on the Arnage platform.
The very final chapter (so far) in the progression of the Azure came in 2009 with the introduction of the Azure T. It was given even more power than the second-generation cars, with improved ratings on acceleration (0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds) and top speed (increased to 181mph) In terms of its appearance, it was styled with Le Mans style vents, two-piece 20 inch five spoke alloy wheels, colour matched door mirrors, tinted upper and lower grilles along with twin exhaust tail pipes.
The interior was finished with diamond quilted seats and door panels, aluminium turned dashboard, and drilled alloy pedals.
The Azure T was only built for the 2010 model year, with just eighty cars produced in total. Just twenty four cars were produced specifically for the UK market, of which twenty two were right hand drive.
Chassis No SCBDC45H2ACH14443 which we are currently offering for sale is the forty third example of the eighty built and the ninth right hand drive car produced for the UK market. It was supplied new in March 2011 to its first owner Mr A Dara, finished beluga with beluga leather interior, a matching black hood and piano black woodwork.
He retained the car until May 2014 when it was sold to its second owner, Mr R Brooks of Guernsey at 1,125 miles. It was purchased by the third and present owner in September 2021 at 4,450 miles.
The car has now travelled just over 5,000 miles from new and comes fully prepared and tested in our workshops. Chassis No CH14443 represents a rare opportunity to acquire a super low mileage, top specification example of this very rare model.
The company was founded in 1946 by Frank Dale who began buying and selling Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars in post war London. The company had several premises before becoming firmly established in 1957 in Paddington. In 1959 Frank Dale's stepson Ivor Gordon joined the company following his two-year apprenticeship at London's Bentley main agent Jack Barclay Ltd. Ivor's brother John Gordon joined the company in 1965 and at this point the company became known, as it still is today, as Frank Dale & Stepsons.
James Crickmay joined the company in 1980 and in 1986 when larger premises were required the business moved again, this time to King Street in Hammersmith. John Gordon having worked with his stepfather Frank Dale, his brother Ivor and in later years, James Crickmay retired in 1994.
By 2000 the business needed to move again and Ivor and James acquired a new premises in Harlequin Avenue, Brentford. During the time at this location James Crickmay's son Giles joined the business in 2006 keeping the family tradition alive. Just as Frank Dale had passed on his invaluable knowledge to Ivor starting in the 1940's so in turn Ivor and James shared their years of experience with Giles thereby ensuring preservation and continuity of service for the next generation of Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners. Before his passing in 2016 and with over fifty years of experience in the Rolls-Royce and Bentley market, Ivor was one of the most well respected and knowledgeable figures in the industry. James Crickmay ran the business with Ivor for over 30 years until his passing in 2015.
The company's most recent move took place in late 2019 when it moved to the current premises in Sandhurst which provides for a significantly improved operational layout, more workshop space and a better location to service an ever-expanding customer base.
Today Giles & Emma Crickmay, James' son and daughter, along with workshop manager Vincent Roma and general manager Greg West are now at the helm of the company adding invaluable experience and sharing the same substantial knowledge for the benefit of their existing customers and new clientele.
W1RRP The Podcast About Rolls-Royce + Bentley. W1RRP is pronounced WURP and is a new entertainment podcast all about Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
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