Anthony James, an artist based in Los Angeles, bought an affordable 1981 Corniche several years ago. He still drives it every day.
“I bought the Corniche because it was different—timelessly elegant and thoroughly British,” James said. “And it’s something that is driveable in the meantime.”
The flip side: Maintenance on something such as the Corniche can easily surpass the car’s value. While James maintains a close relationship with a trusted mechanic friend that keeps costs for him very low, others are not so lucky. Klinger has known L.A.-area Bentley dealers to charge as much as $35,000 to repair one turbo in a late-model Continental. (The part costs close to $1,500 online.)
Those looking to buy a modern classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley should demand a very documented service history. Avoid examples with neglected or deferred maintenance, unless you like to do a lot of the work yourself or are prepared to pay a king’s ransom to have someone else do it.
But most of all, be patient in the hunt. While late-model Corniches and Arnages have gained $1,000 or so each year in value over the past few years, Hagerty hedges that values could always dip, too, so it’s really about waiting for the right car, as opposed to jumping in at the bottom to try to maximize your investment. These models aren’t going anywhere.
“If you want a comfortable luxurious car, they absolutely represent a lot of car for the money,” Klinger said. “They always stand for the pinnacle of luxury. And that goes on throughout any stage of them.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.