Bentley Eight

The Bentley Eight was Bentley's entry-level car from 1984 until 1992, a lower priced version of the Mulsanne saloon on which it was based. It is recognised mainly by its wire mesh grille in place of the Mulsanne's vertical slats, and it carried somewhat less equipment, which brought its introductory price to under 50,000 pounds, some 6,000 pounds below the Mulsanne. A firmer suspension gave slightly better handling. Fuel injection and anti-lock brakes arrived in 1986, leather and power memory seats in 1987 and automatic ride height adjustment in 1990, and the three-speed automatic gearbox gave way to a four-speed unit in August 1992. The Eight sold well enough that sales spread from the British market to Europe and the United States.