Photo: NSW Police
It’s not uncommon for vintage, classic cars to break records at auctions; in fact, it happens a lot on the booming specialized market. But this a new kind of record, both in terms of worth and the means in which it was achieved.
Earlier this week, a 1960 Bentley S2 briefly held the (rather dubious) distinction of being the world’s most expensive vintage Bentley. It was dubious because it had nothing to do with the vehicle itself, which was used as a mere container for illicit substances; the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the NSW Police Force detained it with some $115 million worth of drugs inside. By comparison, the official record for a vintage Bentley is the 1932 4.5-liter Supercharged “Blower” Bentley that changed hands for $7 million in 2012.
According to the NSW Police, ABF agents were tipped that a shipping container coming in from Canada might warrant a second look. The documents only said that the container carried the ‘60 Bentley, and agents had it X-rayed upon arrival in Port Botany, Australia. They observed certain “anomalies” with the transport, so specialists were called in to partially dismantle the car.
A huge quantity of drugs was discovered hidden inside the car: 161 kg (355 pounds) of methylamphetamine and 30 kg (66 pounds) of cocaine, which the police removed. They then put the Bentley back together again, and sent it on its way as if nothing had happened. After the car arrived at its intended destination, police paid a visit and found two men in the process of taking it apart again, looking for the cargo that was no longer there. Both men were arrested and are being held on an impressive list of drug-related charges.
The police report doesn’t mention anything about the current whereabouts of the Bentley, but it’s very likely that it remains in custody.
A typical S2 in excellent condition can fetch as much as $75,000 on the specialized market, while a custom, coachbuilt unit will go as high as $350,000. The S2 was the successor of the S1, introducing the new Rolls-Royce – Bentley L Series V8 engine, power steering, and new steering wheel and dashboard. During 1959 and 1962, Bentley produced 1,863 standard S2 units and 57 long-base units. The Bentley S2 is quite rare, in addition to being very old. But it this particular case, it was also a terrible mule.
According to the NSW Police, ABF agents were tipped that a shipping container coming in from Canada might warrant a second look. The documents only said that the container carried the ‘60 Bentley, and agents had it X-rayed upon arrival in Port Botany, Australia. They observed certain “anomalies” with the transport, so specialists were called in to partially dismantle the car.
A huge quantity of drugs was discovered hidden inside the car: 161 kg (355 pounds) of methylamphetamine and 30 kg (66 pounds) of cocaine, which the police removed. They then put the Bentley back together again, and sent it on its way as if nothing had happened. After the car arrived at its intended destination, police paid a visit and found two men in the process of taking it apart again, looking for the cargo that was no longer there. Both men were arrested and are being held on an impressive list of drug-related charges.
The police report doesn’t mention anything about the current whereabouts of the Bentley, but it’s very likely that it remains in custody.
A typical S2 in excellent condition can fetch as much as $75,000 on the specialized market, while a custom, coachbuilt unit will go as high as $350,000. The S2 was the successor of the S1, introducing the new Rolls-Royce – Bentley L Series V8 engine, power steering, and new steering wheel and dashboard. During 1959 and 1962, Bentley produced 1,863 standard S2 units and 57 long-base units. The Bentley S2 is quite rare, in addition to being very old. But it this particular case, it was also a terrible mule.
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