Since its inception in 1919, Bentley has almost always been associated with quality engineering and pure luxury. Of course, with high-specification vehicles come the high-priced labels, but this in itself is another reason why Bentley has become a timeless manufacturer: footballers, movie stars and entrepreneurs strive to be seen in one of Bentley’s state symbols. If you are thinking of buying a Bentley, it is perfectly normal to get excited and go to your nearest showroom. But before signing the dotted line, why not check out the showroom and see what a used Bentley can do for you?

Buying a used car, especially a used Bentley is not a cup of tea for everyone. But if you do not care that a car has been owned by another person for a period of time, then the rewards could simply be incredible. Take Bentley’s Continental GT. A class-leading Grand Tourer, its superb looks and amazing engineering have made it one of Bentley’s most successful models. Elton John has one, Gordon Ramsey has one, David Beckham has one and countless other footballers have followed him. If you see a Bentley on the highway, it’s probably one of these.

Brand new, a standard Continental GT would cost you £ 110,000. But, of course, it’s a Bentley, so the list of possible modifications is as long as your wallet is deep. But how much would you be looking at the expense to get one of these icons used? You could land a Continental GT ’09 with 700 miles on the clock for around £ 99,000. Increase the mileage to around 4,000 miles and the price will drop to around £ 90,000-95,000. Not bad for a modern icon, right?

However, if you’re not someone who follows a trend, check out Bentley’s Azure. The design itself has been around for almost a decade, but today’s Azure is a 6.8-liter beast of modern engineering. Brand new, one of these would cost you 200,000 pounds for the salon, or about 220,000 pounds for the convertible coupe. Expensive things, but how much would you spend to get behind the wheel of this fancy luxury monolith?

Surprisingly, a budget of £ 200,000 could get you a 2009 Azure convertible with only 180 miles on the clock. £ 175,000 will give you a 2008 Azure Lounge with 4,000 miles on the clock, and a humble £ 119,000 will give you a 2006 Azure Lounge with 20,000 miles on the clock. Of course, the 6.8-liter turbocharged monster under the hood must be well maintained to keep it at its best, in addition to incurring other costs. But if you’re looking to bag an absolute icon for less than the showroom, why not buy a used Bentley?