It's not every day that I get a chance to test drive a Bentley. So, it was a special day in the chatty company of Dublin-based classic car specialist Dermot Wallace, writes Hugh Oram
Apart from selling classic cars with considerable brio, he's a noted collector.
The Bentley is a 1991 Turbo R with 47,000 miles on the clock and is for sale at €50,000. It looks like a small tank, but drives like a dream, almost as easy as a Mini. It packs oodles of power, 0 to 60 mph in seven seconds - and is fairly heavy on the juice at about 18 mpg in town and up to around 27 mpg out of town.
The Bentley is the last word in comfort, with real leather seats giving armchair comfort. Feet sink into deep pile sheepskin rugs. The dashboard is polished mahogany. Absolute heaven to drive, despite its size.
Wallace prefers Bentleys to Rolls-Royces - he reminds me of the old adage: people who have money buy Bentleys, and those who don't go for Rolls-Royce.
It's one of about 10 classic cars that Wallace has at the moment. Seven or eight are for sale through his company, Dermot Wallace Motors, in Sussex Road, almost opposite the Burlington Hotel. The classic market is on the up, he says, as people have more to spend at a time when most new cars look as if they've come out of the same computer.
There's no reason why a classic car shouldn't be in perfect condition, mechanically and bodywise, says Wallace. It's very important, he adds, to check a car's provenance - his company goes to great trouble to ensure that a classic car is what it says it is, and in tip-top condition.
"We buy them only when we can completely source them," he says. "It's dangerous otherwise!" If a car isn't original, it must have been refurbished to the highest standards.
People are more aware now of this type of car and the financial attractions, says Wallace. Once a car is 30 years old, there's no benfit-in-kind tax implications, insurance is very reasonable, so is road tax and, if taxed as a vintage car, the NCT doesn't apply.
In Britain, he explains, a growing number of clubs for classic marques have sprung up, many with their own websites. They will be happy to give advice and, if spare parts are needed, can often source them quickly. He strongly advises anyone who's buying a classic to join the marque club - "after all, they're dedicated to keeping the car on the road".
One classic Wallace is selling at the moment has an eminently traceable history: one woman driver in Donnybrook, Dublin. It's a BMW 2002, which was very rare in its time from 1968 until 1975. In mint condition, it will probably sell for between €14,000 and €15,000.
Another car he's had much longer, has a theatrical pedigree. It's a 1973 Jensen 7.2 with a V8 engine, a pretty rare car in itself. It's been in Ireland since 1987 and owned by Des Wallace since 1992. The original owner was none other than Cork-born entertainer Danny La Rue.
Many of Wallace's cars are Mercedes, including SLs. The oldest is a 1960 190 SL manual, with 60,000 miles on the clock and a €52,000 price tag. A 1965 230 SL, which took part in Concours d'Elegance trials in Britain for 10 years, is in mint condition, with a mere 37,000 miles.
A 1969 280 SL Pagoda automatic, in havana brown with a hard/soft top, for a shade under €50,000, has a huge amount of street cred, Wallace feels.
Other marques are well represented, including BMWs and Jaguars.
A particularly attractive item is a 1989 Ferrari 412 GTI V12 - this four-seater coupé surprises most people who think of coupés in terms of two-seaters. The car is very rare in another sense too: "Only about 15 right-hand drive versions of this model were made." It's always been Irish-owned, has done 36,000 miles and is going for €50,000.
Then there's a Mark I Lotus Escort saloon, white, front grille laden with lamps. These cars, made by Ford around 30 years ago, were so much classics of their time that Wallace claims that young enthusiasts who often weren't even born then, recognise them immediately and get emotional. "They were unbeatable for competitions and still are," he says.
A car which didn't stand out at the time but does now is a 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprite. It's white, with a wood finished dashboard, and in perfect condition. Its two previous owners clocked up 66,000 miles.
These classics are easy to drive. Wallace says that anything built before 1960 is harder to drive, but all the 1960s and 1970s cars were very modern in style and are still easy to drive, even without power steering or onboard computers.
Made in pre-robot days by a combination of people and machines, they still maintain their mechanical quality. "Very few cars have been built over the past 15 or 20 years that rival the classics from the 1960s and 1970s, except for a Ferrari or Porsche," he says.
Dermot Wallace's family background gave him a unique insight into the business. His father, Noel, was sales director of the old Ever Ready firm in Donnybrook for the best part of 30 years, until it closed down nearly 25 years ago. He began his motor career there. His Dermot Wallace Motors is 21 years ago this year.