I have always been a fan of the James Bond novels and the Avengers, so when I first had the opportunity to buy my Bentley fifteen years ago I jumped at the chance. The 4.5-litre Bentley is an absolute classic, an iconic design made in the years before Rolls Royce took over the company in a secret bid in 1931. Mine was from 1928 (sadly a year before the supercharged model was released, and navy blue rather than the battleship grey of Bond’s 1930 Bentley in Casino Royale).

Now, several years into my retirement, declining health and rising fuel prices mean I don’t get out in it as much as I used to. I decided to sell my Bentley, which was a real wrench, as I’d had it so long that it felt like I was losing a part of myself. Finding someone to buy my Bentley was another reason I’d held onto it for so long – I didn’t think I’d find anyone who would look after it as well as I had.

People have always been interested when they’ve seen the car, so I always knew I would never have any trouble if I ever wanted to sell my Bentley. I used to attend classic car rallies regularly, so I had a good base of contacts. I just needed to find the right one. At 80 years old, the car is considerably older than I am, so it needed an expert. Of course, it wouldn’t appeal to the mainstream car market as it’s never going to be a run-around. It needs some careful maintenance and it’s fuel consumption (15 mpg) is decidedly unfashionable in these greener times. On the other hand, the person to buy my Bentley would be making a real investment – unlike today’s cars, classic models like this one appreciate with age. They are also exempt from road tax.

Firstly, I followed up a handful of opportunities I’d had to sell my Bentley over the last few years. Most weren’t interested – they had either found another car or hadn’t been serious in the first place. One genuine would-be Bentley buyer clearly didn’t know the first thing about the car, so was struck from the list. Another offered too little for it. In both cases, I wasn’t prepared to compromise in the interests of a quick sale!

I finally managed to sell my Bentley to another member of my car club. I knew he had owned a 3-litre Bentley in the past and, approaching his own retirement, was looking to spend more time doing what he loved best, which was getting his hands dirty fixing classic cars. Selling my Bentley was made considerably easier by the knowledge that it will probably be running just as well in another twenty years time. I took the precaution of taking a spin with my new Bentley buyer before signing it over, to make sure he was as competent in the driving seat as he was under the bonnet.

I can’t say it was a happy moment for me, but my days of driving open-top cars are over so I’m glad I found the right man to buy my Bentley. Now I’m looking for something a little more roomy and comfortable... maybe an Aston Martin?