Delivered new to Sir John Hall, President of Newcastle United Football Club; circa 5,700 miles from new
1996 Bentley Azure Convertible

• Offered for sale by Sir John Hall
• Specially commissioned by Bentley Motors Ltd
• Considerable recent expenditure on servicing and maintenance
• MoT'd to July 2026

Hitherto, Bentley's resurgence had relied on models whose basic architecture was shared with other Rolls-Royce products; but also on display at Geneva in '85 was Project 90, a mocked-up coupé intended to gauge public response to the idea of a high-performance car unique to Bentley. When the real thing - the Bentley Continental R - was unveiled six years later, the waiting crowd burst into rapturous applause.

In 1995 Bentley Motors announced a soft-top version of the Continental R, a full four years after the coupé's introduction. Once again, Geneva was chosen to launch what would turn out to be the first Bentley model in several decades to use an entirely new name - 'Azure' - which, like 'Corniche' and 'Camargue', evoked exotic destinations in the South of France. The famous Italian styling house of Pininfarina – a firm with unrivalled experience in the design of soft-top Gran Turismos – had been chosen to develop the Azure on the four-seater Continental R platform, and there was no questioning that the result was most successful. Bodyshells were assembled in Italy by Pininfarina, fitted with the automatic soft-top, painted and then shipped back for finishing at Crewe.

Mechanically similar to the Continental R but with an engine further up-rated to 385bhp, the Azure cost £215,000 in the UK at time of launch. Hailed by its maker as, 'the world's best convertible', the Azure lived up to that grand title, proving an immense success especially in North America where its combination of unmatched luxury, effortless performance and soft-top style was found highly attractive. When production ceased in 2003 a total of 1,321 Azures of all types had been built.

Finished in red metallic and a cream leather interior, this gorgeous Bentley Azure was delivered new to Sir John Hall, former owner and Life President of Newcastle United Football Club, and has covered a mere 5,700-or-so miles from new. A sill plaque is engraved: 'This vehicle was specially commissioned by Bentley Motors Ltd for the occasion of the Ruby Wedding Anniversary of Sir John & Lady Hall 28th July 1996'.

As evidenced by invoices from Fearon Bentley Specialists, the car received an annual service and maintenance work to the alarm system and headlamp washer in June 2025 costing £4,235.75, and repairs to interior electrics in September 2025 costing £3,016.00. The Bentley is MoT'd until July 2026 with no advisories recorded. It should be noted that the HPI check notes two keepers, perhaps reflecting a change of registration from company to personal.