The Bentley Continental GT is a luxury sports car that has been widely available on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period, which spans from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. During this time, many customers opted for these financing options when purchasing their Bentley Continental GTs due to the high upfront costs associated with such a premium vehicle.
How the Bentley Continental GT was Typically Financed
Bentley Continental GTs were commonly financed through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP) agreements. PCP terms typically ranged from £15,000 to £30,000 over 36 to 48 months, with a final balloon payment or option-to-purchase fee at the end of the contract. This structure allowed customers to manage their monthly payments while retaining flexibility regarding the vehicle's ownership at the end of the agreement.
Common finance lenders for Bentley Continental GTs included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. These lenders provided financing based on the customer’s creditworthiness and financial situation, offering various terms to suit different needs.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into motor finance agreements due to concerns over
discretionary commission arrangements between car dealerships and finance providers. This practice involved dealers receiving additional commissions for recommending certain lenders or financing products, which could have led to higher costs for consumers unknowingly.
According to the FCA’s findings, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) by these practices (FCA estimate). The total value of these mis-sold agreements amounted to £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) (FCA, March 2026).
How to Check Your Agreement Review your finance agreement: Look through any documents you received when purchasing or financing your vehicle. Pay special attention to terms like "discretionary commission," "DCA" (Discretionary Commission Arrangement), or similar phrases that indicate a dealer might have received additional compensation for recommending specific lenders.
2.
Check the date of your finance agreement: Agreements signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 are within the scope of the FCA investigation. If your agreement falls into this period, it is crucial to review its terms carefully.
3.
Identify DCA: A Discretionary Commission Arrangement (DCA) could mean that your dealer received extra payment for recommending a particular finance product or lender, which may have influenced the cost of your financing arrangement.
If you suspect that your Bentley Continental GT’s finance agreement was affected by discretionary commission arrangements, you can complain directly to your lender at no cost. Common lenders for Bentley vehicles include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
When contacting your lender, provide them with all relevant documentation from your finance agreement and clearly explain why you believe the arrangement may have been affected by a DCA or similar practice. Lenders are required to handle such complaints fairly and transparently without any need for third-party involvement.
You do not need a
claims management company; direct communication with your lender can lead to resolution of any potential issues related to mis-sold finance agreements.
Sources and References
- FCA (2024)
- ONS Census 2021
Based on 9,772 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Bentley Continental has a pass rate of 91.8%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Continental performs well in MOT testing.
The Continental pass rate is in line with the overall Bentley average of 92.8%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 52,681 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 91.8%
- MOT failure rate: 8.2%
- Tests analysed: 9,772 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 52,681 miles
- Bentley average pass rate: 92.8%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.