The Bentley Continental GTC, a luxury convertible sports car known for its elegance and performance, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. The FCA found that many of these finance agreements were mis-sold due to
discretionary commission arrangements, affecting millions of consumers across the UK.
How the Bentley Continental GTC was Typically Financed
During the peak sales years for the Bentley Continental GTC, it was widely financed through PCP and HP agreements with typical loan amounts ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. Common lenders who provided finance for this model included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. These loans often had terms of 36 to 48 months, with some agreements including a balloon payment at the end of the term.
PCP agreements allowed borrowers to pay monthly instalments over the contract period, typically paying off a significant portion of the vehicle's value but leaving a final lump sum payment (the balloon) due upon completion. This balloon payment was often conditional on returning the car or entering into another finance agreement to cover it.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA investigation uncovered that many lenders had been involved in discretionary commission arrangements, leading to motor finance agreements being mis-sold. These arrangements meant that dealers could receive additional commissions for certain types of loan products, which incentivised them to sell more expensive or less suitable financing options. As a result, an estimated 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) by these practices (FCA estimate), with the total value of mis-selling amounting to £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). On average, each consumer overpaid around £829 due to these arrangements (FCA estimate).
How to Check Your Agreement Date of Agreement: Ensure that your finance agreement was signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
2.
Lender Details: Check if your lender is one of those commonly used for Bentley vehicles, such as Black Horse or Santander Consumer Finance.
3.
Discretionary Commission Agreement (DCA): Look for any mention of a DCA in your loan documentation. This could indicate that the finance agreement was part of a discretionary
commission arrangement and might have been mis-sold.
If you believe your Bentley Continental GTC finance agreement was affected by these issues, you can complain directly to your lender without needing to use a
claims management company. Common lenders like Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance all have internal complaint procedures that allow consumers to seek redress for mis-sold finance agreements.
To start the process:
1.
Gather Documentation: Collect all relevant documents related to your finance agreement.
2.
Contact Your Lender: Reach out to your lender's customer service department or dedicated complaints team.
3.
Submit a Formal Complaint: Fill out any necessary complaint forms and provide detailed information about why you believe your agreement was mis-sold.
You do not need a claims management company; the lenders have processes in place to handle these complaints directly and efficiently. It is important to follow their procedures carefully and submit all required documentation promptly.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). (2024). FCA Investigation into Motor Finance Mis-selling.
- Office for National Statistics (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.