Automotive

The world's most expensive station wagon ... going cheap

The world's most expensive station wagon ... going cheap
The Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape by the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design
The Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape by the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design
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The 500-hp engine in this station wagon has a mid-range that will make your eyes bulge – pressing the accelerator on a car with 1,000 Nm (738 lb·ft) of torque is an experience you will never forget
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The 500-hp engine in this station wagon has a mid-range that will make your eyes bulge – pressing the accelerator on a car with 1,000 Nm (738 lb·ft) of torque is an experience you will never forget
The interior is entirely hand crafted – three times, in fact
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The interior is entirely hand crafted – three times, in fact
Cargo space of the modified Bentley Arnage
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Cargo space of the modified Bentley Arnage
The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape
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The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape
Upon receiving the modified, but still new Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy where a third handcrafted interior was completed
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Upon receiving the modified, but still new Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy where a third handcrafted interior was completed
Pressing the accelerator on a car with 1,000 Nm (738 lb·ft) of torque is an experience you will never forget
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Pressing the accelerator on a car with 1,000 Nm (738 lb·ft) of torque is an experience you will never forget
The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape
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The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape
The Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape by the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design
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The Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape by the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design
Costing $900,000, this remanufactured 4WD Bentley Arnage T is most likely the world's most expensive station wagon
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Costing $900,000, this remanufactured 4WD Bentley Arnage T is most likely the world's most expensive station wagon
Upon receiving the modified, but still new Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy where a third handcrafted interior was completed
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Upon receiving the modified, but still new Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy where a third handcrafted interior was completed
View gallery - 10 images

In the tradition of the "shooting brake", this 2003 Bentley Arnage-based estate car is perhaps the most lavishly crafted station wagon in history. It began life in 2003 as a brand new 500-hp, twin-turbo 6.75-liter Bentley Arnage, and was purchased by an Italian industrial heir with some exclusive modifications in mind.

Living in both Monaco and the famous Swiss mountain resort of St. Moritz, the owner wanted something capable of carrying plenty of luggage between his homes, and it also needed four-wheel-drive suitable for negotiating the rugged terrain of his Swiss alpine property.

The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape
The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape

The brand new car was shipped to the famous American modification specialist Genaddi Design, where the Bentley body was recrafted and extended into a new "estate car" shape. At the same time, a 4WD system from a Cadillac Escalade was fitted to enable the twin-turbo engine to spread that 1,000 Nm (738 lb·ft) of torque across all four wheels.

Cargo space of the modified Bentley Arnage
Cargo space of the modified Bentley Arnage

Numerous modifications to the function of the car were performed at that time, including the fitment of a Webasto double sunroof.

Upon receiving the modified, but still new, Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy, where a third handcrafted interior was completed.

Upon receiving the modified, but still new Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy where a third handcrafted interior was completed
Upon receiving the modified, but still new Bentley at his home in Monaco, the owner was unsatisfied with the interior created by Genaddi, and subsequently sent it onwards to Pininfarina in Italy where a third handcrafted interior was completed

By the time it had returned from the Pininfarina coachwork facility outside Turin, the AWD Bentley station wagon had cost US$900,000, and over the subsequent 15 years it has travelled just 40,000 km (24,855 mi) and been fastidiously maintained by the Bentley dealerships in Monaco and St Moritz.

Last Sunday, at Artcurial's Monaco auction, the car was offered with an estimated price of €80,000 to €160,000 (US$90,700 to $181,450), but failed to make reserve, probably because the extensive modifications will make registration difficult in some countries.

The car is still for sale, and given the extraordinary craftsmanship, it looks like excellent value for the right buyer as all that sunk expense has already been paid for. From the seller's viewpoint, if $100,000 is recouped from the sale, he has discounted the new price by 90 percent, paying $20 a km ($32.19 per mi) for that unique functionality.

Source: Artcurial

View gallery - 10 images
4 comments
4 comments
Redmercury
Horrendously ugly.
GeneMasters
I wonder how much (wasted) money the current owner has tied up in that stinkwagon?
Bruce H. Anderson
Can it handle 4x8 sheets of plywood or sheetrock? I need a replacement for my 93 suburban.
Buzzclick
No amount of money can make up for bad taste.