The last of the left‑hand drives
The last of the left‑hand drives
- May 8, 2026
- Posted by: Sitefun
- Category: News
Car enthusiast Andreas Wüest has a distinctive style, rivaled only by his 2010 Bentley Brooklands. Meet the man behind the wheel of the final model in the Arnage family as he takes the sloping Swiss roads in his stride.
Andreas Wüest’s taste in cars runs well outside conventional tramlines too. “I like to go under the radar, or completely over the top.” In the latter category he has a flamboyant 1962 Detroit land yacht, a Chrysler Newport and a road rally Chevy Camaro. At different times he’s owned several Lamborghini LM002s, a 1980s ultra-chunky V12 off-roader – one of them was later owned by Beyoncé. He also keeps a purple Porsche 911 GT3 RS at the Nürburgring, and a close friend has a matching one in orange, so when they duel it’s about the driver not the car.
EVERYDAY LUXURY
As for going under the radar, for a time he ran about locally in a little BMW i3 electric car. “It was one of my favorite daily drivers.” For other radar dodging times, Andy adores his 2010 Bentley Brooklands. It’s one of the most generous ultra-luxury coupés ever created. He has the final left-hand drive example made, the only later one is a right-hand-drive car the factory has kept for its own collection.
“It’s a full four-seater. Beautiful. Timeless.” The Brooklands is just the car he keeps for his home in Switzerland. “I’d say 99.8 per cent of people have no idea of this car’s value, or how old it is.”
The Brooklands’s interior, like the exterior, is beautifully crafted and swerves ephemeral fashion. Andy points out that the biggest giveaway to any car’s age is its screens and electronic displays: the Brooklands veils them. It has a superb hi-fi, and its dot-matrix display snuggles behind a hinged veneer panel while the navigation system motors up from behind a leather-trimmed door.
BUILT FOR THE JOURNEY
The Brooklands is a car that moves with grace, truly heir to Bentley’s DNA, and Andy doesn’t pretend it’s built for a racetrack or endless tight hairpins. After a chat and lunch, the awesomely three-dimensional Switzerland beckons: mountains, forests and lakes. “Up in the mountains on long corners of the pass, it’s a big, big joy. I drop all four windows because it’s pillarless. You get a great view of the mountains and the smells and sounds of nature. You’re enjoying the landscape. It disconnects you from stress.”
The Brooklands had a brief production span, from mid 2008 to early 2010, and represents the final model of the Arnage family. Bentley’s stalwart 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 was uprated to 537PS, and torque to a tidal 774lb ft. Which urged this 6062lbs leviathan from rest to 60mph in 5.0 seconds. Andy loves the feeling of irresistible force meeting ostensibly immovable objects. “This car never feels stressed. It doesn’t mind if you press the accelerator. It’s like being in an elevator going up several floors. You have to brace yourself when it gets moving.”
OVER A CENTURY OF STYLE
Andy perceives the links between the Brooklands and the modern Bentley Continental family – their aristocratic discretion, their imperial powertrains, their solidity, their craft. The Brooklands faces both directions along the golden thread of Bentley’s history. Andy follows it back to the origins. “In this car you feel the heritage, feel the weight, the torque, the materials. To have kept those over a century is truly unique.”
There’s something personal too. “I like the story of the Bentley Boys. I have a group of friends who are a bit rock’n’roll. That’s the connection with the Bentley Boys – the cars, the driving, the lifestyle, the traveling. My goal is always to do stuff I want to do and not do stuff I don’t want to do. People say I didn’t sign up for the system.”
In this car you feel the heritage, feel the weight, the torque, the materials. To have kept those over a century is truly unique.
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