Charles Esther
Oasis star Noel Gallagher’s former “pride and joy,” a 1997 Bentley Turbo R, has been listed for sale at £1.2 million.
The deep red saloon features a powerful 6.8L engine and holds a special place in Gallagher’s collection of luxury cars, despite the fact he never learned to drive.
Gallagher famously quit his driving lessons after being mobbed by fans, opting instead to be chauffeured around in style.
A Glimpse of British Rock and Roll History
The Bentley’s doors open to reveal a cream leather interior accented with elegant wood trim.
This luxurious finish offers potential buyers what has been described as a “slice of British rock and roll history.”
The car is said to be in “excellent condition” and “surprisingly reliable,” with a five-door saloon body that sports a registration plate reading “OA6I6 2,” a nod to the upcoming Oasis reunion.
Mileage and Performance
Registered on March 25, 1997, the Bentley has clocked 100,000 miles over its 28 years.
The accompanying logbook confirms ownership by Gallagher and five others.
With a top speed of 150 mph, the car is capable of strong performance, though its rarity of use may require some extra maintenance to reach those speeds smoothly.
Noel Gallagher’s Driving Lessons and Luxury Cars
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader, remarked, “Cars listed by music legends don’t come around very often, and Noel Gallagher’s Bentley Turbo R is certainly one for the Auto Trader history books.”
Gallagher once shared how a driving instructor inadvertently attracted a fan mob during his lessons in the 1990s, leading him to give up driving altogether.
On BBC Radio in 2023, he recalled: “I was driving round a housing estate in Slough and [the instructor] told me to pull in. I pulled over, and she went inside her house. Soon, her mum came out taking pictures of me.”
The situation escalated as local school children flooded the street, causing chaos.
Gallagher said, “I was in a red Nissan Micra with a big L plate on top, surrounded by kids. That was at the height of Oasis mania. I thought, ‘Never again am I getting in a car.’”
Luxury Cars Without a License
Though Noel Gallagher doesn’t have a driver’s license, he continues to collect luxury vehicles.
He once called his purchase of a vintage 1967 Jaguar Mark II his “most expensive mistake.”
He explained, “I thought when I became a fully blown rock star, I was gonna need a car, so I got a Jaguar from the year I was born.”
However, the car took up to two years to be built, and by then, he had not learned to drive.
He recalled the moment a low-loader delivered the car to his house, and he nearly forgot about the purchase.
The convertible Jaguar reportedly covered only nine miles in five years.
Recent Driving Ban
In 2023, Gallagher was hit with a six-month driving ban after his chauffeur-driven Range Rover accumulated multiple speeding tickets.
He appeared at Lavender Hill Magistrates Court and was fined more than £1,000 for refusing to name the actual driver.
Oasis Reunion Tour
This year, Noel Gallagher will reunite with his brother Liam Gallagher for the first Oasis reunion tour since 2009.
The Bentley Turbo R stands as a symbol of the rockstar’s legendary lifestyle during the band’s peak years.
