1961 Bentley S2 Continental Sports Saloon
Coachwork by James Young

Registration No: JAS 767
Chassis No: BC26BY
MOT: Exempt

• 1 of just 23 RHD Bentley S2 Continental chassis to be bodied by James Young to their design number CV100
• Well specified with power steering, automatic transmission, electric windows and air conditioning
• Veteran of numerous BDC and RREC rallies and tours
• The subject of over £100,000 in expenditure in its current ownership, now coming up to 19 years
• Fresh from a complete engine overhaul with Overton at a cost of c.£30,000

'In the twilight of their coachbuilding years, James Young had with these cars reached the pinnacle of excellence.' - Martin Bennett, Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

In the 1950s and 1960s the Bentley Continental was the world's ultimate Grand Tourer, a car in which you could set off from any European capital in the morning and arrive at Monte Carlo fresh enough to play the tables that same evening. Introduced in the autumn of 1959, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 appeared externally unchanged from their 'Cloud and S-Type predecessors, though the duo's performance was considerably enhanced by the new 6230cc aluminium-alloy V8 engine. Although wider and shorter than the 'six' it replaced, the new power unit fitted relatively easily within the engine bay, relocation of the steering box from inside to outside of the chassis frame being the most obvious alteration to the previous arrangements. Externally the new models appeared virtually unchanged, while beneath the skin Rolls-Royce's own four-speed automatic transmission was now the only one on offer and power steering had been standardised.

Despite the popularity of the 'standard steel' bodywork, introduced when production of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars resumed after WWII, a steadily declining number of independent coachbuilders continued to offer alternatives. Arguably the most stylish were those produced to clothe the Bentley Continental which, of course, was only ever available with bespoke coachwork. One of the most prominent of these surviving firms was James Young, a company that had established itself among the foremost coachbuilders for upmarket chassis by the end of the 1930s. The Bromley-based carriage-maker had bodied its first automobile in 1908, affiliating itself with a succession of quality marques throughout the 1920s and 1930s before being acquired by the Jack Barclay Group in 1937. Its factory was devastated by wartime bombing such that the company did not resume exhibiting at the London Motor Shows until 1948, continuing to offer coachbuilt designs of distinction on (mainly) Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis until the arrival of the unitary construction Silver Shadow/T-Series range in the 1960s.

One of just twenty-three, right-hand drive Bentley S2 Continentals to be fitted with four-door sports saloon coachwork by James Young, chassis BC26BY was initially earmarked for John Rogerson Esq, however, it was actually built to the special order of Greek businessman C.H. Dracoulis. Finished in Glasso Green with Beige leather upholstery, extras comprised of a private lock to the passenger door, rear reading light, electric front windows and leather-covered steering column levers. With Mr Dracoulis changing his mind too, the Bentley was actually supplied new to W. Turner Esq. in 1961. Entering the current ownership some forty-four years later, ‘JAS 767’ has since covered some 35,000 miles on various BDC and RREC tours with highlights including: ‘Arabian Gulf Adventure’ (2009), Northern Italian Lakes (2011). North West America / Canada (2013), South East America (2017). Touring Sweden in 2018, the S2 Continental has since restricted its sorties to the UK. Treated to more than £100,000 worth of maintenance and improvement work over the past nineteen years, some £41,000 was spent in the first two years of the vendor’s custodianship, on the engine, steering, brake and exhaust plus the discreet fitment of air-conditioning. Another £33,000 followed with the last major bill being for a thorough engine overhaul carried out by marque specialist Overton Vehicle Overhauls Ltd in 2022 (c .£30,000). Offered for sale with V5C Registration Document, tool kit, spare wheel and history file (invoices, hand-written notes, build records etc).

For more information, please contact:
Andreas Hicks
andreas.hicks@handh.co.uk
07943584762