1960 Bentley S2 Continental Drophead Coupe

Lot details
Registration No: MAS 844
Chassis No: BC82AR
Mot Expiry: Oct 2018

- 1 of just 125 Park Ward bodied examples (60 RHD / 65 LHD) and supplied new to C. Neale Esq.

- Four former keepers and current ownership since 2005

- Regularly serviced by a marque specialist, history file, handbook, tool kit

Having caught John P. Blatchley's eye with a striking Alfa Romeo coupe displayed at the Turin Salon, Norwegian designer Wilhelm Koren joined Rolls-Royce / Bentley's in-house styling department during 1957. No stranger to the avantgarde, the drophead coupe coachwork that he devised for the upcoming Bentley S2 Continental sported a straight-through wing line, cut-back wheelarches and jet engine-inspired head / tail lights. Conscious that Project Tibet (which evolved into the Silver Shadow) would be deemed equally radical and therefore eager to test the public's reaction to a more modern Rolls-Royce / Bentley aesthetic, Managing Director Dr Frederick Llewellyn-Smith green-lit Koren's Design No. 991 for Park Ward. Debuting at the 1959 Earls' Court Motor Show alongside its Bentley S2 Standard Steel Saloon and S2 Continental siblings, the luxurious Drophead Coupe further broke with tradition by utilising contemporary aircraft construction techniques (such as an Erco 300-ton stretch press for panel forming and strengthening spot welds etc). Powered by an all-new 6230cc V8 engine allied to four-speed automatic transmission, the newcomer's Continental features encompassed a taller 2.92:1 (as opposed to 3.08:1) rear axle ratio, inclined steering column, lowered radiator, nigh on 120mph claimed top speed and four (rather than two) shoes for its front drum brakes. While to the interior, Design No. 991 boasted a more driver focused instrument nacelle and front seats that were better suited to spirited driving. A marked success, 125 of the 388 Bentley S2 Continentals made were bodied as Drophead Coupes by Park Ward (60 RHD / 65 LHD). Among the most expensive cars available at the time, owners included celebrities, captains of industry and King Hassan II of Morocco.

Supplied new to C. Neale Esq. who had it road registered as `GEE 1', this particular example - chassis BC82AR - is understood to have had three subsequent keepers before entering the current ownership during 2005. Entrusted to a marque specialist for regular servicing since then, the Bentley has also benefited from some sympathetic modernisation namely the installation of seatbelts by Quicks (2008) and a Becker Mexico Radio complete with sat-nav and Bluetooth / iPhone connectivity plus speakers concealed in its rear armrests (2009). Treated to electronic ignition (2011) and a new starter motor (2016) to facilitate easy starting and smooth running, the S2 Continental is variously described by the vendor as being in `average' (bodywork, paintwork, electrical equipment) or `good' (engine, automatic gearbox, interior trim) condition. Reportedly only for sale due to retirement, he tells us that the Drophead Coupe has a power hood and power steering and is `a very usable classic well able to keep up with modern traffic flows'. Rare and elegant in equal measure, this imposing Bentley S2 Continental is offered for sale with V5C Registration Document, handbook, tool kit, old MOTs, RREC copy chassis records, sundry invoices and a current `no advisories' MOT certificate valid until October 2018.