Bentley S1

Bentley
	Bentley S1 with factory body
S1 / S1 Continental
Production period:	1955-1959
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Limousine , coupe
Engines:	Otto engine : ; 4.9 liters (99 kW)
Length:	5400 mm
Width:	1900 mm
Height:	1630 mm
Wheelbase :	3124-3226 mm
Empty weight :	1975 kg
Previous model	Bentley R-Type
successor	Bentley S2

The Bentley S1 was a luxury sedan that was sold from 1955 to 1959 under the Bentley Motors 1931 Limited brand. The vehicle was technically identical to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud . The S1 was available from the factory with a steel body that matched that of the Silver Cloud. A special version of the S 1 is the Continental S , which was available with different bodies.

technology

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and the Bentley both used the six-cylinder engine (4887 cm³) known from the previous model. The bore was 95.25 mm, the stroke 114.3 mm and the compression ratio was 6.6: 1. The engine was equipped with SU twin carburetors , which were replaced by newer models from 1957. A 4-speed automatic transmission only part of the standard equipment and there was a 4-speed manual circuit as an option until 1957. There was the S1 with two wheelbases: 3124 mm and 3226 mm from the 1957th

Factory body

The series body corresponded to that of the Silver Cloud. The only differentiator was the radiator design and emblem.

Special bodies

Park Ward, part of the Rolls-Royce Group, converted several factory bodies into convertibles at the customer's request. Other special bodies came from Graber , Hooper , James Young and HJ Mulliner . They delivered coupés, convertibles and limousine bodies, which were developed in consultation with the customers and differed more or less strongly from the factory bodies.

Continental S1

A slightly sportier S1 Continental variant was introduced six months later. It was provided exclusively with independent superstructures from independent body construction companies. The most famous version is the Continental S1 Sports Saloon, a four-seater hatchback coupe designed and built by HJ Mulliner & Co. Mulliner had already produced a very similar version for the previous model, the Bentley R-Type. Mulliner also produced individual Continental convertibles. There were also bodies by Park Ward , James Young and Hooper , many of which were designed as four-door sedans. By 1959, 431 units of the S1 Continental had been built.

Performance

A model with the short wheelbase was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1957 and reached a top speed of 166 km / h and was able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 13.1 s. The fuel consumption was measured at 17.5 l / 100 km.