Bentley S1 Continental

Bentley
Bentley S1 Continental Mulliner Sports Saloon
S1 Continental
Production period:	1955-1959
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Sedan , coupe , convertible
Engines:	Otto engine : 4.9 liters
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :	3124 mm
Empty weight :
Previous model	Bentley R-Type Continental
successor	Bentley S2 Continental

The Bentley S1 Continental is a luxury vehicle that Bentley produced from 1955 to 1959 in 431 copies. The Continental was a special model of the Bentley S1 that pursued a sporty claim. He replaced the R-Type Continental , the basic concept of which he took up and further developed. The Continental S1 with its individual bodies was one of the most expensive automobiles of its time.

background

In 1952, the Bentley brand, which belongs to Rolls-Royce, presented the R-Type Continental, a sporty alternative to the standard models of the R series , which was predominantly equipped with a two-door hatchback body from HJ Mulliner . In April 1955 Bentley replaced the R-Type by the S1, which was almost identical to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I . Both models used an identical body in the standard version; an individualization took place only through the brand-typical shape of the radiator grille. Six months after the introduction of the new S1, Bentley launched a new Continental series based on the technology of the standard model. As in the case of the R-Type, Bentley only supplied the ready-to-drive chassis, while the bodies continued to be manufactured by independent body manufacturers according to individual customer requirements. The Continental was only available as a Bentley; a Rolls-Royce counterpart was not offered.

technology

The technology of the Continental corresponded almost completely to that of the standard S1. Like the standard model, the Continental S1 also used a steel ladder frame . At 3,124 mm, the wheelbase was a total of 80 longer than the R-Type. The drive was the 4.9 liter in-line six-cylinder engine that was already known from the previous model and was now also available in the standard model. Compared to the regular S1, the Continental engine had a higher compression ratio, which was initially 7.5: 1 and was increased to 8.0: 1 in 1957. The exhaust system was also changed. With these modifications, the engine developed around 178 hp and thus 10 hp more than in the standard S1. The power was transmitted via a four-speed automatic; a manual four-speed gearbox was available as an alternative. From April 1956, customers could order power steering for an additional charge . Almost all vehicles that left the factory after this point received steering assistance.

Bodies

The bodies for the S1 Continental were mainly produced by British coachbuilders. Unlike its predecessor, the delivery of the ready-to-drive chassis was not initially limited to HJMulliner; Instead, from October 1955, all interested bodybuilders had access to the chassis.

HJ Mulliner

As in the case of the R-Type Continental, the body construction company HJ Mulliner, which was still independent at the time, was the preferred bodywork supplier. With 218 vehicles, Mulliner dressed more than half of all Continental S1 models. 123 of them were fitted with a hatchback body known as a Sports Saloon.

Sports saloon

Bentley S1 Continental Mulliner Sports Saloon

Mulliner's hatchback, which cited a special Bentley model from 1947, was by far the most successful version of the R-Type Continental with 191 units. For the S1 Continental, Mulliner again provided a two-door hatchback body that was identical, apart from a few details, to the structure designed for the R-Type Continental. The body was designed in 1952 with a focus on particularly high performance. The elongated roof section with its “uniform, breathtakingly curved line” from the windshield to the rear bumper served to optimize the aerodynamics. The structure of the coupé was made entirely of aluminum; the frame supporting the body was made of steel. The Sports Saloon reached a speed of 120 miles per hour (193 km / h).

S1 Continental Flying Spur

Continental Flying Spur Six-Light Saloon by HJMulliner (here a largely identical S3)

In addition to the hatchback coupé, Mulliner also had a four-door body for the S1 Continental from 1957. The vehicles were given the designation Flying Spur. They had a notchback body designed by Herbert Nye, which looked lighter and sportier than the cumbersome structure of the standard S1. The front section up to the windshield corresponded to the Sports Saloon. Mulliner's four-door hatchback had a lower roofline and larger glass sections than the standard sedan. The first examples of Mulliner's Saloon, known as the Six-Light Flying Spurs , had three side windows and very thin C-pillars . From 1958 a version with two side windows and a wider C-pillar was optionally available. It was called the four-light version. The four-light models are much rarer than the vehicles with three side windows. The price for a Six Light Saloon was £ 8,033 in 1958. It was £ 2,490 more expensive than the standard S1.

After the takeover by Volkswagen , Bentley took over the model name Continental Flying Spur for a sports sedan with VW technology that has been in production since 2005 .

Notchback coupe

As a further modification, Mulliner developed a two-door version of the Flying Spur from 1957. In contrast to the Sports Saloon, the vehicle had a conventional notchback and was extensively glazed.

Park Ward

Park Ward's S1 Continental Coupé

John Blatchley, the chief stylist at Rolls-Royce, designed a two-door body with a conventional notchback for the S1 Continental chassis, which was manufactured by the coachbuilder Park Ward , which has been part of Rolls-Royce since 1931 . The Park Ward coupe had wide doors, a small rear side window, and a wide C-pillar. The rear fenders, like most other versions, were clearly pronounced. At the rear there were small tail fins and three round taillights arranged one above the other. A total of 39 copies of the Park Ward Coupé were made.

An open-top two-door model was derived from the coupé design and is known as the Park Ward Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupé. The convertible was produced in 86 copies. Today it is considered the most wanted and most expensive version of all S1 Continentals. In 2010, Park Ward Convertibles reached prices of up to £ 450,000.

James Young

The body manufacturer James Young , based in the London borough of Bromley , produced some four-door sedans for the S1 Continental. The layout of the James Young Flying Spurs was generally the same as that of the Mulliner sedans; but the design was different in some details. This was especially true for the trunk line, which had larger curves, and for the shape of the fenders. The front section had less chrome trim than the Mulliner variant and came close to that of the R-Type Continental. Like Mulliner, James Young also supplied versions with two and three side windows. The James Young Flying Spurs are widely regarded as the most attractive four-door models in the Continental series. A total of 22 vehicles with bodies by James Young were built.

James Young also provided individual Continental chassis with a two-door saloon body. They had a wide C-pillar and a notchback with indicated tail fins.

Hooper

Hooper produced six copies of a limousine with three side windows, the front and sides of which are reminiscent of the so-called Docker Daimler . Roofed headlights were a special design feature. It was found in the Park Ward coupes and convertibles of the S2 Continental .

Graber

Bentley S1 Continental Convertible from Graber

The Swiss bodyworks Graber dressed an S1 Continental as a four-seater convertible. The basic features of the straight pontoon body were reminiscent of Graber's designs for the competitor brand Alvis , whose range of models had shaped Graber since the mid-1950s with its decidedly simple bodies.

Other versions

At least one copy of the Bentley S1 was dressed by Freestone & Webb .

See also

Bentley Continental

literature

• Mike Goodbun, Mark Fagelson: Choice of the Connoisseurs . Model history of the R-Type and S-Type Continentals. In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.
• Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 .

Web links

Commons : Bentley Continental S1  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Wood: Rolls-Royce and Bentley, pp. 40 f.
2. ↑ In 1961 Mulliner was taken over by Rolls-Royce and merged with Park Ward to form the new company Mulliner Park Ward.
3. ↑ Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.
4. ↑ Description of the S1 Continental Flying Spur on the Rolls-Royce Enthusiast's Club website (accessed on February 17, 2013).
5. ^ Wood: Rolls-Royce and Bentley, p. 40.
6. ↑ Illustration of the Park Ward S1 Continental Coupé on the website www.coachbuild.com (accessed on February 17, 2013).
7. ↑ Illustration of the Park Ward S1 Continental Drophead Coupé on the website www.coachbuild.com (accessed on February 17, 2013).
8. ↑ Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.
9. ↑ Description of the S1 Continental Flying Spur on the Rolls-Royce Enthusiast's Club website (accessed on February 17, 2013).
10. ↑ Wood: Rolls-Royce and Bentley, p. 42 f.