1961 Bentley

Description

Videos 

https://youtu.be/xo6Y1qcXduU Walk Around

https://youtu.be/WBH5hnbWshw Driving Video 

https://youtu.be/ySvlIhvNCnE Interior 

https://youtu.be/bHcgcCgtDss Top up and down

Near the end of 1959, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Series finally received the V8 engine they were designed for back when the series debuted in 1955. Despite the delays in development, the all-new engine was well worth the wait. Displacing 6.2 litres, it featured cast alloy block and heads to keep weight down, and while official horsepower ratings were never published, it offered a significant boost in performance over the outgoing six-cylinder. At initial glance, the new 2nd series Rolls-Royce and Bentley Standard Steel Saloon versions were virtually identical, with minor differences to accommodate their respective radiator grilles. Like the Mk VI and R-Type before it, engineers designed the S-Series chassis to accept either standard or coachbuilt bodies. By the late 1950s, custom coachwork was falling out of favor with buyers, so only a small percentage of production went to outside firms. Most custom work on the S2 was handled by the big guns of British coachbuilding – James Young, Park Ward, H.J. Mulliner, and Hooper. Bentley S2 production topped out at just 1,863 standard wheelbase cars, with an additional 57 long-wheelbase chassis and 388 high-performance Continental models.

This striking and exceptionally rare 1961 Bentley S2s is one of just 15 examples to feature H.J. Mulliner gorgeous two-door drophead coupe coachwork, of which only seven were delivered in left-hand-drive. Mulliner’s interpretation of the S2 draws heavily from the factory’s Standard Steel Saloon, and was actually hand-built by adapting the production saloon body into this elegant two-door drophead form. Perhaps due to the marque’s more sporting attitude, only a handful of clients opted for the opulent coachwork on the Bentley chassis. By comparison, Mulliner produced 107 Rolls-Royces in the same style.

Presented in a breathtaking two-tone color scheme of British Green over Shell Gray, chassis no. B423LDV wears a high-quality restoration performed by the respected marque specialists Vantage Motorworks. It is an absolutely lovely example, looking crisp and beautifully maintained since its refurbishment in the early 2000s. Accompanying factory records reveal it to be a genuine Mulliner drophead, ordered through J.S. Inskip for Dr. V.A. Aufterheide of Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Aufterheide specified the car in Shell Gray & Masons Black with black upholstery and hood, along with a host of interesting options. The craftspeople at Vantage meticulously restored the coachwork, refinishing it in a variation of shell gray, with dark green upper surfaces and a lovely dark green mohair hood. The paintwork remains in excellent order and the body lines are crisp and well-defined with superb panel alignment and doors that shut with satisfying solidity. The brightwork is similarly pleasing, from the chrome radiator shell to the straight bumpers and wheel covers with green-painted bands, and gray coachlines. Exterior fittings include a winged B mascot, dual outside mirrors, Lucas fog lamps, and chrome wheel covers with green inserts.

Opening the substantial door reveals proper fluted rubber steps and chrome “H.J. Mulliner Coachwork” sill plates. The cabin is trimmed in complimentary gray Connolly leather hides piped in dark green, and accented with dark green carpets and mouton wool overmats while finely restored woodwork graces the dash, door caps, quarter panel tops, and rear picnic trays. The leather trim is beautifully executed, and has taken on a pleasing character through occasional use. This particular example is quite well optioned, with fittings including the rarely seen factory tachometer in place of the driver’s cubby, electric window lifts, Radiomobile His Master’s Voice radio, electrically operated aerial, and electrically operated hood. The Smith’s instruments are in excellent order, as are the chrome switches and controls, which are delightfully tactile and precise. It also features optional in-dash air conditioning that is updated with a modern-style high-efficiency compressor. The boot has been restored using matching green carpet and mouton wool and houses the spare wheel, jack, air pump, and factory tool kit.

The engine bay and under-bonnet are finished in the correct tan shade, and the original, numbers-matching engine is appropriately detailed with proper finishes on the manifolds and accessories. It is tidy and appears well-maintained throughout, and runs exceptionally well. The undercarriage is similarly orderly and shows signs of use with appropriate fittings and components.

Elegant and finely crafted, the H.J. Mulliner Drophead Coupe is one of the most desirable variants of the Bentley S-series. Opportunities to acquire a superb example such as this are exceedingly rare, and it would surely be a welcome addition to any world-class collection. Few automobiles of the period compare to the Mulliner Bentley’s undeniable presence, and its effortless, easy-going nature makes it a natural choice for open air motoring on your favorite country roads.