Lot 521: 1957 Bentley S1 Special Roadster
Coachwork by Horsefield & Son

This unique Bentley S1 Roadster is the creation of H Horsefield and Son, of Halifax. Established in 1948, the business was mainly concerned with the maintenance, restoration and sale of Veteran and Vintage vehicles, soon specialising in Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars. For many years they have been renowned for replicating bespoke coachwork of the great pre-war coachbuilders such as Vanden Plas, James Young and Barker.
In 2002 they were commissioned to build a bespoke Bentley roadster in flamboyant 1930s style similar to such marques as Squire and perhaps some of the high powered German chassis. The chassis is a reconstructed and refurbished S1; indeed, this may well be the first such vehicle to be constructed on an S1 frame. The whole vehicle is presented to the very highest standard with great attention to detailing including not only the under bonnet area but interior and boot compartment. One can only imagine that should a client have purchased a new S1 rolling chassis and commissioned bespoke pre-war style coachwork it would be hard to imagine a better result than the vehicle offered here.
‘YLG 10’ was restored to its current condition between 2002 and 2006 and wears Horsefield’s own full aluminium coachbuilt roadster body finished in Rolls-Royce Shell Grey. Other specification highlights include folding windscreen; original S-Type instrumentation; mahogany veneer dashboard; Connolly black leather upholstery and Wilton charcoal carpeting to the interior; hood and tonneau in black mohair; stainless-steel hood frame; two-speed heater; Lucas 9” ‘King of the Road’ headlights (with halogen bulb conversion); Kenlowe electric cooling fan; dual servo brakes (with manual balance adjustment); and 18" splined hub ‘knock-on’ 84-spoke wheels shod with Firestone Road & Track tyres. There is a side-mounted spare wheel, while the large-capacity hatch-style boot incorporates purpose-built stowage for weather equipment and wheel changing tools.
We are advised that this is a very well balanced car with light steering and taut suspension, which can be reinforced by selection from the dashboard for improved high speed cornering. The 4.9-litre, six-cylinder engine delivers excellent performance throughout the rev range courtesy of the lightweight body and well-matched gear ratios, making for a car that is perfect both for short sprints and long distance cruising at motorway speeds. Brakes are excellent thanks to the twin servos and simple balance adjustment, giving good progressive feel.
Sadly, with declining health the vendor has not been able to take delivery of the vehicle and reluctantly feels that it should pass to someone who is better able to enjoy the fruits of Horsefield’s efforts. MoT’d to May 2009 and licensed as an historic vehicle (road tax-exempt in the UK) the Bentley displays a total of 79,000 miles on the odometer while the accompanying Swansea V5 records only one former keeper. The valuable registration mark ‘YLG 10’ is included in the sale together with a photographically illustrated history file of invoices relating to the restoration.