Lot 421: 1957 Bentley S1 Saloon

Conceived as replacements for the ageing Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn and Bentley R-Type, the all-new Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Type were introduced early in 1955. The duo sported sleeker bodywork on a new box-section separate chassis - Rolls-Royce eschewing unitary construction for the time being - incorporating improved brakes and suspension, the latter featuring electrically controlled damping. Enlargement to 4,887cc and the adoption of a six-port cylinder head boosted the traditionally undisclosed power output of the dependable inlet-over-exhaust six-cylinder engine, which for the first time was identical in specification in its Rolls and Bentley forms. Automatic transmission was now standard equipment, with manual transmission a Bentley-only option up to 1957. Fast - 100mph-plus - relatively economical and cheaper to maintain than the successor V8-engined versions, the classically elegant S1 is arguably the most user-friendly of all post-war Bentleys. Chassis number ‘B431EK’ has the higher-compression engine standardised on the S1 and Silver Cloud from the autumn of 1957, as well as the optional power-assisted steering. An automatic transmission model, the car was supplied new via Rippon Bros, of Huddersfield in October 1957 and first registered ‘VWT 2’, the latter registration being retained by the original owner when the car was sold to the vendor’s family in 1965, at which time it was re-registered ‘215 HWR’. Maintained by a Rolls-Royce/Bentley dealer, the car was treated to a partial (lower half) re-spray circa 12 years ago following replacement of the front wings. Finished in Opalescent Black Pearl/grey with grey leather interior, ‘215 HWR’ has covered a genuine 79,000-or-so miles from new and is offered with old-style logbook, current road fund licence, MoT to August 2007 and Swansea V5 registration document.