Lot 1072: 1964 Bentley S3 Saloon

Launched in 1962, the Bentley S3 and its Rolls-Royce equivalent, the Silver Cloud III, employed the 6.2-litre aluminium-alloy V8 engine introduced on the Silver Cloud II/Bentley S2, though with larger carburettors, a new distributor and raised compression ratio, and came with Rolls-Royce’s own four-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. Most obvious among many changes were the adoption of a four-headlamp lighting arrangement, the absence of sidelights from the wing tops, and a slightly lower radiator shell. Inside there was revised accommodation with separate front seats and increased room for rear passengers. The last mainstream Bentley to employ a separate chassis, the S3 remained in production until superseded by the unitary-construction T-Series in late 1965.

“The size and grandeur of the car… deceive one about the performance which would do justice to many a car of more sporting pretensions. The finish, both in detail and the broader sense of equipment and trim is superb. The excellence of the interior is the sort which only skilled craftsmen can achieve using traditional materials with modern manufacturing aids of durability. Care and deep thought have obviously gone into its assembly, traditional features have not been discarded lightly and the richness of the car, its long life expectancy, and the modest depreciation which can be expected go a long way to justifying the cost.” The Motor magazine was, in fact, referring to the Silver Cloud III but its words, of course, apply equally to the Bentley.

Dating from the final year of production, this left-hand drive Bentley S3 was first owned by Mr Robin A Elverson, of Houston, Texas and next by Mr Lincoln Cabdaloff, of Cathedral City, California. Currently in the hands of its third owner, the vehicle benefits from a total restoration, which is recorded in a complete pictorial review showing it before, during and after. Finished in two-tone red with red-piped tan leather interior, the car is offered with State of California Certificate of Title.