1960 Bentley S2 Standard Steel Saloon

As the sixties approached, Bentley turned to V8 power as a way of keeping up with its luxury rivals, especially in America. A radical change was on the cards in 1959 as Bentley felt their faithful straight-six engine was getting a bit 'long in the tooth' and in the search for a more modern power unit, they turned to the General Motors inspired 6,320cc all-aluminium V8. The new engine was an entirely new departure for Bentley and caused some consternation amongst traditional Bentley customers, however, in execution, their worries were short lived as the new power unit delivered more performance with unparalleled smoothness setting the standard for the rest of the century and ultimately the 'S2' set the benchmark for others to follow.

The extra power produced by the V8 enabled Bentley to expand the list of features available on the S2 and they included fully automatic transmission, power-assisted steering, electrically operated ride control, redesigned and more flexible air conditioning, electric rear window demisters, and press button window lifts.

This delightful S2 was dispatched from Crewe on the 19th July 1960 and has been used as a wedding car for a number of years. Our vendor has reportedly spent some £12,000 in restoration works, including a respray in June this year. The car appears to have lived a cossetted life, the magnolia leather and red carpeting look in good order, with some wear to the driver's seat and loose stitching to the rear of the passenger seat, which leads us to believe that the car has "gone round the clock" as it reads some 3,200 miles. The car is presented to auction at a very attractive guide price with an MOT until June 2017.

*Library Photograph*