1955 Bentley S1 Continental Coupe

The Bentley Continental. Few names in motoring history can evoke the same level of reverence from connoisseurs. The origins of the Continental can be traced back to pre-war days and a streamlined prototype named the Corniche, tailored for high-speed long distance motoring. The earliest Continentals were based on Bentley's R-Type when first launched in 1952, with aerodynamic styling, a higher performance engine and luxuriously appointed interior. With the advent of a new model, the S-Type, in 1955 came improvements in ever area, most notably the advent of the revised 4.9-litre B61 engine with a light alloy cylinder head and a new chassis with many suspension revisions along with hydraulic brakes all round. From September 1955 a Continental S-Type Bentley was made available, either in manual or automatic form, with a higher compression ratio of 7.25:1 (later raised to 8:1) and final drive of 2.923:1 for relaxed high speed cruising. The top speed was almost 120mph and power steering became an option in 1956 before being adopted as standard equipment in 1958. With a choice of coachbuilder, the S1 Continental customers had their new cars clothed by the likes of Park Ward and HJ Mulliner with smaller numbers from Hooper, James Young and even Franay and Graber. The interior of the bespoke Bentley was, as one might expect, individually tailored to the customer's requirements using the finest quality hides and timbers, all hand-made to the highest standards.