Lot Ended
Description
Much recent expenditure including reconditioned axle, brake and
suspension overhaul, major service and four new tyres; power steering; silky
smooth engine; good brakes; sumptuous interior; driven 100 miles to the
sale; aristocratic motoring at an Asda price!
Launched in
1955, the imperious Bentley S-Type blew the socks of the contemporary motoring
press who could scarcely believe how such a large car could be quite so fast,
smooth and uncannily quiet. Even today it is quite an experience to start the
car and not really be sure whether the engine is running or not until you gently
press the accelerator – at which point all doubt disappears in an
instant.
There is immediate surge from the big
6.2 V8 fitted to this S2 and it moves forwards very quickly indeed. Although the
actual figures are not that impressive by today’s standards (0-60mph in 11.5
seconds and a top speed of around 115mph), it is the way the power is delivered
that really grabs your attention. Silky smooth with bags of low-down grunt, it
is startlingly rapid for a stately home on wheels.
Built in 1960, copies of the factory chassis cards show that this S2
left the Crewe works finished in Shell Grey over Black Pearl with red Vaumol
hide upholstery, maroon carpets and a fawn headcloth. Extras included power
steering and electric windows.
There is no early
history with the car but the RREC will no doubt have records in their archives
should the new owner wish to know more. It seems to have gone abroad fairly
early in its life because the V5C records the date of first UK registration as
July 1989.
The story picks up again in 2004 by
which time the car was owned by Wellmore Associates of Oxon. Over the next 10
years they had it looked after by marque specialists, DEW Car Services of
Keynsham, with bills on file for this period amounting to some £15,000 although
half of this was spent when they first got the car and presumably got it fit for
regular use.
HPI records a colour change from
grey/black to gold in June 2014 so it was presumably repainted around that time,
although there are no invoices for this work.
By
2016 it was owned by a Mr Constant of Northants who had the rear engine
mountings replaced plus various other minor jobs by another marque specialist,
Colbrook of Peterborough. It then appeared in a Bonhams auction at Beaulieu in
the autumn of 2017 when it was sold for £29,000.
For the next six years it was owned by The Gonville Hotel of
Cambridge who really went to town on the car, sending it to Wallis & Son of
Barton in December 2017 for a major service and thorough check-over which cost
over £4,800.
In December 2018 it broke down due
to faulty ignition components, as diagnosed by D Moore & Co of Peterborough,
who recommended a whole list of remedial works which were then carried out at a
cost of £5,300.
In September 2023 it developed a
fault with the rear axle/diff so a reconditioned 13x38 ratio unit was obtained
from Flying Spares which cost £4,950. This was fitted by AB Classics of Wisbech
who also recommended various other maintenance jobs which were duly carried out
at a cost of £7,425.
These included an overhaul of the brakes and
suspension and a major service with all fluids changed. They also recommended
that the speedo be repaired or replaced because it had been stuck on 37,100
miles for many years. They said this would cost no more than £365 but the hotel
didn’t authorise this so it still reads this figure today.
Our vendor acquired the S2 in October last year to join his
collection of interesting cars. He has fitted a new set of tyres, changed the
oil and filter, fitted new spark plugs, new windscreen wipers and new halogen
headlamp bulbs so you can actually see where you are going at night. He also
replaced the rear windscreen rubber (a difficult job) and all of the door
rubbers to prevent wind noise and rain ingress - the driver’s door needs a
firm shove to close properly while the rubber beds in, but it does seal nicely
(see photo 54).
He has enjoyed using it
frequently, reporting that it runs and drives well with very effective brakes,
although he did point out that the engine temperature gauge doesn’t work. He
tried fitting a new sender but this didn’t cure it so he rigged up a monitor to
keep an eye on the temperature and it doesn’t overheat so he has left it alone,
reporting that the cabin heater also works fine once the engine has warmed up.
Although it no longer needs one, it has an MOT
until November 2025 with just a couple of minor advisories (if you ignore the
ones about the tyres which have all been replaced). As you can see in the
photos, it looks most attractive with just a couple of minor paintwork blemishes
here and there (as pictured).
Driven 100 miles to
the sale, it has been starting instantly and running beautifully as we have
moved it around on site, with healthy oil pressure. It comes with an original
handbook, plenty of invoices, copies of the build sheets, wheel-changing kit and
well-stocked tool roll.
Only reluctantly for sale
because our vendor now has the opportunity to buy an Aston Martin that he has
been eyeing up for some time, it looks excellent value at the modest guide price
suggested.
One of only 1,865 made before it was
replaced by the quad-headlight S3 in 1962, this stately old S2 has had lots of
money spent in recent years and is ready for a new owner to
enjoy.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970
309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com