1960 Bentley S2

That business-person bias amongst the Bentley owning cohort is borne out by this outstanding S2. The car was supplied by dealers Rossleigh Ltd of Stirling via their subsidiary Grassicks of Perth. The S2’s inaugural keeper was a Mr George K Smith of the Forfar Potato Company Ltd, with the car being registered for his use in April 1960 against the registration number WSR 100. Mr Smith had specified the fitment of Irvin lap and diagonal safety belts and a factory fitted headrest to the front passenger seat. Mr Smith parted with the princely sum of £5660 14s 2d for the considerable privilege. 

Mr Smith would use the S2, one presumes, to transact the business of the Forfar Potato Company for the next 12 years and approximately 89,000 miles. At that point the current owner, Frank, purchased the S2. Mr Smith retained the WSR 100 registration number and a 1960 period 1960 Angus number of 8726 SR was allocated – a number the Bentley still possesses today.

Frank ran the S2 for both business and pleasure for roughly five years before deciding that this Bentley was a keeper. At that point he commissioned Bentley dealers, Appleyard Rippon in Leeds, to bring the S2 back to as near new condition as was possible. This process took from August 1977 until April 1978 at a cost of £3,774. Work undertaken included the fitting of four new wings, new sills, new front and rear bumpers, over riders, wheel trims and a full re-spray.

Since that point the Bentley has never been used during the winter months, and the bodywork has received only minor cosmetic repairs to keep it in good condition. Main dealers or specialists who had previously worked for either Rippon Bros or Appleyard Rippon have serviced the S2 every year for the past 48 years. After a full 54 years this delightful S2 is now ready for just its third owner to date.

It is rumoured that Rolls-Royce design legend John Polwhele Blatchley hastily sketched the Silver Cloud design just before a meeting, having had a number of more modern designs dismissed by the board. They were just too…..modern. Whatever the truth, there is no denying it is a fine, sophisticated and stately looking car. Old fashioned, maybe, but its design is essentially that of a scaled-up sports car. Drink in that elegant side profile and you see an almost unfeasibly long bonnet and a tapering roofline resulting in surprisingly short rear doors. It’s one of the reasons that the car looks especially good in two door form. 

Our example looks particularly sophisticated in its Smoked Green over Sage Green, two-tone    colourway. As revealed the paintwork dates to Frank’s bodily restoration in 1977 and the condition today pays testament to his sympathetic use and careful stewardship ever since. The paintwork seems to have been evenly and appropriately deeply applied and exudes a lustrous shine. A hand painted double coachline runs along the bonnet sides, across both doors before parting to encompass the rear door handles. It is all very classy and Bently-appropriate.

The front of the car is a particular highlight of Blatchley’s design. The more rounded and aerodynamic looking Bentley version of its double barrel sibling’s Pantheon grill looks enormous in this application. Topped with the flying B this signature accoutrement is accompanied by headlamps, driving lamps and a fully populated badge bar. The whole ensemble is underscored by a deeply chromed front bumper. It all makes an impressive statement. Add into this heady mix the big steel wheels disguised behind the chromed and painted hub caps complete with Bentley embossing and coachlines. 

Some minor blemishes are noted by our consignment team to include some paint bubbling in places, and paint cracks particularly on the door tops just below the windows. Nothing noted suggests any significant detriment to the overall condition of this luxury conveyance which remains impressive indeed.

The interior of our car is noted to be in its original condition and, as such, exhibits a charming level of patina and character. Considering the car’s overall footprint, the cabin is surprisingly compact. Both rows of seats consist of full width benches. These are upholstered into vertical box pleats, and both have fold-down, central armrests. These present in a rare sage green hue and, in our opinion, are delightfully patinaed.

To accompany the obligatory Connolly leather there are several cubits of walnut veneer in evidence. This adorns the bluff dashboard and the door caps. In the rear cabin it also finishes the delightful, fold out picnic tables and accompanying ashtrays. The vanity mirrors situated in the C pillars are also edged in walnut.

Carpets appear to be the original, darker green hued items and are edge bound in leather throughout. Door cards and headlining are all in good shape considering their originality. The dashboard is scattered with white on black Smiths gauges and chromed switches, buttons and organ stops. The original, large but slender Bakelite steering wheel is present.

The large boot is trimmed with a fitted and hard-wearing dark ribbed carpet. The spare wheel and new looking spare tyre are housed under the boot floor together with pillar jack and tools. 

The headline news delivered with the arrival of the S2 was the fitment of the 6.2L V8 to replace the earlier 4.9L straight-six. This upgrade greatly aided mid-range performance and top speed, if not fuel economy. The “V” configuration is also a tight squeeze in an engine bay designed for a lower number of cylinders in a straight line. The power output was quoted as “adequate” or roughly about 150 - 170bhp in today’s money.

This adequate power is relayed via the smooth four-speed General Motors Hydramatic automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. The brakes are drums all round and are powered by a semi-hydraulic and semi-mechanical system to ensure redundancy in case of a loss of hydraulic pressure.

Suspension is configured for cosseting comfort and consists of a live axle on leaf springs at the back and a very good independent coil system at the front, copied from a 1930s Packard. The shocks are lever-arm, adjustable at the back between a smoother ride or sharper handling. 

Our car is reported to run very well as you might expect from such a diligently maintained example. There are some nice bits of detail in here, such as the various labelling of parts and mechanics’ instruction plates. On its arrival with us our team did note a coolant leak from one of the rubber hoses that will require some early attention. The underside looks to be in very good shape for the car’s age and mileage. Plenty of preserving underseal still seems to be present.

This example of the S2 comes with a superb paperwork archive, too. The V5 Registration Document is present confirming the Bentley’s status as an Historic Vehicle. That renders it MoT exempt and zero rated for Vehicle Excise Duty. A selection of earlier hard copy MoTs is present, however, with the last one performed in 2019 at an indicated 54,526 miles (understood to be 154,526).

The bulk of the remainder of the paperwork is given over to an exemplary service history and accompanying invoices. Frank was able to secure the service records undertaken during the S2’s first period of ownership and appended many of his own to this handwritten record. These pages document the maintenance and repairs undertaken from 1960 to 1989. A further collection of invoices covers the period from 1977 to 2022, all originating from marque specialists. In short documentation is on hand to corroborate a maintenance spend in excess of £50,000 just during Frank’s tenure.

This remarkable Bentley S2 has a great deal going for it. It presents in a splendid condition for a 66-year-old car and boasts a suitably regal looking two-tone livery. Its interior delivers unmatched originality and charm and looks like a deeply inviting space to spend time in. Lastly there is this car’s two owner provenance and a maintenance record that is second to none. They certainly don’t make them like they used to, and this example is likely to represent a promising, enjoyable, comfortable and sophisticated investment for its next owner.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.