Magnificently restored in the 1990’s to an extremely high standard
Mountains of paperwork and a in-depth hand-written progress journal dated 2021
Potentially the best example you’ll be able to find
The Appeal
Replacing the R-Type standard steel saloon which had been in production, with modifications, since 1946, this much improved successor was met with wide approval. This new offering from Bentley was larger than its predecessors, not only allowing seating for five adults but also in a more comfortable arrangement thanks to three extra inches in the wheelbase, enlarged headroom and even bigger boot space.
This particular example has undergone an extensive restoration in the 1990’s, completed to the highest of standards - and was maintained to this standard under the custodianship of the owner at the time until it passed hands in 2011 when it was sold on - since then the vehicle has continued to be loved and cherished, with absolutely no regard to cost. Truly the best treatment for what is potentially the best example available! sWBPKvaVnbUulOoKDv3lVJEzeeUJZTmXaFmlg5FI.jpg573.16 KB
The History and Paperwork
Supplied new in March of 1957 by Weybridge Autos Ltd to Mr L.A. Sim of Weybridge
Current V5C present with the vehicle
Complete handbook
Historic tax discs for the vehicle from years 1992, 1994-1998, 2000-2007, 2009-2013 and 2015
Historic MOT certificates for the vehicle present in the paperwork dating back as far as 1991
Used car invoice from 1991, stating that a Porsche 911 was traded in for the purchase of this Bentley S1 from Bob Watson Specialist Cars
Business cards held from the restoration for the upholsterers (Suffolk & Turley), the bodyshop (R.S Panels), and the woodworkers (J.A. Cook Coachworks)
Invoice for a complete interior retrim in 1992 at the cost of £7,990 from Suffolk & Turley
Invoice for bodywork carried out in March 1992 at the cost of £6,298 from R. S. Panels
Another bodywork invoice for further bodywork carried out in July 1992 at the cost of £6,057 from R. S. Panels
Invoice for woodwork repairs in 1992 at the cost of £1,116 from J. A. Cook Coachworks
Multiple four figure invoices from A. B. Price Ltd for mechanical work carried out in 1993
Plethora of high value invoices from Silver Service Ltd / Flying Spares
Lots of service invoices for the vehicle
A hand-written progress journal written by the previous owner, John Kennard, for works undertaken from 2020 onwards. This journal includes dates, the work carried out as well as the time taken and any diagrams which were required at the time. Extremely thorough!
Expertly retrimmed in 1992 at the eye watering expense of £7,990
Interior woodwork professionally restored costing £1,116 in 1992
Handsome two-tone green interior upholstery
Excellent brightwork
Carpets beautifully kept
Original Smiths gauges all remain functional
Central armrests front and rear
Foldable tables in the rear
Headining in gorgeous shape
C pillar mirrors
Recently fitted period-looking seatbelts
There’s nothing quite like a Bentley. Interior build quality is, and always has been, second to none with the most refined materials that will satisfy even the most demanding of customers. This particular example underwent a rather expensive retrim to the highest of quality back in 1992, as well as having the woodwork refurbished by a fantastic Coachworks. The sum of money this Bentley has had thrown at it (especially for the 90’s) is rather impressive, but it looks like every penny was well worth it.
Opening the passenger side door, we’re immediately welcomed with the lavish and eye-catching two tone leather upholstery, which presents itself wonderfully with minimal signs of use and no damage to be seen - it has been excellently cared for and maintained over the years. Sitting down onto the seat we’re presented with the original steering wheel which shows no signs of any wear, and just behind sits the expertly restored wooden dash panelling which is an absolute marvel to look at. J. A. Cook Coachwork did a fabulous job of the woodwork restoration, and the owners thereafter have done a great job of keeping on top of it to have it looking as good as ever. The gauges mounted in the dash all remain completely functional and remain in lovely shape with no signs of ageing or fading.
Slipping into the rear of this opulent land yacht, the same story remains. The leather is in absolutely gorgeous condition with virtually no signs of use, the woodworking looks as good as it did in the 50’s (maybe better, even) and the carpets are bright and damage free. The rear is really where you want to be sitting in a car like this, ample leg room, arm rests on both sides, a fold-down wooden table built into the rear of the seat in front of you, and a driver to take you wherever you please. Sounds like the dream doesn’t it? The c-pillar vanity mirrors remain in place with excellent wooden trim, and all of the brightwork to be found on the table hinges, armrest hinges and even the seat belt buckles (it’s all in the details) is very well kept.
Door cards are all in fabulous shape, with just some very very faint marks on the lower portion of the fronts due to shoe scuffs getting in and out - extremely easy to overlook however, we’re seriously picking at straws here. The leather work on the doors is magnificently kept as is the brightwork on the handles and window winders. Looking up, even the headlining is in like-factory condition with well defined stitching, no sagging to be present and the small overhead light dome for the rear passengers.
In the boot, even more perfection is unravelled, the floor carpet remains in good undamaged condition with some visual marks, and the wall carpets are all seemingly in great shape. Just underneath in the service compartment, a full size spare tyre is present as is the original car jack, torch, and tools. Extremely rare pieces on their own!
Overall, the inside of this S1 is an absolute time warp. It whisks you away to the 50’s and makes you feel like you’ve just taken delivery of your brand new Bentley, lavish leather and stunning woodwork throughout makes this a hard one to beat from any perspective.
Original Flying B Bentley logo with very gentle patina - a nice touch
Like any Bentley, as soon as you see that big attention-demanding grill you know you’re in the presence of something meaningful. There really isn’t anything quite like it.
This example underwent an extensive bodywork restoration during 1992 which resulted in gut-wrenching invoices from the experts at R. S. Panels. The first, being issued on the 31st of March 1992, has a job description of removing bumpers, lamps, bonnet, boot, and wings for access to cut away the N/S sill, lower rear section of the rear wings, rear of the O/S chassis member, front of the O/S sill and rear section of the front wings as well as stripping all of the old paint off of the cars exterior. The manufacture of repair sections for the areas mentioned above, as well as the painting to match in. This came in at a stonking (remember, this was the 90’s) £6,298 - and that’s just one of ‘em! The other, issued on the 30th of July 1992, was for refitting all of the removed panels, flatten and polish the newly sprayed paintwork, and repair and rechrome of the bumpers and overriders. This one came in at a similar £6,057. Over twelve grand in bodywork - but worth every single penny.
Starting at the front, of course the brightwork all appears to be in excellent condition with no visible defects, just some watermarks here and there which are difficult to avoid. and the grill bars all remain straight and true. The Bentley emblem is the original, retaining a small amount of patina which we think is a charming touch to the car - a small piece of originality goes a long way. The headlight lamps are flawless with great clarity. Mounted to the brightwork bumper bar is a Bentley Driver Club badge, an RAC badge and also a Courage badge all mounted proudly and in nice condition with some gentle patina. Paintwork up front is, of course, in stunning well maintained condition with nothing to complain about.
Scooting around to the side of the S1, the curves show themselves off excellently with that two-tone paintjob - which remains in great shape with no signs of any damage or scratching. All of the body panels appear to be of factory fitment with no uneven gaps, and the trailing brightwork at the top of the door panels is in lovely shape, as are the door handles, mirrors and window surrounds! The original wheels present themselves beautifully with outstanding brightwork all round and no signs of age or damage that we can see. All wheels appear to be shod in rubber with plenty of trad left, with the proper period-correct white walls too!
Around to the rear of the vehicle, more of the same can be said with excellent paintwork present, flawless bodywork and brightwork that would make you have to put your shades on. The rear lights are in stunning shape with great clarity on the lenses, and the surrounds retain a nice shine too. The rubber seal around the rear central licence plate light dome has dried out a little bit on the left side, however we’re back at picking at straws with that.
Overall, magnificent. It’s easy to see where all the money has gone in this Bentley, and it’s even better to see that the hard work and care has been beautifully preserved through careful and loving ownership.
Sharing the 4.9L inline-six engine as the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I, they were the last vehicles to be powered by descendants of the engine originally used in the Rolls Royce Twenty from 1922 to 1929. The inline six engine produced enough power and torque to shuffle this big chunk of luxury all the way up to 103mph, which was rather impressive for the 50’s.
The mechanical history of this car appears to be very much the same as the aesthetic side - not a penny was missed. There are ample service invoices for general maintenance as well as some pretty in-depth investigation paperwork from 1993 with a labour charge of a whopping £1,879. Suffice to say then, the car has never wanted for anything, and still to this day that statement remains the same thanks to the complete disregard to money throughout ownerships. The aforementioned invoice is a good one - the job description speaks of completely stripping down and rebuilding all of the suspension components with new parts as necessary, cleaning existing parts, setting the steering to the manufacturers specifications, servicing the brakes and the hydraulic system. A new exhaust system was fitted and aligned to clear the chassis frame, the engine sump was removed and the crank machined and repaired. The list just keeps on going!
This isn't where the invoices stop though. Oh no. There’s a lot more of excessively high value lists of parts that could be as long as your arm - and listing them all would be a gargantuan task. The paperwork file for this car really does make for a good night's read. Or maybe a few nights, actually. Even from a visual standpoint, you can see how maniacally well cared for this car has been from a mechanical side of things, the engine bay is admirably clean as is the underside of the car.
If we’re being honest, there’s a lot to love here and almost nothing to hate. This has got to be one of, if not the best example of a S1 on the market at the moment with seemingly unmatched history files. There aren’t many cars out there with hand written booklets portraying the steps taken and the amount of time taken to do so while. You’re not just buying a car here, you’re buying a whole story, too.
What a beautiful and rich piece of history for anyone to add to their collection, something that’s sure to be a centrepiece.
Notice to bidders
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