1957 Bentley Continental S1 Saloon

This 1957 Bentley S1 Saloon was delivered to coachbuilders Freestone & Webb on May 24th of 1957. The car was fitted with power-assisted steering and a four-speed automatic Turbo-Hydra-matic transmission. The work was commissioned by dealer, H.R. Owen Ltd.

There would be only 13 examples of the Freestone & Webb Saloons on a Bentley S1 chassis, a further eight examples are believed to have been fitted on the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.

The first owner of this car was Mrs. M.Y. Herbert Jenkins who took delivery on January 15th of 1958. The present owner purchased the car in 1986 and had it sent to Florida. It would remain in his possession for the next two years. It was sold and later re-purchased by the present owner in 1999.

This car has been given a complete mechanical and body restoration. In 2004, it was given a bare-metal re-paint; the interior was re-trimmed in magnolia and cream with blue piping and the woodwork was refinished. The exterior is a two-tone blue paintwork that has all-fresh chrome.

This S1 Saloon has won its class at the Rolls-Royce national meet in Stevenson, Washington and it was invited to the 2008 Meadow Brook Hall Concours d'Elegance.

In 2008, this Bentley S-1 Freestone & Webb bodied Saloon was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was offered without reserve and estimated to sell for $75,000 - $95,000. The lot was sold for $66,000, including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009