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1962 Bentley S2 Continental

1959 was a year of milestones and introductions for the Bentley marque, and as the Series I six-cylinder engine was developed to its fullest extent, a new V-8 was introduced, replacing the former 160 horsepower (estimated) six-cylinder powerplant. The 6,230cc unit was built almost entirely of lightweight aluminum and delivered an estimated 200 horsepower. Its overall weight was similar to its predecessor, however, it delivered additional power and smoothness of operation. Hydraulic tappets were used to ensure quiet operation, along with modified lubrication systems, an 8 to 1 compression, twin carburetors with automatic choke, improved braking, and standard power steering and automatic transmission. The increased output from the L Series V8 allowed for improved air conditioning and fuel consumption was virtually the same despite the greater power of the new engine. Other features available include electrically operated ride control, electric rear window demisters, and press button window lifts.

The use of the V8 engine by Rolls-Royce was monumental, as the company had relied exclusively on six-cylinder engines since civilian production resumed at the war's end. First shown to the public in August of 1959, the second-generation Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 models brought added comfort and speeds in excess of 100 mph in nearly silent and smooth operation in a virtually hand-built package.

Bodies nearly identical to the Series I cars were produced at the factory along with a limited number of factory saloon bodies being sent directly to coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner in London. Mulliner became part of Rolls-Royce in 1959 and was further merged with coachbuilder Park Ward in 1961. A total of 1,863 standard and 57 long-wheelbase S2 models were produced between 1959 and 1962. 15 examples were drophead coupes and 128 (possibly as few as 125) were Flying Spur Saloons by H.J. Mulliner. Other coachbuilders to cloth the S2 include James Young, Hooper, and Wendler.

The Bentley Continental was envisaged exclusively as a two-door model, but near the close of 1957, production of a four-door variation was sanctioned with the work handled by H.J. Mulliner. Introduced on the S1 Continental and known as the 'Flying Spur', this design was a collaborative effort by Rolls-Royce's in-house styling department and H. J. Mulliner. Its resemblance was similar to the two-door Continental and existing coach-built four-door styles of Rolls-Royce and Bentley (non-Continental) chassis. The Flying Spur body style endured on the V8-powered S2 Continental and, with revisions, incorporated the S3's four-head front end following the latter's introduction in 1962.

The S2 Continental chassis differed by virtue of its four-leading-shoe front drum brakes, shorter radiator, and (up to chassis number BC99BY) higher gearing.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis number: BC122LCZ

The Bentley S2 was introduced at the 1959 London Motor Show. It included an all-alloy 200 horsepower V8 engine which had the same overall weight as the six-cylinder unit found in the S1 models it replaced. The S2 was equipped with a four-speed GM HydraMatic transmission, power steering, and upgraded power-assisted brakes. The Continental raised the performance bar even further, with upgraded brakes and a higher rear axle ratio. Top speed was in the neighborhood of 113 miles per hour.

H.J. Mulliner & Sons and other respectable coachbuilders were called upon to create custom bodies to appeal to those searching for more. The coachbuilt S2 Continentals were luxurious, stylish, and desirable.

This example was originally a left-hand drive U.S specification car that was shipped on May 28th of 1962 to J.S. Inskip of New York. It was sold to Mr. Richard Dietrich of Villanova, Pennsylvania. Mr. Dietrich drove the car until the early 1970s. Since then, the car has been housed in a garage and well maintained. it has been driven just 27,000 miles since new and has remained in the same family since new.

This H.J. Mulliner coachbuilt S2 Continental is finished in two-tone color of Sand over Sable. It rides on new Michelin tires. There are Sable-colored steel wheels with trim rings, hubcaps, and red pin striping. The interior is trimmed with tan Connolly leather upholstery and gorgeous walnut woodwork. There is an upgraded 'Metravox' AM/FM radio, air conditioning system, electrically operated windows, a heater, and seat-belt anchors and luggage straps.

In 2008, this car was brought to the 2nd Annual Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey presented by RM Auctions where it was estimated to sell for $175,000-$225,000. Bidding exceeded those expectations, reaching $264,000 including buyer's premium. The lot was sold.

by Dan Vaughan

Flying Spur

This S-II Continental was initially sold by Jack Barclay in London. When its first owner traded it back to Barclay in the early 1970s, Battle Creek, MI newspaper publisher Robert Miller purchased it and had it transported to the United States, where he drove it intermittently for many years. Shortly before his death, Miller sold it to the current owner. Not wanting to undertake a complete restoration, a 'preservation' process was initiated with the intent of bringing the car back as closely as possible to its original condition. Many items were repaired or replaced, but the car is essentially as it was purchased, and is used as a 'sometimes driver' at the owner's resident in Palm Beach.

Drophead Convertible by Mulliner

In June of 1962, Mr. J. Constant Van Rijn took delivery of this car through the local Rolls-Royce agency of J. Inskip in New York, who placed the order through the 'sub-retailer' Jack Barclay, Ltd., in the United Kingdom. Mr. Van Rijn was the founder of aerospace giant Rotron Manufacturing, now known as Ametek-Rotron. he purchased it as a gift for Mrs. Orser, of Woodstock, MY, who was said to be the 'love of his life.' This example has undergone a complete restoration by the current owner.

Coupe by Mulliner

This 1962 Bentley S-2 Continental H.J. Mulliner (Spur Coupe) Sports Saloon is one of only 29 left drive, alloy-bodied, high-speed tourers built to this body style between 1960 and 1962. This air conditioned, corrosion free example has traveled a total of only 82,439 kilometers (49,000+ miles) since first delivered to Fribourg (Geneva), Switzerland, to a director of Hoffmann-Larouche Pharmaceuticals.

This undamaged coachwork has been refinished for the first time in its Donegal Green shade which remains on the car today, since upgraded by Vantage Motorworks, Inc, over a period of a few years. The tan Connolly hides were redone as required and the correct air conditioning has been fitted. All of its tools, the small ones in their Mulliner box, the correct original manual and copies of the factory order accompany the vehicle.

The car is currently on its sixth owner.

Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis number: BC60LCZ
Engine number: C59BC

The Bentley S2 was introduced in 1959. It was an ultra-exclusive, high-performance model with H.J. Mulliner being the coachbuilder of choice for the sporting S2 Continental.

Bentley would build 388 examples of the S2 Continental with fewer than 100 examples supplied with H.J. Mulliner's two-door design.

This particular example is one of just 27 Continentals built to design number 7514 in left-hand drive by H.J. Mulliner. The body was formed completely from aluminum at the coachbuilder's West London works. The first owner was Henry T. Mudd of Los Angeles. It was finished in Tudor Grey with scarlet Connolly hides, cardinal red carpets and gray headliner. It was given many unusual features, such as electric windows; custom-tailored, lightweight front seats; Richmond-type lap belts; Sundym glass; special Tudor, type-two sun visors, brighter-than-standard instrument lighting; and a radio.

Upon completion, the car was set to the Official Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealer Peter Satori in Pasadena, California, and delivered to Mr. Mudd on November 6th of 1961.

Mr. Mudd retained the car until the fall of 1968, when it was sold to its second owner, James C. Armstrong of Midland, Texas. By this time, the car had been refinished in Sand and had accumulated just over 40,000 miles. The third owner, David Horne of Beverly Hills, California, acquired it in July of 1985. It would remain with Mr. Horne for the next twenty-five years.

The car is currently in the care of its fourth owner.

by Dan Vaughan

Flying Spur

After World War II, faster and better roads on continental Europe enabled cruising at high speeds for long periods. Bentley Motors responded with the Continental - a series of rare, high performance, and expensive motorcars to discerning owners from 1952 to 1965.

This car is one of the 49 left-hand drive examples built in the S2 series 388 vehicles from 1959-62. The S2 series introduced the new 6.2-liter V8. All Continentals were 'coach built' lightweights by H.J. Mulliner & Co. using aluminum panels over a frame of extruded light alloy, and weight was the key to Continentals performance. When customers demanded more rear headroom and easier access than the 2-door coupe, Mulliner designed the four-door 'Flying Spur', keeping all the performance in an elegant and more practical continental touring car. The combination of high performance, higher gearing, light weight and wind tunnel proven aerodynamics, enabled the Continental to achieve speeds well in excess of 100 mph, qualifying it as the fastest genuine 4-seater in the world at the time and also the most expensive.

LWB Countryman by Radford

Of the 32 long-wheelbase Series II Bentleys, this is the only one to go to Harold Radford for further adaptations once it left the factory. It has a very unusual all-black wood interior, and an electric sunroof. The original owner, Jerry Ganz, the inventor of the retractable seat belt, and many other automotive patents, owned this Bentley since new and it had been in his family until the current owner acquired it in March of 2020.

Drophead Convertible by Mulliner
Chassis number: B55 4CU

This 1962 Bentley is one of just fifteen such examples to be fitted with the special 2-door Drophead coachwork by coachbuilders H. J. Mulliner Ltd. of London. Powered by Bentley's own World-renowned whisper-quiet 6.2 litre all-alloy V8 engine and fitted with the famous Rolls Royce type servo (power) assisted drum brakes, in its day it offered the ultimate in grace and pace 'Alfresco' open-topped motoring. Even today the Bentley V8 engine remains unrivaled in the smoothness and quietness of its operation. This particular example was formerly the property of Mr. Barry Gibb of Bee Gee's fame. It has recently been the subject of a very comprehensive rebuild costing tens of thousands of dollars.

by Blackhawk Collection

by Bentley

The Bentley S2 was introduced in 1959 and produced until 1962. The S2 replaced the S1 and would later be replaced by the S3. The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I and the Bentley S1 had been nearly identical. This tradition continued with the Bentley S2 and the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II also being nearly identical. Most of the bodies were constructed by Bentley but few custom coachbuilders, such as Hooper, James Young, Park Ward, and H.J. Mulliner were commissioned to body the vehicles.

Under the hood was an all-aluminum 6230 cc V-8 engine with dual SU carburetors that would be used by Bentley until the 1998 Arnage. Servo-assisted drum brakes were used to provide stopping power. The front suspension was independent with coil springs while the rear was semi-elliptic springs.

The S2, by many, was considered to be the greatest of the S-series. These four-door touring automobiles were well known for their ample room for four passengers and their luggage.

by Dan Vaughan

A ride oozing pure luxury, the extravagant S2 Continental was a high-performance variant of the Bentley S2, which was produced from 1959 through 1962. The S2 designation stood for the new V8 engine and the designation 'Continental' had been previously used from 1912 by Rolls Royce. Standard on S2 models was power steering, a new dashboard and steering wheel, though some early models came with the earlier S1 dashboard.

The S2 was the replacement for the Bentley S1 and brought with it an all-new aluminum V8 engine that displaced 6.2 L over the previous straight-six engine from the S1. The new engine was a vast improvement over previous models. Fitted with twin carbs with automatic choke, the V8 engine in the S2 had a compression ratio of 8 to 1. Operating the overhead valves were hydraulic tappets while the cylinder blocks and heads were cast in aluminum alloys. To keep up with high-speed cruising on modern roads the S2 had a higher rear axle ratio and upgraded brakes.

A total of three hundred and eighty-eight luxurious S2 Continental's were produced during its brief production span. All models were drophead coupes or sports saloons with the exception of the 4-door 'Flying Spur'. Drophead coupes are two-door convertibles while a sports saloon is a high-performance two or four-door enclosed automobile with a front and back seat. The Continental line included the H.J Mulliner Coupé, H.J. Mulliner Flying Spur, the James Young Sports Saloon and Park Ward Drophead Coupé. Original to the Bentley line, the open Drophead Coupé was designed by Vilhelm Koren of Norway for Park Ward and featured an exclusive straight fender line. Out of the 388 S2 Continentals, only 125 models were built with this Drophead Coupé design

The 'Continental' form was the highest trim level available in the lineup and offered a much more luxurious and faster ride than standard production vehicles. Today the Bentley Continental S2 is a highly desirable collectible. Their special coach-built frame and 'higher-than-standard' performance levels thanks to lightweight body construction, robust engines and high gear ratios easily distinguish continental models from 'regular' Bentley models. They included lavish upgrades like press button window lifts, electric rear window demisters, electrically operated ride control, power-assisted steering, updated and more flexible AC and fully automatic transmission.

Famed coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner produced 128 examples of the four-door sport saloon 'Flying Spur'. Of these exclusive 128 models only 52 were left-hand drive models.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_S2

http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1064285

http://www.bentleyclassic.com/62bentley.htm

http://www.supercars.net/cars/5933.html

by Jessican Donaldson

A CENTURY OF INNOVATION: THE BENTLEY S2 CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR

•Elegant S2 Continental Flying Spur a landmark car in Bentley history

•Flagship four-door saloon launched 60 years ago to great acclaim

•Ground-breaking 6.2-litre aluminium V8 vastly improved performance

•Luxury features included press button window lifts, enhanced air conditioning and window demisters

•Electrically-operated ride control offered luxurious Grand Touring

•Bentley's drive for innovation still synonymous with brand in 2019

(Crewe, 29 March 2019) Bentley's centenary celebrations continue in 2019 with the anniversary of another landmark model in the company's history.

The S2 Continental Flying Spur was launched 60 years ago to great acclaim and is a timely reminder of the luxury British car maker's ongoing quest to extend the limits of innovation.

The elegant S2 featured an all-new aluminium V8 that afforded a significant boost in power. The increased output from the L Series 6.2-litre engine dramatically enhanced performance, while other exclusive features available in the 1959 car included electrically-operated ride control, electric rear window demisters and press button window lifts.

S2 Continental Flying Spur – Innovation & Elegance

The new Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur was hailed as one of the most luxurious and innovative saloons in the world at its launch in 1959.

A number of advanced features in the S2 were state-of-the-art for the time. The sleek saloon, handcrafted by coachbuilders H.J. Mulliner, utilised a lightweight aluminium V8 engine, replacing a six-cylinder unit from the S1 that dated back to the 1920s.

The ground-breaking L Series engine proved so successful it was later used in the Bentley Arnage and Brooklands models. A highly modified version is still fitted in the Bentley Mulsanne today.

Innovative Luxury Personified

The all-new V8 engine installed in the Continental S2 Flying Spur made Bentley's luxurious saloon even smoother to drive. The muscular unit transformed the British-built car into the ultimate Grand Tourer.

Power steering, electrically-operated ride control and fully automatic transmission were standard, while the boost in engine output ensured dramatically improved and more flexible air conditioning, the ultimate luxury in 1959.

The S2 Flying Spur was so advanced it featured electric rear window demisters and press button window lifts. A new dashboard and steering wheel design added to the exclusivity. In all, more than 1,900 S2 cars were hand-built between 1959 and 1962.

The Continental Flying Spur was launched in 2005, heralding a new era of luxurious, high performance models to the Bentley stable. It was the fastest four-seat car in the world at the time. Now, as Bentley celebrates its centenary in 2019, the Flying Spur remains very much a part of the company's future plans.

Bentley's Centenary Year

July 10, 2019 marks Bentley's 100th year – an extraordinary milestone achieved by only a few companies. To celebrate the occasion, a year-long series of special activities has been planned, with celebrations at events around the world.

Like the anniversary of the S2 Continental Flying Spur, they will showcase Bentley's motoring evolution over the last 100 years, highlighting its global success today and the exciting future of innovation ahead.

by Bentley