The History of One of the Final Bare Chassis Bentleys

By the mid-1950s the sun was setting on the coachbuilt era. Not only were car makers getting wiser to the needs of their customers, but mass-manufacturing techniques were becoming ever-more sophisticated. Steel bodies turned out by factories were approaching the quality of traditional hand-built bodies, plus the economy of scale meant they were considerably cheaper to produce. Even the traditional craftsmen and women at Crewe were finding that large numbers of customers were opting to buy completed Bentley cars, rather than simply rolling chassis. 

The Decline of Coachbuilt Cars

Titan of bespoke coachwork Park Ward had been absorbed by Rolls-Royce in 1939, yet HJ Mulliner remained independent until 1959, when it too would become a part of the Rolls-Royce fraternity. The wider car industry would eventually reduce the expertise of all coachbuilders to a series of ticks on a factory build list – but before that forced obsolescence, this Bentley S1 offered a last hurrah.

A Rare Appearance at the 2020 Concours of Elegance

I saw and photoed this car at Concours of Elegance 2020, where I learned about its history. In addition to this car being one of the final Bentley models offered as a bare chassis, this generation would also mark the end of several other Continental traditions. It would be the last to use the Rolls-Royce OHV six-cylinder engine; first used to power the 1922 Rolls-Royce Twenty. Subsequent Continentals would be powered by the renowned L Series V8. This Continental was also the first to employ a four-speed automatic transmission as standard, rather than a manual gearbox. Owners of cars with this much space and grace certainly didn’t want to swap their own ratios.

A Masterpiece of Craftsmanship by Park Ward

Owned by Dutch Sparkling wine magnate Eric Heerema, this 1957 Continental Drophead features bodywork by Park Ward. The company’s craftsmanship had been closely associated with Rolls-Royce and Bentley since the early 1920s. By the end of the following decade the Willesden firm was offering in-house custom coachwork for both marques. All Continental chassis were supplied bare for a select few coachbuilders to apply their talents to. In addition to those closely associated builders mentioned above, body builders James Young and Freestone and Webb were also contracted.

The End of an Era

As a mark of exclusivity and taste, few grand touring machines were made that get close to the timeless elegance of this generation of Bentley’s flagship coupé.

Technical Specifications

Engine:
4.9-litre, straight-six, 177bhp, twin carburettors

Configuration:
Front engine, four-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive, separate chassis by Bentley (steel body by Park Ward). Electrically adjustable semi-trailing arm suspension, servo-assisted drum brakes all round.

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