Bentley

S1 Continental

The price is not specified, you need to call to find out

Call For Price

Bonhams

This car is Lot 130 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at The Bonmont Sale on 29 June, please see the Bonhams website for full details.

Public Viewing:
Available Friday 27 June from 13:00 until 19:00, Saturday 28 June from 10:00 until 18:00 and Sunday 29 June from 10:00, at The Golf & Country Club de Bonmont.

Lot 130

1956 Bentley S1 Continental Sports Saloon
Registration no. 
Chassis no. BC51LAF

	Unsurpassed style and luxury
	One of 431 S1 Continentals
	Rare left-hand drive example
	Automatic transmission
	Partially restored 2023-2024
	History file available

Bentley's magnificent Continental sports saloon has been synonymous with effortless high speed cruising in the grand manner since its introduction on the R-Type chassis in 1952. Unlike the ordinary, factory-bodied, 'standard steel' R-Type, the Continental was bodied in the traditional manner and first appeared with what many enthusiasts consider to be the model's definitive style of coachwork - the lightweight, wind tunnel-developed fastback of H J Mulliner. 

The Continental's performance figures would have been considered excellent for an out-and-out sports car, but for a full four/five seater saloon they were exceptional: a top speed of 120mph, 100mph achievable in third gear, 50mph reached in a little over 9 seconds and effortless cruising at the 'ton'. Built for export only at first, the Continental was, once delivery charges and local taxes had been paid, almost certainly the most expensive car in the world, as well as the fastest capable of carrying four adults and their luggage. "The Bentley is a modern magic carpet which annihilates great distances and delivers the occupants well-nigh as fresh as when they started," concluded Autocar. 

With the arrival of the final generation of six-cylinder cars - the all-new Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Type - the Continental lost some of its individuality but none of its exclusivity. Eulogising about the new S-Series cars, introduced in April 1955, The Autocar wrote, "the latest Bentley model offers a degree of safety, comfort and performance that is beyond the experience and perhaps even the imagination of the majority of the world's motorists". 

Later, in October that same year, the Bentley Continental became available on the 'S' chassis. "It brings Bentley back to the forefront of the world's fastest cars," Autocar remarked of the H J Mulliner-styled fastback which, arguably, was the quickest four/five-seater saloon of its day. The S-Type's new box-section chassis incorporated improved brakes and suspension and an enlarged &#40;to 4,887cc&#41; and more powerful version of the existing inlet-over-exhaust six-cylinder engine, which for the first time was identical in specification in its Rolls and Bentley forms. The Continental version came with shorter radiator and higher gearing and, for a time at least, could be ordered with right-hand change, manual transmission. As had been the case with the original R-Type, the new S-Type Continental was only ever available as a coachbuilt car, the designs produced by independent coachbuilders for the S1 Continental chassis being among era's the most stylish, although  arguably  none ever improved on H J Mulliner's sublime original. 

A rare left-hand drive, automatic transmission model, this S-Series Continental was delivered new in January 1956 to Switzerland and first owned by one M Dubois. Since then it has had only one further owner &#40;in Switzerland&#41; and in all probability has never left that country &#40;see details in the comprehensive history file&#41;. In 2023-2024 a partial restoration was undertaken, which included a partial mechanical overhaul included the entire front suspension, brakes and steering, while at the same time a most extensive programme of maintenance was undertaken. In addition, the complete interior re-trim is very well described and recorded by photographs and invoices. The aforementioned history file also contains a FIVA Identity Card and copies of build specifications from Bentley Motors and H J Mulliner together with various invoices, photographs and receipts arranged in chronological order. A tool kit is included in the sale.


All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.

Green

Beige

1 of 1 Motor Sports

Aston Martin Lotus Orlando

Audi Wesley Chapel

Auto Sport Classics, Exotic and Highline

Backdraft Racing

Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Maserati and Rolls-Royce of Chicago

Bentley Denver

Bentley Salt Lake City

Blue Chip

Boardwalk Ferrari

BRABUS

Brabus USA

Broad Arrow Auctions

Broad Arrow Private Sales

BROOKLYN AUTO SALES

Canepa

Carrio Motor Cars

Cauley Ferrari of Detroit

Cavallino Rosso St. Louis

Celebrity Cars Las Vegas

Certified Motors Group

Chicago Motor Cars

CLB Sportscars

Cleveland Motorsports

Combat Motors

Continental AutoSports

Copley Motorcars

Criswell Automotive

Dave Arbogast Luxury Vehicles

Desert European Motorcars

Dimmitt Automotive Group

Dimmitt Cadillac Clearwater

Driver Source

Driving Emotions

duPont REGISTRY Exchange

duPont REGISTRY Private Client Service

Earth MotorCars

EarthRoamer

El Centro Motors

Enthusiast Auto Group

EUROCAR

European Exotic Center

European Exotic Center CA

Euro Prestige Imports

Exclusive Automotive Group

Exotic Motorcars of Michigan

Exotics Hunter

FariCars

Ferrari Beverly Hills

Ferrari Lake Forest

Ferrari Los Angeles

Ferrari of Alberta

Ferrari of Atlanta

Ferrari of Austin

Ferrari of Central Florida

Ferrari of Central New Jersey

Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale

Ferrari of Las Vegas

Ferrari of Long Island

Ferrari of Newport Beach

Ferrari of Ontario

Ferrari of Rancho Mirage

Ferrari of Salt Lake City

Ferrari of San Diego

Ferrari of San Francisco

Ferrari of Seattle

Ferrari of Tampa Bay

Ferrari Philadelphia

Ferrari Quebec

Ferrari Silicon Valley

Ferrari South Bay

Ferrari Westlake

Five Star Ford Dallas

Foreign Cars Charlotte

Formula Imports

Fort Lauderdale Collection

Fort Lauderdale Collection South

Fusion Luxury Motors

GAA Classic Cars Auction

Galpin Aston Martin

GH Vehicles

Giant RV

Gold Coast Maserati - Alfa Romeo

Graham Rahal Performance

Grand Prix Motors

Grand Touring Automobiles Calgary

Grand Touring Calgary

Gullwing Motor Cars

Heritage Cars

Holman Motorcars Fort Lauderdale

Holman Motorcars St. Louis

HyperCars

Isringhausen Imports

Jaguar Clearwater

JJ Rods

John Scotti Automotive LTEE

Ken Grody Ford

Koenigsegg Chicago

Lamborghini Charlotte

Acura

Alfa Romeo

Allard

Alvis

Apocalypse

Aprilia

Ariel

Aston Martin

Atlas

Auburn

Audi

Austin-Healey

Brabham

Bugatti

Buick

Cadillac

Campagna

Chevrolet

Chrysler

Citroen

Clenet

Coachmen

Coco

Combat

Conquest

Custom

Custom Motorcycle

Dallara

Datsun

Delahaye

DeLorean

DeTomaso

Devin

Dodge

Dual-Ghia

Ducati

Essex

Excalibur

Factory Five Racing

Ferrari

FIAT

Fleetwood

Ford

Forest River

Freightliner

Genesis

Grech

Gulf Stream

Harley-Davidson

Hennessey

Honda

Hummer

Hyundai

INEOS

Infiniti

Jaguar

Jayco

Jeep

Karma

Kawasaki

Koenigsegg

Lamborghini

Lancia

Land Rover

Lexus

Lincoln

Lister

Lotus

Lucid

Maserati

Maybach

Mazda

McLaren

Mercedes-Benz

Mercury

MINI

Mitsubishi

Moke

Morgan

Moto Guzzi

MV Agusta

Nissan

Oldsmobile

Other

Packard

Pagani

Peterbilt

Sedan

Sedan long

Hatchback

Convertible

Speedster

Pickup

Coupe

duPont REGISTRY

New and Pre-owned Green Bentley S1 Continental for Sale

Find Bentley Cars for Sale by Model

Find Bentley Cars for Sale by City

Find Bentley S1 Continental Cars for Sale by Color

New and Used Bentley Cars for Sale