Beschreibung:

Described by The Autocar as, “A new stage in the evolution of the post-war Bentley,” the 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. With the arrival in 1955 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, a state of affairs that continued after the arrival of the V8-engined S2. With development of its dependable six-cylinder engine nearing an end, and facing competition from faster rivals in the United States market, Rolls-Royce turned to V8 power as the 1960s approached. Introduced in the autumn of 1959, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 appeared externally unchanged from their Silver Cloud and S-Type predecessors, though their performance was considerably enhanced by the new 6,230cc aluminium-alloy engine. “The Bentley S2, with its sister Rolls-Royce models, gives high-speed travel in silence and luxury, while the driver and passengers enjoy the sense of well being that only British craftsmanship can give. The V8 engine, with its flashing acceleration, certainly contributes to the result and is a definite step forward in Rolls-Royce technique,” enthused Autosport. There were few significant changes to the running gear, though power-assisted steering was now standard and the manual gearbox had been dropped, Rolls-Royce’s own four-speed automatic transmission being the sole offering. The Continental version of the Bentley was, as ever, exclusively a coachbuilt car. The firms of H J Mulliner, Park Ward, James Young and Hooper (with a solitary example) all offered bodies on the Continental S2 chassis, by far the most memorable being those bodied as coupés and dropheads by Rolls-Royce’s in-house coachbuilder Park Ward, whose influential design, with its continuous front-to-rear wing line, hinted at the shape of things to come. Sold new via Jack Barclay Ltd and first owned by Sybil Joseph (Mrs Maxwell Joseph of Park Street, London W1, this right-hand drive S2 Continental remained in its original owner’s possession until 1976, while correspondence on file indicates two further owners prior to the immediately preceding one, who acquired the car in 1991. Contained within the comprehensive history file are service invoices for the period 1979-1984 (Marshall Ltd, Peterborough) together with invoices relating to an extensive restoration carried out by Ristes of Nottingham in 1987/88. Ristes’ work involved stripping the car to bare metal and carrying out all necessary repairs by replacing corroded panels (sills, wings, rear wheel arches, etc) prior to re-spray. The engine was removed and totally rebuilt with new pistons, cylinder liners, camshaft, crankcase, valves, etc, while the gearbox also was reconditioned and all other components attended to including starter, dynamo, brakes, wiring, etc. By January 1991 the car had covered 5,000 miles approximately since the overhaul. Incidentally, it is recorded that ‘376 BLU’ had won 1st prize at a Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club meeting before the restoration work was undertaken! In more recent times (circa 1994-96) the car was treated to further major ‘bare-metal’ refurbishment, undertaken by marque specialists P & A Wood, and comes with their coachwork report (dated 1993) and invoices totalling £60,000 (restoration photographs are on file). ‘376 BLU’ was purchased by the current (fifth) owner in 2000 following a condition report (included) made by Hofmanns of Henley, and while in the vendor’s hands has been serviced regularly by Montague & Company of Guildford. Copies of the chassis cards (recording electric windows, radio and power operated hood as special features) and of the original logbook also are included, together with a quantity of expired MoTs. A potential award-winner in any company, ‘376 BLU’ is offered with old-style logbook, Sw