Bentley S1 Cabrio
Car-ID: XT0088
Vehicle Description
This impressive Bentley S1 started life as a sedan in 1956 and has been rebuilt at great expense to a four-door convertible some time ago. For over 15 years the Bentley was in the same ownership. In the course of the last year, over € 20,000 have been invested at a brand specialist in engine and technics – thus the Bentley is ready for action.
It presents itself in a pleasing condition inside and out, with only minimal blemishes to the paintwork. The chrome is complete and polished to a shine. The burlwood instrument panel and red leather upholstery, all in great shape, exude luxury from a different era. The comfortable seats – fauteuils really – and an abundance of room, front and rear, turn every long distance journey into a pure pleasure trip.
The right-hand drive S1 is equipped with a 4-speed automatic gearbox with column-mounted lever – at the time, quite a rarity! It features power windows and an electrically operated, black soft top which hides under a tarpaulin colour-keyed to the leather interior.
The S1 convertible has already been registered as a historic vehicle in Germany. Invoice documentation is available.
Luxury, elegance, greatness, perfection – the pinnacle of British car engineering in the 50s
Since the acquisition of Bentley by Rolls Royce, almost a quarter of a century had passed. The company policy mandated: Except for badge and grille, the vehicles have to be identical. Hence, the Bentley S1, presented in 1955, corresponded to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.
Compared to their predecessors, the new models had far bigger dimensions; a length of 5.4 m was a very clear message! Then this massive grille, the almost baroque, curved fenders: Everything about this luxury sedan was designed with the taste of the English nobility in mind. In accordance to this, the traditional design with the separation between chassis and body was retained, so that different compositions were possible, at least in principle, even if most customers opted for the standard design.
As for the engine, it was adopted from the predecessor, a six-cylinder 4.9 liter engine that accelerated the 2-ton sedan to a respectable 160 km/h, if necessary.
