1956 Bentley S1 Continental Coupe by Park Ward

The tremendous success Bentley enjoyed with the R Type Continental continued onto the S Series chassis in late 1955 with a range of new bodies available to collectors. The Park Ward fixed head coupe was originally the brain child of legendary coachwork designer John Blatchley who had been largely responsible for the styling of the R Type Continental by H.J. Mulliner. 

Six R Type Continental chassis were delivered to the Park Ward works where Blatchley was given the task of styling the four drophead coupes and two further fixed head coupes on the R Type Continental chassis, a design which was later slightly adapted for the marginally longer S1 Continental chassis.
 
Chassis No. BC68BG was delivered new in November of 1956 to its first owner, The Honourable H.R. Cayzer of Bletchington Park near Oxford and supplied by Jack Barclay Ltd from their Mayfair showrooms. The Park Ward has had several interesting previous keeps including Lord Rotherwick. In more recent times it left Britain and became part of a noted collection in Switzerland where it has remained until recently returning to the UK. 

Our magnificent Bentley S1 Continental is one of just forty-five right hand drive all aluminium examples bodied by Park Ward on the S1 Continental chassis built to Design No 701. It is fitted with the arguably more attractive smaller rear windshield, with larger C posts, giving the motor car a more attractive side profile and overall appearance than the later “wrap around rear window” variants built to Design No 872. The car also benefits from some of the S1 Continental mechanical upgrades in the form of the larger 8:1 compression carburettors and the dual braking system, both of which were original fittings at this time. 

The car has also undergone fitment of power steering, a fan, cowling to aid air flow through the engine bay, and a high-pressure water tank by marque specialists in 2015/16 to aid the car in London traffic. It boasts an automatic, four speed box, 4.9 litre engine which is a straight six cylinder, accompanied by drum brakes that are servo assisted. 

Complete with a documented history file including information to the cars original build records and specification whist in production at the Park Ward workshops in London and copies of the factory chassis cards. It is also complete with all of its tools.