Bentley S1 Continental 'Flying Spur' Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner 1959 - World Of Classic Cars -

Bentley S1 Continental 'Flying Spur' Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner 1959

The Bentley S1 Continental contrasted strongly with the company’s “Standard Steel” cars of the late 1950s. Whilst the Continental shared an identical chassis and engine to the standard S1, it boasted a 2.923 rear axle, which allowed for the 4,887-cubic centimetre six-cylinder engine, with its 8.0:1 compression ratio, to propel the car to sustained high-speed, long-distance cruising with incredible ease. Autocar magazine recorded an elapsed time of 18.8 seconds at 120.5 mph in the quarter-mile, which was much faster than the Standard Steel Saloon’s 19.7 seconds at 101 mph. It is no surprise, then, that the remarkable performance of the S1 Continental, along with its stunning good looks, made it the Bentley of choice for the fortunate few who could afford it.

Bentley S1 Continental 'Flying Spur' Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner 1959

Adding to the Continental’s appeal was the broad selection of attractive coachwork available for it. Amongst the most elegant and noteworthy was H.J. Mulliner’s Sports Saloon, which was affectionately known as the “Flying Spur” after the heraldic device of one of Mulliner’s managing directors. With its smooth, flowing lines and sporty close-coupled styling, it was one of the most dramatic S1 Continentals, and it is arguably the most desirable variant to be found today.
The Bentley Flying Spur was offered in two models, with either four or six side windows; the “Four Light” variant, style number 7443/B, was the most rare, as it was used on only fourteen S1 Continental chassis, of which only three were factory left-hand-drive examples. One of that trio is the car offered here, chassis number BC41LFM.

Bentley S1 Continental 'Flying Spur' Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner 1959

According to documentation obtained from the Rolls-Royce Foundation, this Sports Saloon was used by the factory as their 1959 New York Automobile Show car. It was then delivered through famous New York dealer J.S. Inskip to Vincent Shea, a prominent Manhattanite who, along with his wife Madeline, was a prominent Rolls-Royce and Bentley customer for many years.
In its present ownership, the car has undergone extensive mechanical and cosmetic freshening by British Bentley specialists Padgett Motor Engineers. The car’s paintwork and brightwork were well-detailed, and its mechanical restoration included the installation of new suspension, braking, steering, and cooling systems, as well as a new exhaust silencer. Service work was performed on the gearbox, fuel, ignition, and electrical systems, new belts and tyres were installed, and a tune-up and final adjustments were performed.