The S3 was the last of the S Series of Bentleys—and the last Bentley to utilize traditional, coachbuilt body-on-chassis construction. It combined old-world craftsmanship and superb British engineering with modern styling touches, most notably quad headlamps, a nod to American design trends.
Interiors were lushly trimmed in thick hides, surrounded by burled walnut and all of the most lavish luxury features. The S3 was, simply put, the car in which to see and be seen during the early 1960s.
According to the detailed Bentley build sheets, the example presented here was built to U.S. specifications, with left-hand-drive, a radio with power aerial, electric windows, and Sundym glass throughout, and it was originally finished in Black Pearl over Beige interior.
Its original owner was Howard Lewis Allen Jr, whose residences were recorded as an apartment in The Cambridge House at 175 West 13th Street in New York City and a country house on Interlaken Road in Lakeville, Connecticut. Mr Allen chose to take delivery of his Bentley in England in December 1962 and undoubtedly enjoyed driving it on the country roads of its homeland before bringing it with him to the United States.
Reportedly acquired by the present owner as a sound original example, it underwent a full nut-and-bolt restoration in Turin, Italy, to the original specifications. The only alteration to the original finish was to paint the roof and upper body panels of the car a rich Sand, which serves as a stunning counterpoint to the Black Pearl finish below.
The lenses of the Lucas lights are crisp and clear, the bodywork is beautiful, with excellent panel fit, and the interior upholstery and woodwork are appropriately rich and sumptuous. Today, the interior of this car is just as comfortable as when it was new, and it remains a superb touring conveyance for either the roads of Monaco or the streets of a world capital.
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