By 1959 it was time for a major change at Bentley with the release of the S2. Although from the outside the factory-built Bentley S2 looked almost identical to its predecessor, there was one very significant change mechanically speaking. The Bentley S1 engine had effectively run its course by this point and could not be developed any further. The approximate 160bhp output was more than sufficient but due to pressures and competition elsewhere an improved power unit to deliver more speed whilst retaining the refined performance was developed.
Like the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, the Bentley S2 was fitted with the new 6.2-litre V8 engine which was a significant upgrade when compared to its predecessor. The new V8 engine created 6,230cc and an estimated 200bhp, boosting the power by nearly 25%. It had been developed at Crewe for some years prior and was an immediate success. It was constructed almost entirely in aluminium and was of a very similar weight to the S1 engine but featured hydraulic tappets to ensure quiet running. A few other mechanical aspects were modified including the braking and lubrication systems, with automatic transmission and power steering now standard fittings, making the Bentley S2 a motor car capable of far higher cruising speeds than ever before. The S2 was capable of a top speed of around 115 mph with 0-60 mph acceleration in just over ten seconds, highly respectable figures for a car of its size and weight at the time.
The Bentley S2 was extremely well received for its combination of elegance, quality, and technological advancements. Production of the factory standard steel saloon models had been a great success on the S1 and Silver Cloud I chassis and this continued onto the second series motor cars, with approximately 1,800 Bentley S2s bodied and completed at the factory.
When considering the coachbuilt options on the standard chassis, H.J.Mulliner once again produced the “Adaptation” style cars in very limited numbers, one of our favourite post war motor cars.
The Continental designation was also continued from the S1 onto the S2, with H.J.Mulliner, Park Ward and James Young producing some beautiful coachbuilt options.
H.J.Mulliner offered two basic options. The first was the continuation of production of their four door Flying Spur design. Their two-door option came in the form of Design No 7514. Chiswick’s finest had enjoyed significant success during the 1950s with their iconic fastback designs. As the launch of the new Bentley S2 Continental chassis and engine drew closer the design team at H.J. Mulliner also looked to the future and began to make some small amendments to their S1 Continentals Fastback design by re-positioning of the front spotlights on to the top of the wing line. They also listened to their customers’ requests for a two-door design which allowed greater luggage capacity in the boot. The result was design number 7514, considered by many including ourselves to be the most attractive of all coachwork designs fitted to the S2 Continental chassis. They are extremely elegant motor cars and have exceptional driver visuals with such slim A and C posts.
H.J. Mulliner were entrusted with the creation of the closed body styles on the Continental chassis with Rolls-Royce turning to the experts at Park Ward, who had been owned by Rolls-Royce since before the war, to provide the styling and construction of the future open variants in the Bentley Continental range. Whilst at the Turin Motor Show, some of the Rolls-Royce hierarchy had been impressed with the styling of an Alfa Romeo coupe created by a Norwegian designer named Vilhelm Koren. They were so impressed that the Norwegian freelance designer was brought into the Crewe styling office and asked to design the new Park Ward drophead coupe body to be fitted to the S2 Continental chassis. The result was quite a departure from the previously familiar lines of the Bentley Continentals of the past, with a new straight wing line, rear fins and new styled headlamps. Steel was also used in the construction of the body, with it being used to create the floor pan, sills, rear wings and scuttle. The final product proved to be very successful and sold well much to the delight of the vindicated design team at Crewe.
James Young once again produced a limited number of very stylish bodies for the S2 Continental chassis, much inline with their designs on the previous model. Their work on the long wheelbase standard specification chassis was also first class.
The introduction of the Bentley S2 is seen as a pivotal model in history of the company, most specifically when considering the mechanical aspects of the cars they produced. The new model bridged the gap between traditional craftsmanship and more modern motor car engineering. The introduction of the V8 engine and numerous other technical advancements set the company on an entirely new path, with the S2 being the very genesis of this move.
Thoughts from Frank Dale
As a company, we have bought, sold and worked on hundreds of Bentley S2 and S2 Continentals over the years. They remain one of our favourites and we virtually always have at least one for sale and several in our workshops for servicing, maintenance and restoration.
A Bentley S2 factory saloon in good to excellent condition represents very good value in our opinion, whilst some of the Continental models are simply superb.
Our late father James owned both an S2 Continental Flying Spur in red and an S2 Continental coupe in dark green, both by H.J.Mulliner, during his lifetime, keeping both for several years. He rated them as highly as anything produced with a Bentley radiator and appreciated the comfort, style and performance these cars combined in one package. We couldn’t agree more.