1959 Bentley

• The only car built to Design No 7492 in right hand drive
• Finished in its original colour combination
• Still retains its original leather interior
• Fitted with factory power steering and power hood
• Extensive and very interesting history
• Believed to be less than 53,000 miles from new
• Complete with tools, all original literature and original coachwork drawings

Chassis No B20HA was originally completed in September of 1959, finished in shell grey (ICI M901-2582) with a red leather interior (VM 3086), the livery it retains some sixty-six years on. It was built to Design No 7492 by H.J.Mulliner of which only two cars were produced, this car and also one in left hand drive (Chassis No B101LGD) making Chassis No B20HA unique. It was specified with power windows, power hood and being a late production S1 it came from the factory with power steering and the later and superior mechanical specification of larger carburettors and dual brake reservoirs. It was originally registered XXA 262 which it still also retains to this day. The car was supplied new by The Car Mart Ltd to its first owner, Sir Bernard Docker KBE of Claridge House in London W1. Sir Bernard was the Managing Director of the BSA group of companies, Chairman of Daimler and was awarded a Knighthood for his work as the Chairman of Westminster Hospital. He had purchased the car as a gift for his second wife, Norah Collins who was a former show girl and the widow of Sir William Collins, the President of Fortnum & Mason. Her colourful exploits during the 1950’s meant that she was often featured in the press. She was well known for her partying, to talking her husband into commissioning a gold-plated Daimler for her and her extravagant spending.  After just under a year’s ownership the car was sold by Sir Bernard and replaced with a 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II drophead coupe by H.J.Mulliner. The Bentley was sold to Mr Neville Hamwee of Regents Park who kept the car for just a couple of months before selling it to another lady, Maureen, The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava who was originally Maureen Guiness, heir to the brewing family, society “it” girl and friend to the Royal Family. She kept Chassis No B20HA for twenty-five years and during her ownership she had the car repainted blue and she also fitted a silver Cartier St Christopher badge to the glovebox door, something the car still retains today. She sold the car in 1985 to James Carroll of Bexleyheath with handwritten letters between the two present in the cars history file. Mr Carroll and his wife retained the car until 2007 when it was sold to Mr Godfrey Hickson of Worcester who instructed Lea Francis Cars to restore the coachwork to its original colour. Following his passing Chassis No B20HA was sold and became part of the extensive collection belonging to Dr James Hull. The present owner acquired the car in recent years and instructed a thorough mechanical review by a noted Bentley specialist who has prepared the car beautifully. The car comes complete with an extensive file of invoices, articles and interesting correspondence over the decades. It comes complete with tools, original handbook, original maintenance instructions and original coachbuilders design plan, items rarely seen in even the most detailed history file. It should also be noted that at the time of writing the odometer reads just under 53,000 miles which we believe to be the total mileage from new. This unique Bentley S1 has so many attractive aspects, from it being a unique motor car, to its colourful and interesting former owners, to its beautiful original interior. It is a car we have long admired and is one that we are delighted to be offering for sale at this time. 

With the unveiling of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I in late 1955, came the simultaneous introduction of the Bentley S1, known at inception simply as the Bentley S Type. It was almost a carbon copy of the Rolls-Royce offering, identical in every way mechanically speaking, with a slightly adapted bonnet to suit the more curvaceous radiator shell of the Bentley. This was badge engineering at its finest and like the Silver Cloud, the S Type was tremendously successful, combining superb engineering with elegant coachwork. The interior was also beautifully appointed with only the very best materials, providing passengers with a highly luxurious and comfortable environment. The major difference between the two brands however were when you consider the coachbuilt options on offer, with significantly more choice offered to Bentley buyers. On the standard S Type chassis there were some very attractive options. The policy of converting standard steel saloon bodies (mostly Rolls-Royces) into drophead coupes at the H.J. Mulliner works was introduced in the late 1950’s, giving their customers an even greater range of options.