Bentley S1, 1956
Bentley S I
Bentley S I•
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Chassis No.: B564EG
- Exterior: Gray
- Interior: Blue
- Right hand drive
- 4.9L inline 6-cylinder engine
- Automatic transmission
- Two-tone Silver and Blue paint
- Leather upholstery
- Burl wood dash and window surrounds
- Front and rear bumper guards
- Lucas fog lights
- AM radio
- Smiths instrumentation
- Whitewall radial tires
- Rear tray tables
With the 1955 debut of the new Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and its Bentley S-type sibling, British magazine “The Autocar” raved, “The latest Bentley model offers a degree of safety, comfort and performance that is beyond the experience and perhaps even the imagination of the majority of the world’s motorists.” Praise indeed, but considering its price at nearly twice that of a top-range Cadillac, it really had to deliver.
Larger and roomier than the preceding R-type, with a longer all-new chassis and front suspension setup, the five- to six-seater S-type washed away any prewar influences with fully integrated front fenders and a tapering profile that satisfied modern tastes without offending traditionalists. While the 4-speed GM Hydra-Matic automatic transmission used in the preceding R-type was retained, performance was enhanced by adopting the enlarged 4887cc 6-cylinder block employed in the final R-type Continentals. The S-type was road tested at 103 MPH, sprinting from 0-60 MPH in 13.1 seconds.
The lavish appointments, including picnic tables and a leather interior set off with burr walnut, were taken as granted, as well as refinements such as an electric ride control switch to vary the rear shock absorber settings. This 1956 right-hand drive example tastefully liveried in two-tone silver and blue features the GM automatic transmission fitted to all but a very few S1s, and it rides on radial whitewall tires. The S1 is a fitting final flourish of the illustrious 6-cylinder Bentley theme that began in the 1920s, a fact appreciated by many owners who consider the S1 easier to live with than the S2 which followed.
Moreover, although differing only in detail from its Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud counterpart, the S1 was considerably more popular. Perhaps that’s because Bentley owners generally preferred to drive rather than let chauffeurs have all the fun.
