1960 Bentley S-Type

This 1960 Bentley S2 is one of 15 examples built with drophead coupe coachwork by H.J. Mulliner and is said to have been constructed for display at the New York International Auto Show in March 1960. Configured in left-hand drive, chassis B75LBR was then delivered new to a Wall Street securities analyst the following month before moving to California with its second owner, with whom it remained until the mid-1990s. The car was purchased by its current owner in 2016 and underwent a freshening in 2021. Finished in white over tan upholstery, the car is powered by a replacement 6.2-liter V8 that breathes through twin SU carburetors and is paired with an automatic transmission. Additional features include power-assisted drum brakes, lever-arm shock absorbers that are adjustable at the rear, power-assisted steering, power windows, air conditioning, and a His Master’s Voice radio. This S2 drophead coupe is now offered on dealer consignment in St. Louis, Missouri, with a factory build sheet, Schoellkopf cards, and Canadian registration. The S2 was introduced in 1959 as a successor to the S1 and featured power from Rolls-Royce and Bentley’s newly developed V8 powerplant. While most of the 1,863 standard-wheelbase examples of the S2 built wore factory Standard Steel Saloon coachwork, H.J. Mulliner’s two-door, open-roof design appeared on 15 cars, fewer than half of which were configured in left-hand drive such as this example. Originally finished in Sand, this example wears an older repaint in white with tan coachlining. Features include chrome front and rear bumpers with overriders, Lucas front fog lamps, a fender-mounted antenna, dual side mirrors, and a tan convertible top. Steel 15” wheels wear chrome covers with body-color rings accented by black pinstripes and are wrapped in 8.20-15 BFGoodrich wide-whitewall tires, as is a spare secured in a compartment under the trunk. Servo-assisted drum brakes feature twin master cylinders handling duplex hydraulic actuation up front and hydromechanical actuation at the rear wheels. The servo is said to have been rebuilt in 2021, while the master cylinders were replaced. The cabin is trimmed in tan leather over front and rear bench seats, and door panels trimmed in matching upholstery were fabricated during the 2021 refresh. Additional features include color-keyed carpeting, dual-grain wood door caps, fold-out wood trays for the rear passengers, a fold-down rear armrest, front lap belts, power windows, a His Master’s Voice radio, and an aftermarket air-conditioning system with a push-button control panel. The air conditioning is said to have been recharged in 2021. The passenger-side window is said to require assistance going up. The “lower” control knob on the dash does not work, and the heater is not functioning. The three-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a dual-grain wood dash that houses Smiths instrumentation including a 120-mph speedometer, a clock, and a combination gauge monitoring oil pressure, amperage, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 43k miles, approximately 20 of which have been added by the selling dealer. The replacement 6.2-liter V8 features an aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners, aluminum pistons, aluminum cylinder heads with overhead valves, and twin SU carburetors. The fuel pump is said to have been replaced in 2021. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a column-shifted four-speed automatic transmission. The independent front suspension incorporates coil springs and lever-arm shock absorbers, while the leaf-spring rear axle is equipped with lever-arm shocks that can be adjusted electrically via a switch on the steering column. A stainless-steel exhaust system was reportedly installed during the 2021 refresh. The factory build sheet lists the H.J. Mulliner coachwork as well as the original colors and equipment. The vehicle is being sold on its Ontario registration, which serves as the ownership document in Ontario, Canada. The sale does not include a title. It has been imported into the US, and the selling dealer will assist any US-based buyer in obtaining a US title.