​Road Cars » ​1959 Bentley S-Type Continental Drophead

​1959 Bentley S-Type Continental Drophead

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 ​​​​Chassis number BC34FM is one of just fifty eight right hand drive all aluminium bodied drophead coupes by Park Ward for the S-Type Continental chassis built to Design No 700.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              
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  • Overview

    Exceptional Preservation level original condition

    Believed original paint and leather trim

    Believed 70,000 miles from new

    One of the final examples of the 58 examples built

    Desirable power steering and other unique features

    Part of the Historic Collection since Sep 2018

  • 1959 Bentley S-Type Continental Drophead by Park Ward

    Chassis number BC34FM is one of just fifty eight right hand drive all aluminium bodied drophead coupes by Park Ward for the S-Type Continental chassis built to Design No 700.

    This design is widely regarded to be the most attractive post war Bentley with open coachwork and one that is highly coveted by collectors and enthusiasts alike. Built to the order of Commander B.W. Preston of London SW1, the Bentley was supplied through H.R. Owen and was completed in the elegant Clyde Grey coachwork & Dark Red leather you see today.

    In the true bespoke coachbuilt style, Commander Preston specified a number of requests to tailor his new Bentley Continental to his preferences. While some of these preferences, such as power steering and the fitting of a special column-mounted dipswitch operator, seem relatively usual there were a number of interesting additions too. 

Perhaps rather a tall gentleman, Commander Preston specified a 2-inch extension to the steering column and that the runners for the front seats be moved back by 4-inches. In addition to this, and most interesting, was the request to fit two accelerator pedals!

The cost to Commander Preston for this Bentley, including his bespoke requests and indeed a generous 15% discount, was a staggering £6,847 19s 9d and the car was delivered to him in London in February 1959. Interestingly Commander Preston’s address, as listed in the car’s chassis cards, was an apartment in Oceanic House, a grand building just of Trafalgar Square that used to be the head office for the White Star Line and from where tickets for the RMS Titanic were sold.

Commander Preston kept the car until 1965 when it was sold to R.S.Mead Ltd of Maidenhead and then again later in 1965 when sold to Mr Oliver Tribe in neighbouring Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.

It was acquired by Mr Kingsley of north London in the mid 1990s which is when Frank Dale & Stepsons first began to maintain this particular car, servicing it and keeping it in top condition for the owner at the time. Chassis No BC34FM was acquired by the previous owner in 2009 and has been fastidiously maintained ever since. It remains in in its original colour scheme and in stunning original condition.

It is complete with all of its small and large tools, original handbook, copy chassis cards and numerous invoices detailing the works carried out to the car over the past few decades.