1958 Bentley S1 Saloon
Registration no. ZV 24942 (RoI)
Chassis no. B476FA
Engine no. BF238

'The Bentley 'S' Series is a very attractive car with superb lines, appearance and finish. It costs a lot of money, but to the connoisseur who must have the best it is worth every penny. This will still be a glorious car in 45 years' time, just as my own 1911 Silver Ghost is today.' - John Bolster, Autosport, 1956.

Conceived as replacements for the ageing Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn and Bentley R-Type, the all-new Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Type were introduced early in 1955. The duo sported sleeker bodywork on a new box-section separate chassis - Rolls-Royce eschewing unitary construction for the time being - incorporating improved brakes and suspension, the latter featuring electrically controlled damping. Enlargement to 4,887cc and the adoption of a six-port cylinder head boosted the traditionally undisclosed power output of the dependable inlet-over-exhaust six-cylinder engine, which for the first time was identical in specification in its Rolls and Bentley forms. Automatic transmission was now standard equipment, with manual transmission a Bentley-only option up to 1957. Fast - 100mph-plus - relatively economical and cheaper to maintain than the successor V8-engined versions, the classically elegant S1 is arguably the most user-friendly of all post-war Bentleys.

This Bentley S1 saloon was supplied new in the UK and first registered as 'WDA 7' (first tax disc on file). In February 2005 the Bentley was exported to the Republic of Ireland and was purchased by the current vendor in 2014, since when it has been kept in dry storage with occasional short excursions. Recent works, for which bills are available, include re-conditioning the automatic gearbox; fitting a reconditioned dynamo and new voltage regulator; replacing the windscreen washer unit and window channel seals; and re-chroming the hubcaps. The car has also been fitted with electronic ignition. Accompanying documentation consists of the aforementioned bills and Republic of Ireland registration papers, and the Bentley also comes with a handbook and parts manual.