1957 Bentley S1 Continental Coupé (Park Ward coachwork)
- Engine
- 4.9L inlet-over-exhaust inline-six
A right-hand drive 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Coupé with coachwork by Park Ward Ltd, one of 122 such cars built in that configuration from a total of 185 Park Ward-bodied S1 Continentals. Originally delivered to the United States via importer J S Inskip for Francis V Du Pont, the car left the factory with a manual gearbox, later converted to automatic at the first owner's request. It subsequently passed through three further American owners before returning to the UK, where recent refurbishment work has been carried out.
Ownership
- 2023-04-16Auction saleEstimate £180,000 – £220,000
- 1957 →Factory deliveryFrancis V Du Pontpartial documentation
Took delivery via US importer J S Inskip; car was right-hand drive but shipped to the USA in mid-1957. Du Pont reportedly had the original manual gearbox converted to automatic.
- → 1977Up to three subsequent US ownerspartial documentation
Copy chassis cards record three further owners in the United States up to 1977; individual identities and transfer dates are not specified.
- 2020 →Private saleCurrent vendorpartial documentation
Acquired during the Covid lockdown period and subsequently commissioned substantial refurbishment work by marque specialists in Surrey, with detailed invoices retained on file.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Modification
Original manual gearbox replaced with automatic transmission, reportedly at the first owner's preference.
Work carried out in the United States, likely shortly after delivery in 1957.
- —RestorationGordon Dale
Comprehensive refurbishment including fitting a new audio system, hazard warning lights, replacement carpets, an electric aerial, and an electronic ignition conversion, alongside numerous routine servicing tasks.
Detailed invoices for all work are present in the car's file; work was commissioned by the current vendor following purchase during the Covid lockdown. Workshop is based in Sandhurst, Surrey.
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