Bentley S2 1959–1962
The Bentley S2 is a luxury car produced by Bentley from 1959 until 1962.
The successor to the S1, it featured the new Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 engine and improved air conditioning made possible by its increased output. Power steering was also standard, and a new dashboard and steering wheel were introduced. Some early S2s were built with the earlier S1 dashboard.
A high-performance S2-derived Continental edition was also produced.
In all, 1,920 standard and long-wheelbase S2 car chassis were built between 1959 and 1962. Almost all were fitted with standard factory bodywork. A number had coachbuilt bodies by Park Ward, Hooper, H. J. Mulliner & Co., and James Young.
| Bentley S2 | |
|---|---|
|
standard saloon |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Bentley Motors (1931) Limited, Crewe, Cheshire |
| Production | 1959–1962 2308 produced |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door saloon 4-door saloon 2-door drophead coupe |
| Related | Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 6.2 L Bentley V8 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 3124.2 mm (123 in) 3225.8 mm (127 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Bentley S1 |
| Successor | Bentley S3 |
S2
Announced at the beginning of October 1959 the S2 replaced the S1's straight-six engine the a new aluminium Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 shared with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. It displaced 6.2 L (6230 cc/380 in³), and offered significantly improved performance.
As advertised in The Times, Friday, Oct 02, 1959:
The cylinder block and heads are cast in aluminum alloy and hydraulic tappets operate the overhead valves. The engine has a compression ratio of 8 to 1 and is fitted with twin carburetors with automatic choke.
Other features available include fully automatic transmission, power-assisted steering, electrically operated ride control, redesigned and more flexible air conditioning, electric rear window demisters and press button window lifts.
Production
- S2: 1863 (15 with H. J. Mulliner & Co. drophead coupe bodies)
- S2 long wheelbase: 57 (5 with James Young bodies and 1 by Wendler)
S2 Continental
An "S2 Continental" chassis was built with higher performance engines and higher gearing for lighter bodywork.
Production
- S2 Continental: 388 (bodied by the same group of coachbuilders as the standard S2)