Vehicle Description
Chassis No. BC178LXC
Engine No. 89CBC
Body No. F.79
Bentley motorcars started, like most premium automobiles before
World War II, by producing only a chassis, which included the
frame, wheels, engine and running gear, steering wheel and
dashboard, and the Bentley radiator with its "Flying B" mascot.
After purchasing a chassis, the customer would choose a
coachbuilder to finish the body of the car. After the war, demand
for specialized/luxury automotive coachbuilding was waning as even
high-end automakers, including Bentley, started to move towards
offering complete automobiles, like the Mark IV, followed by the
R-Type, then the S1 through S3 models. However, the company also
produced a "Continental" version of these chassis with an eye for
performance characteristics for the Bentley marque. All Continental
chassis received custom coachwork as there are no standard bodies
on postwar Bentley Continentals.
On the performance side, the S3 Bentley Continental's V8 engine
compression ratio was raised from 8.0:1 to 9.0:1 and, like its
predecessor, it maintained a rear axle ratio of 3.08:1 with front
drum brakes with four shoes. Enthusiasts generally agree that the
S3 Continental drives and performs far more like a modern car
compared to its two previous models in the series.
The S3 Continental was made from 1965 to 1965-in that time only a
total of 311 cars were produced, but only 16 left-hand drive
examples were produced to the Flying Spur body design 2011,
including this car. It was purchased via J.S. Inskip, the famed
Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealer in New York, and it was delivered in
December 1964 to its first owner: Donald S. Tuttle of Connecticut.
It remained in private hands as there appears to be no instance
where the car was shown at a major concours, but it was once owned
by actor Leslie Nielsen of "The Naked Gun" and "Airplane" movies
fame as it was acquired from his estate after his passing in 2010.
Thereafter the car was refurbished by renowned Rolls-Royce and
Bentley specialists, Vantage Motorworks of North Miami, Florida, to
include a return to its original Black Pearl exterior paint and
two-tone grey leather, and it also received a new headliner and
Sundyum glass. The car features factory power windows, air
conditioning, and a coveted continental touring spares kit.
The Bentley S3 Continental was the ultimate postwar hand-built
saloon, sporting custom coachwork, combining the best of prewar
build quality with the apex of full-chassis evolution before the
advent of monocoque construction. All these attributes then
combined with its production rarity of only 16 examples made, this
is a near unique opportunity to acquire one of the most desirable
postwar examples of a Bentley saloon.
