Bentley S2

Bentley does not build many cars like the Bentley S2: a 4-door sedan (car) / saloon / 2-door sedan (car) / saloon / 2-door drophead coupé with 6.2&nbsp, built from 1959 to 1962 at the height of the post-war boom.

Where it came from

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 that engine's increased output. Power steering was also standard, and a new dashboard and steering wheel were introduced. Some early S2s were built using the dashboard of the preceding S1. A high-performance S2-derived Continental edition was also produced.

1,863 standard and 57 long-wheelbase S2 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.

Under the skin

Under the skin sits 6.2&nbsp. The gearbox is a 4-speed automatic. The wheelbase is SWB: 123 in / LWB: 127 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

In context

Where it sits in Bentley's history is not in doubt: the Bentley S1 came before it; the Bentley S3 followed it; it was built at Crewe (Bentley Crewe), United Kingdom. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Mini Mini, the Nissan Patrol, the Dodge Challenger. Nearby in the Bentley catalogue sit the Armoured Arnage and the Bentley 3 Litre.

The money

MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Bentley S2 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.