West Coast Classics are proud to present an exceptional example of this original 1961 Bentley S2 which was professionally converted to replicate a Silver Cloud II with a Rolls Royce grille and hubcaps. For those who are unfamiliar, the Bentley S2 and the Silver Cloud II were absolutely identical with both vehicles hand built at the Rolls Royce factory in Crewe, England with the only differences being their nameplates, radiator and mascots. In the 1970's a few Bentley S2's were imported from England to the U.S. and converted with the Silver Cloud II radiator, mascot and nameplates as the Bentley was not as appreciated or as coveted as it's identical cousin the Rolls Royce!
The Bentley S2 and the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II were introduced in 1959 and lasted until 1962. Little changed externally from the Bentley S1 and Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I of of 1956-59 but they now had a much improved 6.2 L V8 engine, which pushed the weight to 2.11 tonnes. Performance was greatly improved and top speed was raised to 183 km/h (114 mph) yet the main improvements were in acceleration and torque. Power steering became standard. Electrically operated windows and air conditioning were now available as an option.
This particular example was imported to the U.S. in the seventies and converted to the Silver Cloud II specifications and is presented in two tone 'Masons Black over Shell Gray' exterior paint with a Black Connolly leather interior with Light Gray piping , matching original carpets with a full set of lambs wool/sheepskin rugs and boasting its original mohair headliner and obviously always garaged with no signs of any accidents and a completely rust free example with the floor boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas completely solid and rust free!
The car still retains many original items including quite amazingly its rare original wood and leather wrapped rear leaf springs. The beautiful color combination of the cars 'Masons Black over Shell Gray' two-tone exterior paint with hand painted pin stripes is very striking and the car has a Black with Light Gray piping 'Connolly' leather interior, which was exclusively used in Rolls Royce and Bentley's and came from unfenced cows which produced unblemished hides and the interior's wood, carpets, door panels, dashboard and mohair headliner are all in very presentable condition throughout. All the chrome work including the front Rolls Royce grille and the front and rear bumpers is good and the car has it's original spare wheel and original jack still located in their rightful place of storage in the trunk compartment. An obviously always garaged example with no indications of any accidents or damage history whatsoever and owned by obviously very careful and owner's / driver's for over fifty years - never abused!
The car drives exactly like a well maintained and serviced Rolls Royce or Bentley should and must be driven to be fully appreciated! The engine is extremely strong with no noticeable oil leaks, the transmission is very smooth with Rolls Royce's legendary almost imperceptible shift and the engine temperature always remains cool. The car drives straight as an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles and is a truly remarkable and responsive daily driver! The car has four virtually new tires and still boasts air conditioning.
You will surely look long and hard to find a finer example of this 1961 Bentley S2, which looks identical to its twin Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II, with no signs or history of any accidents or rust! For those who are unfamiliar, Rolls Royce no longer exists as it had for over one hundred years - this is one of the last in the original line of cars built in the legendary Rolls Royce factory in Crewe, England with a quality and craftsmanship that far surpasses that of today's mass produced models with many BMW parts - this is a rare opportunity to own a piece of automobile history, from a time when Rolls Royce and Bentley were truly building the world's finest motor cars.
This increasingly desirable and collectible Bentley S2/Silver Cloud II, boasts the all aluminum powerful 6.2L V8 engine and the single head lights - the Rolls Royce and Bentley purists were appalled at the time with the later Silver Cloud III's transformation with the dubious redesigned front-end lower hood and radiator with quad front headlamps mounted in oval nacelles - considered a shocking violation of RR tradition - one magazine went so far as to refer to the quad lights as the equivalent to installing a jukebox in Winchester cathedral! Along with it's tall grill and tall flying lady the Silver Cloud II is a moving work of art and from a time when Rolls-Royce and Bentley were arguably building the "Best Cars in the World" at the time of it's production, the craftsmanship and quality of these cars obviously speak for themselves. It is becoming increasingly hard to find such unabused and rust free examples as these models become thinner and thinner on the ground with only some 1,865 Bentley S2 models built between it's 1959-62 production years compared to 2,417 Silver Cloud II's. This was the first model in which Rolls Royce production exceeded Bentley's which should ensure even greater rarity for this particularly rare Bentley S2 example!
With all models now very thin on the ground you will surely look long and hard to find another such example in such fine overall condition. So bid with confidence, with Silver Cloud II and S2 convertibles now regularly selling in excess of $600K, this will no doubt prove a fabulous investment for the astute investor, Bentley or Rolls Royce enthusiast or collector or simply a great daily driver or weekend toy for the discerning luxury classic car owner!
