Specifications:

• 6,320 CC OHV Alloy V-8 Engine
• Twin SU HD6 Carburetors
• Estimated 200 BHP
• 4-Speed Automatic Transmission
• 4-Wheel Servo-Assisted Drum Brakes
• Independent Front Coil-Spring Suspension
• Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs

The S2 Continental

When it was introduced in 1959, the S2 Continental represented the ultimate expression of British motoring – after all, it was the latest ultra-exclusive, high-performance model from Bentley Motors.

In keeping with the preceding R-Type and S1 Continentals, H.J. Mulliner was the coachbuilder of choice for the Bentley owner who desired the most sporting S2 Continental. As the launch of the new Bentley approached, H.J. Mulliner prepared a handsome coupe, design 7514, which many marque experts consider to be the most attractive of all coachwork fitted to the S2 Continental chassis.

In total, of the 388 S2 Continental chassis built, fewer than 100 examples were supplied with H.J. Mulliner’s elegant two-door design, the vast majority of which were specified in right-hand drive.

This Car

The S2 Continental presented here is among the most rare and desirable of all postwar Bentleys.

Chassis BC60LCZ is one of just 27 Continentals built to design number 7514 in left-hand drive by H.J. Mulliner. Constructed entirely of aluminum at the coachbuilder’s West London works, this top-of-the-line Bentley was individually tailored to meet the demands of its first owner, Henry T. Mudd of Los Angeles.

Born in 1913, Henry T. Mudd was the scion of one of America’s great industrial fortunes. His grandfather, Col. Seeley W. Mudd, reopened ancient copper mines on the island of Cyprus and soon became one of California’s wealthiest residents. His uncle, Seeley G. Mudd, is well known in classic car circles as the man behind the famed Duesenberg Mudd Coupe – a one-of-a-kind Model J with fabric-covered Bohman & Schwartz coachwork.

After graduating from MIT, Henry T. Mudd continued to build his family business, serving as the president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers and later as chairman and CEO of the Cyprus Mines Corporation. In addition to his vast holdings, Henry Mudd was a civil leader in Los Angeles, a patron of the arts, and the primary founder of the prestigious Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.

Constructed in fall 1961, Mr. Mudd’s S2 Continental was originally finished in Tudor Grey with scarlet Connolly hides, cardinal red carpets, and gray headliner. According to H.J. Mulliner records, BC60LCZ was generously outfitted with a number of unusual features, such as electric windows; custom-tailored, lightweight front seats; Richmond-type lap belts; Sundym glass; special Tudor, type-two sun visors, brighter- than-standard instrument lighting; and a radio.

Upon completion, the S2 Continental was shipped to official Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealer Peter Satori in Pasadena, California, and delivered to Mr. Mudd on November 6, 1961.

Mr. Mudd enjoyed his S2 Continental Coupe until fall 1968, when it was sold to its second owner, James C. Armstrong of Midland, Texas. By this time, the Bentley had been refinished in Sand and had accumulated just over 40,000 miles. In 1970, Mr. Armstrong was driving the car from Reno to Dallas when he overheated the engine.  Since it would need to be replaced, he traded the car to Overseas Motors in Dallas and they subsequently sold the car to Charles Crail Automobiles in Los Angeles.  We ordered from England a totally rebuilt S2 engine of the same series and replaced the engine in the car.  This is fully documented.   We then sold the car to its third owner, David Horne of Beverly Hills, California in 1971. Throughout his extended ownership until 2009, Mr. Horne always entrusted the S2 Continental to local specialists Jim Rickman and Scott Motors, preserving it in superb cosmetic and mechanical order.

Offered from the collection of its fourth owner, a private Texas collector, this S2 Continental remains in lovely condition throughout and is offered with its original owner’s handbook, H.J. Mulliner instruction book, and an impressive file that contains copies of factory build sheets, ownership documents, and service records.

For the discerning collector in search of an extremely rare example of the classic Bentley Continental, this well-documented and ideally specified S2 represents a unique opportunity. A Bentley of exceptional quality and distinction, this left-hand-drive H.J. Mulliner Coupe needs only a new caretaker to continue in its grand manner and unsurpassed style.

GO TO: charlescrail.com or call (805) 637-9706