Bentley S3

1,898.65 mm (74+3⁄4 in)Height1,631.95 mm (64+1⁄4 in)Kerb weight1,918 kg (4,228 lb)ChronologyPredecessorBentley S2SuccessorBentley T1

The Bentley S3 is a four-door luxury car produced by Bentley from late 1962 until 1965.

Description

The S3 was first announced and displayed at the Paris Motor Show in October 1962.^[1] The car was very similar to the preceding S2, with the most-visible exterior difference being a four-headlamp layout reflecting that introduced on the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III the same model year. The radiator was lowered 1½ inches allowing a lower bonnet line, and other exterior differences included restyled front mudguards and smaller over-riders on the bumpers front and rear. The interior was modified with individual seats for front passengers and a rear seat moved two inches rearward for increased leg room. The 6.2 L (6230 cc/380 cu in) V8 engine continued with higher compression (9:1 instead of 8:1) and larger carburettors, increasing power output by 7%. The engine upgrades brought improved acceleration and a top speed of 115 mph with no loss of economy; for the American market an engine "breather" was employed to reduce air pollution.^[1] The power steering was also improved.

The S3 was priced at £6,126, over triple the British-built top of the range Jaguar Mark X at £2,022 (including all taxes).^[2] The Park Ward Continental sports saloon was £8,495, a premium of about 40% over an S3.^[1]

• 
  1964 S3 dashboard
• 
  1964 S3 rear seat

S3 Continental

In 1959, Rolls-Royce acquired H. J. Mulliner & Co., coachbuilders (HJM). In 1961, HJM was merged with Park Ward, which had been in the possession of Rolls-Royce since 1939, to form Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd. (MPW). When production of the S3 Continentals commenced there were more differences than the adaption of the previous HJM design by Mulliner Park Ward: The cars were built at the former Park Ward premises in Willesden, North London. The HJM facilities were abandoned.

The S3 Continental was strictly coachbuilt. Most bodies were of the altered HJM style, available in fixed head or drop head coupe form. Of the 328 coachbuilt S3 (Continentals included here), nearly 100 were by MPW. Again, fixed head or a drop head coupe configurations were available. The most prominent visual difference from the S2 configuration was the four canted headlights.

For the first time, this body was offered on the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, as well as the S3 chassis. The final S3 was delivered in 1966, when the new Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T-series were readily available.^[3] Like earlier Continentals, the sportier S3 bodywork was manufactured entirely from aluminium, unlike the heavier, steel bodied S3 saloon. This, combined with higher gearing and the better compression ratios made for a markedly faster car. Four-doored Continentals bodied by H. J. Mulliner were known as the "Flying Spur", although four-door Continentals by other coachbuilders are sometimes erroneously referred to as "Flying Spurs" as well; the term only correctly refers to Mulliner's versions. Another elegant four-door saloon for the S3 Continental came from James Young).

Despite being highly desirable the extremely expensive Continentals (a premium of 40-50% over the very expensive S3) sold in much smaller quantities than the S3 saloon by a factor of four.^[4]

Production

• S3: 1286 (1 drophead coupé by Mulliner Park Ward)^{[citation needed]}
• S3 long wheelbase: 32 (7 with coachbuilt bodies by James Young)^{[citation needed]}
• S3 Continental: 311 (291 by Mulliner Park Ward and 20 by James Young)^{[citation needed]}

• 
  Flying Spur
  by Mulliner Park Ward
• 
  Flying Spur
  by Mulliner Park Ward
• 
  Drophead coupé
  by Mulliner Park Ward
• 
  Coupé
  by James Young

Sources

• Dalton, Lawrence: "Rolls-Royce - The Elegance Continues", Dalton-Watson Ltd., Publishers, London, England, ISBN 0-901564-05-2
• Walker, Nick: A-Z of British Coachbuilders, 1919–1960; Bay View Books, Bideford, Devon, UK (1997), ISBN 1-870979-93-1

See also

• Bentley
• Bentley Continental
• Bentley-Talk: Exclusive Bentley Online Community

References