The Bentley S-Type debuted alongside its Rolls-Royce companion, the Silver Cloud, in April 1955. True to its sporting heritage, Bentley addressed the demand for a performance-oriented motorcar by offering an updated Continental model, drawing on the high-speed, long-distance touring reputation earned by the original R-Type Continental.

The new Continental incorporated significant improvements such as electrically adjustable rear shock absorbers, lighter steering, better braking, and a tuned 4.9-litre inline-six paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, as standard.

Between 1955 and 1959, Bentley built 431 high-performance S1 Continentals, virtually all fitted with lighter-weight aluminum coachwork, predominantly built by firms such as Park Ward Ltd., James Young, H.J. Mulliner, and Freestone & Webb. The most desirable body style offered was undoubtedly Park Ward’s elegant drophead coupe, style no. 700. Penned by Rolls-Royce Chief Styling Engineer John Blatchley, the former chief designer for Gurney Nutting, these drophead coupes were bespoke, custom bodies hand built in aluminum by Park Ward craftsmen, and not mere adaptations from stamped-steel factory coachwork.

In all, Park Ward built just 94 of these drophead coupes, the majority supplied in right-hand-drive for the UK market. The remaining left-hand-drive examples built for export markets are the most exclusive and sought-after S1 Continentals, ranking among the most desirable of all postwar Bentley motorcars.

The Bentley S1 Continental offered here, chassis BC14LGN, is one such example – a left-hand-drive Drophead Coupe by Park Ward, of which fewer than 40 were built. Adding to its rarity, this late-production example features the preferred taillamp arrangement, and is believed to be one of as few as three originally specified with air-conditioning, power steering, and a power soft top.

According to copies of factory records supplied by the Rolls-Royce Foundation, this S1 Continental was completed in spring 1959, finished in the popular color scheme of Sand over Sable with beige leather upholstery and a brown top. These records also note the Bentley’s intended “use in USA” and optional equipment including full Rolls-Royce air-conditioning, Sundym glass, fog lamps, a Radiomobile radio with electric aerial, and Dunlop Gold Seal whitewall tires.

That April, this Bentley was prepared for delivery to its first owner, William Taylor Hales Jr. of Oklahoma. Mr. Hales, who had ordered the Continental from the Thoroughbred Car Company, was the son of an Oklahoma City-based oil and real estate magnate who had played a significant role in developing the city’s downtown and stockyards. Mr. Hales amassed his own fortune trading livestock, lived in the city’s largest private residence, and kept an office in the Hales Building, a 12-story former bank headquarters that his father had acquired in 1928.

According to the build cards, Mr. Hales originally collected his Continental at Lille Hall and used it in and around London for nearly two weeks, after which Bentley made arrangements to deliver it to the Southampton docks to begin its journey to the US.

Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club directories record three subsequent owners of BC14LGN between 1973 and 1986: collector Julian Morton, exotic car dealer Jim Loose, and James R. Williams of Cincinnati, Ohio, whose family had been loyal Rolls-Royce customers since the days of the Springfield factory. In 1986, the Continental was sold to famed collector Robert M. Lee of Reno, Nevada, and for the next three decades it remained a fixture in his stable of significant Rolls-Royce and Bentleys.

In 2019, the Bentley was sold to an East Coast collector who had always longed to own the ultimate S1: A late-production, left-hand-drive Park Ward Drophead. As offered today, the Bentley is attractively presented, wearing an older repaint in the factory-original colors, highlighted by a well-preserved interior compartment with beautifully patinated leather upholstery. The car is equipped with road- and hand-tool kits and accompanied by copies of factory documentation confirming that it retains its original engine and most desirable specifications.

Owned by knowledgeable collectors for more than half a century and maintained in good, serviceable condition, this highly regarded Park Ward Drophead Coupe represents the pinnacle of mid-century luxury motoring. The car’s beautiful styling, smooth powertrain, and luxurious road manners combine to create an experience that transcends those of its peers. As an eminently capable and elegant machine, this Bentley deserves a place in the finest collections.