1965 Bentley S3

Details

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1965 Bentley S3.

The original build sheets on file confirm this car was ordered by L Broncklehurst Esq from Jersey in the Channel Islands. The build sheets note the car was delivered to Roll-Royce Ltd Lillie Hall for shipment to Jersey on 9^th March 1965. The Bentley was delivered to Broncklehurst on 19^th July 1965.

The car is confirmed as having matching chassis and engine numbers and it was delivered with the following options: radio 920 T, RR electric windows and Dunlop black tubeless tyres UG 3916. The car was delivered in the colour scheme of Shell Grey (ICI.M.151-2582) over Black Pearl Vlaspar (173/10034) with Grey hide (VM3393).

Mr. Broncklehurst only owned the car for a very short period. The build sheets show the car’s ownership transferred to Royston Industries Limited in London on 1^st January 1966. The last known owner in the UK was Barclay Limited in October 1972.

The car’s subsequent early history is not known. We do know from the import approval on file that the car was imported into Australia in 2012 and we understand the car was imported into Queensland. In 2014 it was purchased by the prior to current owner who lived in Western Australia. He was a panel beater and spray painter by trade and when he acquired the car, he removed the body from the car and refurbished the body and the chassis. He also tidied up the interior which included refurbishing all the wood work and replacing the headlining. The restoration of the body was done by Schonhut panel and paint in Osborne Park, WA. Unfortunately, the owner passed away before he was able to complete the restoration of his Bentley S3.

The car was then given to Neil McLean Automotive, a well-respected Rolls Royce and Bentley and specialist in Midvale, WA and they assisted with the final stages of the restoration. The car then found its way to Melbourne and it was offered for sale by Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialist David Ekberg. This Bentley S3 was displayed on Ekberg’s stand at Motorclassica 2019.

The current owner, who is a long standing Bentley enthusiast and multi car owner, acquired this Bentley S3 at Motorclassica 2019. Since acquiring this car he has spent approximately $15,000 to take what was a very good car to the next level. Amongst other things he had some miscellaneous mechanical repairs done to ensure the car passed a roadworthy, it was serviced by McDermotts, the front, rear & boot carpet was replaced and sheep skin over carpets were fitted. Some of the missing tools, a jack, wheel brace and tyre pump were also sourced.

Today this Bentley S3 presents exceptionally well. Whilst the car was repainted a few years ago, it has been done to a very high standard. Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds and Bentley S-Types are very colour sensitive and the colour combination of silver over blue on this car is simply stunning. It suits this car perfectly, giving it a very elegant and sophisticated appearance. The paint work presents in excellent condition with a strong depth of colour and high gloss finish. Defects are hard to find. All of the external trim, glass and the chrome work are in really good condition.

Inside this Bentley S3 is all class. The grey leather on the seats and doors perfectly complements the exterior colour scheme and makes this interior of this Bentley S3 just a very nice place to be. All of the woodwork, including the dashboard in this car is in perfect condition. The same can be said for all the instruments and controls. It should be noted that the clock is from a Rolls-Royce, being badged as such. This car is fitted with aftermarket air-conditioning which works very well blowing cold air, making it a very useable classic all year round in Australia. Whether you are the driver or a passenger being chauffeured around, you’ll feel right at home and very comfortable in this Bentley S3.

Open the bonnet, or have your chauffeur open the bonnet, and you’ll find a clean, tidy and well-preserved engine bay. Purists will note that the firewall is in the correct colour, but the underside of the bonnet has been painted in the body colour. The boot is similarly well presented. There is mostly complete toolkit, a jack, tyre pump, and spare wheel present and all are in good condition. Unfortunately, the torch is missing.

We took the car out for a test drive and it performed well. The car starts easily from cold with the assistance of the automatic choke and quickly settles into a smooth idle. Once you’re out on the open road this Bentley just glides along like a magic carpet. The gear changes are smooth and the engine just goes about its business without announcing its presence, as you would expect in a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. The brakes pull the car up effectively and in a straight line. Despite it being a 57-year-old car it has no issues keeping up with modern day traffic.

This is just a stunning car in every regard.

Highlights:

• A UK delivered, factory right hand drive example, with matching chassis and engine numbers.
• Finished in the most stunning colour combination.
• A beautifully presented car.
• Flitted with aftermarket air conditioning.
• 1 of only 1,286 Bentley S3 saloons built.

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Background

The Bentley motor car company was founded back in 1919 by brothers W.O. and H.M. Bentley. The Bentley brothers were involved in the motor industry having acquired the agency to sell French built DFP (Doriot, Flandrin & Parant) cars in 1912, however, they desperately wanted to build their own cars. So that they did and the first Bentley motor car, being just a chassis with a dummy engine, was shown at the 1919 London Motor Show and in late 1921 the first production Bentleys were built and delivered to their new owners.

Bentley got the formula right and their cars proved to be luxurious, reliable and fast thus attracting buyers from the elite of society in period. The cars were also incredibly successful on the race track with Bentley achieving the ultimate success winning Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.

The difficult economic times in the late 1920’s had a major impact on Bentley and they stopped motor racing soon after winning Le Mans in 1930 and ultimately fell into receivership in 1931. Rolls-Royce acquired the assets of Bentley in late 1931. In this period Bentley produced some fabulous motor cars including the 3 Litre, 4½ Litre, ‘Blower Bentley’, 6½ Litre and 8 Litre models that are all today highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors all over the world. The first new Bentley produced following Rolls Royce’s acquisition was the Bentley 3½ Litre which evolved into the Bentley 4¼ Litre. Bentleys of this era are also known as Derby Bentleys as they were built at Rolls Royce’s factory located in Derby in the north of England. Subsequent models included the Mark V, Mark VI and R-Type.

Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Cloud and the Bentley S-Type in 1955 and for the next eleven years these models were at the cornerstone of Rolls-Royce / Bentley production. The Silver Cloud / S-Type evolved through three major model iterations, being the Silver Cloud I / Bentley S1, Silver Cloud II / Bentley S2 and Silver Cloud III / Bentley S3 until superseded by the Silver Shadow / Bentley T-Series.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and Bentley S3 were introduced at the Paris Motors Show in October 1962. The most visible difference to their predecessors was the twin dual headlamps. The interior was also upgraded. The S3 received individual seats for the front passengers and leg room was increased for the passengers in the rear. The V8 engines had more power and there was a weight reduction of 100kg. The last iteration of the Silver Cloud and S-Type were very successful models for Rolls-Royce and they were sold to the rich and famous, including celebrates and movie starts. Many were chauffer driven.

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