The year 1959 marked an important milestone in the mechanical development of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley marques. The manufacturers had shared designs of the earlier six-cylinder engine, which had been developed to its fullest extent. At the same time, competitor marques had long-since offered smooth and silent V-8 engines, forcing Crewe engineers to develop a 6,230-cc aluminium V-8, which the Bentley S2 would immediately benefit from. Incredibly quiet and smooth, it was fitted with hydraulic tappets along with modified braking and lubrication systems, as well as a standard automatic transmission and power steering. Continuing Bentley’s tradition of “The Silent Sports Car”, the S2 was an automobile in which four adults could travel long distances in great comfort.

Few body styles on this sporting chassis were quite as seductive as the design executed by coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner, imagined as a four-door sports saloon with sculpted rear arches and attractive close-coupled lines. Penned by noted designer George Moseley, the S2 was the forerunner of the modern “four-door coupé” layout that is so popular among today’s luxury car buyers. It was nicknamed the ‘Flying Spur’, a moniker coined in reference to its dashing nature. It truly is an iconic design that is as exciting now as it was when introduced to customers back in August 1959, becoming beloved by rockstars and landed gentry in equal measure. The S2 Continental represented the pinnacle of the model range, offered with a tuned engine, higher gearing, and lighter bodywork.

The Bentley offered here, chassis BC47LBY, is one of 128 examples of the Mulliner-bodied ‘Flying Spur’ built on the S2 Continental chassis and one of just 52 made in left-hand drive. The car was painted in special-order Metallic Forest Green over a brown leather upholstery, a colour combination it retains today. The Bentley was tested and prepared for delivery in the early part of 1961, specified for overseas delivery, which was fulfilled in the April of that year, with its first owner listed as one Fernando Espírito Santo Moniz Galvão, a member of the Espírito Santo banking family. The S2 was configured with original features including electric windows, Sundym glass windows, and a Smiths speedometer measuring in kilometres. Moniz Galvão kept this Flying Spur until 1969, and then it had a further nine owners in Portugal before being exported in 2015. The Bentley retains its matching-numbers engine.

Benefitting from an older restoration, this rare and attractively styled Flying Spur is a worthy contender for its next owner to enjoy as it is or to be improved with further restoration work.