Bentley S3
Bentley S3 | |
---|---|
standard S3 saloon | |
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Bentley Motors (1931) Limited, Crewe, Cheshire |
Production |
1962–1965 1286 standard S3 saloon 32 long wheelbase S3 chassis 311 Continental chassis |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Full-size luxury car |
Body style | 4-door saloon |
Layout | FR layout |
Platform | separate chassis |
Related |
(with modified engine, transmission and different ultra-light coachbuilt body) Bentley S3 Continental, Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 6.2 L Bentley V8 |
Transmission | 4-speed automatic transmission |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase |
3,124.2 mm (123.00 in) (LWB) 3,225.8 mm (127.00 in) |
Length | 5,384.8 mm (212.00 in) |
Width | 1,898.65 mm (74 3⁄4 in) |
Height | 1,631.95 mm (64 1⁄4 in) |
Kerb weight | 1,918 kg (4,228 lb) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Bentley S2 |
Successor | Bentley T1 |
The Bentley S3 is a four-door luxury car produced by Bentley from late 1962 until 1965.
The S3 was very similar to the S2. The most-visible difference was a four-headlamp layout that paved the way for the radically new Bentley T1 in 1965. The interior was modified with individual seats for front passengers and increased leg room in the rear. The 6.2 L (6230 cc/380 in³) V8 engine continued with minor modifications. The power steering was also improved.
Prices
- Bentley S3 saloon: £6,126
- Park Ward Continental sports saloon: £8,495, a premium of about 40%.[1]
- for comparison: Jaguar Mark X including all taxes £2,022.[2]
Production
The standard S3 was built in the following quantities per model:
- Bentley S3: 1286 (1 drophead coupé by Mulliner Park Ward)
- Bentley S3 long wheelbase: 32 (7 with coachbuilt bodies by James Young)
(Continental below)
Changes from S2
The S3 was first announced and displayed at the Paris Motor Show October 1962.[1]
Exterior
- Twin paired headlamps. Stepped up wattage from 120 to 150 increasing forward visibility by at least 250 yards and giving a better spread on dipped beam
- radiator lowered 1½ inches allowing a lower bonnet line; restyled front mudguards with separate flashing indicators (formerly incorporated in the fog and spot lights); smaller over-riders on the bumpers front and rear.
Interior
- front passengers now sit behind a fascia brow padded for extra safety and they have individual split-bench seats; the rear seat is two inches further back with modified corners and shoulder padding.
-
standard S3 saloon 1964
-
standard S3 saloon 1964
Operating
- lighter power steering
- more powerful engine, Horse-power increased 7 percent by employing a higher compression ratio, 9:1 instead of 8:1 and larger carburettors to give higher performance - improved acceleration and a top speed of 115 mph with no loss of economy; for the American market an engine "breather" to reduce air pollution.[1]
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 aluminum, unlike the heavier, steel bodied standard 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 considerably more expensive Continentals (a premium of 40-50%) were produced in much smaller quantities than the standard S3 saloon, which outsold it by a factor of four.[4]
Production
- Bentley S3 Continental: 311 (291 by Mulliner Park Ward and 20 by James Young)
-
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
References
- 1 2 3 Face-lift for Rolls-Royce and Bentley Models The Times, Tuesday, October 16, 1962; pg. 15; Issue 55523; col C
- ↑ Motors And Motoring Swift, Silent Mk. 10 Jaguar in Class of its Own From Our Motoring Correspondent. The Times, Tuesday, February 12, 1963; pg. 15; Issue 55623; col F
- ↑ (c) 1997-99 K.-J. Rossfeldt, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III". Rrab.com. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
- ↑ The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club - RREC - for Bentley and Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts
Bentley timeline, 1920s–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Type | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | |||||||||||||
Ownership | Bentley Motors Limited (1919–1931) |
Rolls-Royce Bentley Motors (1931) Limited (1931–1980) |
Vickers plc Rolls-Royce Bentley Motors (1931) Limited (1980–1998) |
Volkswagen Group (1998–) | |||||||||||||||||||
Coachbuilder's open 2/4 seater |
3 L | 4½ L 6½ L Speed Six |
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Coachbuilder's large saloon coupé or convertible |
6½ L Speed Six 8 L |
4L 3½ 4¼L Mark V |
Mark VI | R | S1 S2 S3 |
T | |||||||||||||||||
C o n t |
Continental S1 Continental S2 Continental S3 |
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Cars with Bentley own-factory coachwork | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Large saloon |
Mark VI | R | S1 S2 S3 |
T1 | T2 | Mulsanne | Brooklands | Arnage | Mulsanne | ||||||||||||||
Turbo R | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Coupé | Corniche | Continental R/S/T | Br. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Convertible | Corniche | Continental | Azure | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bentleys on the Volkswagen platform | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Large saloon |
Continental Flying Spur | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Coupé | Continental GT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Convertible | Continental GTC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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