Bentley S3
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Bentley S3 | ||
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Kerb weight 1,918 kg (4,228 lb) | | |
Chronology | ||
Predecessor | Bentley S2 | |
Successor | Bentley T1 |
The Bentley S3 is a four-door
Description
The S3 was first announced and displayed at the Paris Motor Show in October 1962.
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]
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1964 S3 dashboard
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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
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]
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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
- ^ a b c Face-lift for Rolls-Royce and Bentley Models The Times, Tuesday, 16 October 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, 12 February 1963; pg. 15; Issue 55623; col F
- ^ Roßfeldt, K.J. "Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III". Rolls-Royce and Bentley: Photos, Reports and Books. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club - RREC - for Bentley and Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Archived 12 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine