1958 Bentley Continental Park Ward

The Bentley Continental name evokes high speed travel over long distances in the lap of luxury. Fittingly, that is exactly the experience that Continental models provided to the fortunate few during the 1950s. The S1 Continental featured the final development of Bentley’s long-lived 4.9L six cylinder engine. Being of Rolls Royce design, it was smooth, ultra-quiet, but also appropriately powerful. Road test figures published in Autocar recorded a top speed of 120.5 mph. An exceptionally rigid welded box section chassis was mounted on a new front suspension that had a semi-trailing wishbone and repositioned rear springs, which improved handling and softened the ride, while a three-way safety braking setup enabled sure stops at the end of those high-speed journeys. The rear suspension was electrically adjustable and could be changed to normal or firm by a switch on the steering column. Numerous catalogued semi-custom and custom body styles were used to dress the S1 Continental, typically in lightweight aluminum, as would be expected of a performance model. The car offered here is one of the rarest iterations; it is one of just ten built by Park Ward of London, to this striking coupe design on a left hand drive chassis. This design, which was originally created for the 1957 Paris show, was distinguished by its crisp, airy “wrap-around” rear window, large rear quarter windows, narrow C-pillars, and the audacious flair of small tailfins, which was clearly a nod to American design trends. It is one of the most striking closed bodies ever fitted to the S1 Continental. Chassis # BC35LDJ is one of only six of the original ten known to survive today. It was ordered through Reyreca, the Rolls Royce dealer in Caracas, Venezuela, by industrialist Luis Enrique Pérez Velutini. It is believed to be the only Park Ward Continental ever delivered new to that country. The Bentley would remain in the care of the Velutini family for the next 40 years, before being acquired by a Venezuelan enthusiast, who commissioned a painstaking frame-off restoration to original condition over a period of several years. The restoration included a very high quality, bare metal repaint. The interior is beautifully upholstered in genuine beige Connolly leather accented by correct Wilton wool carpeting and absolutely stunning walnut wood trim. In October 2023, a discreet after market air conditioning system was installed by a marque specialist. In June 2024, the car received a thorough service in the Team CJ Works, including a full transmission rebuild. BC35LDJ now presents in excellent condition and is running and driving beautifully. This 1958 Bentley Continental coupe carries one of the most attractive and best designed bodies ever fitted to the S1 chassis. The sale includes factory tools, an owner’s handbook, copies of factory documentation, Venezuelan registration documents and a large file of service and restoration records.