Introduced by Bentley in 1955, the supremely elegant S1 Continental was warmly received on both sides of the Atlantic as royalty, Hollywood’s elite, and industry chiefs placed their orders. The last of the marque’s models to feature the enduringly popular straight-six engine, fitted here in 4.9-litre capacity for a reported top speed in excess of 120 mph, the car was equal measures powerful, smooth, and silent.

As was customary for the time, coachbuilders H.J. Mulliner and Park Ward could take the S-Type platform and apply their own two- and four-door—popularly referred to as “The Flying Spur”—Sports Saloon bodywork. However, the most significant offering came in the form of Park Ward’s exquisite custom-made, hand-built, aluminium Drophead Coupé (body style number 700). Just 94 examples of these smooth and svelte cruisers were completed, only 55 of which were built in right-hand-drive form. Lighter and simpler than the V-8-powered S2 and S3 variants that followed, the original interpretation of the S-Type is widely considered the most desirable.

The convertible car offered here, chassis BC15FM with coachwork by Park Ward, was delivered on 30 September 1958 to be sold via Weybridge Automobiles. A copy of the original order reference form records the first owner as Johannes Smit, the boss of JK Smit & Sons, a Dutch firm based in London that specialised in the supply of industrial diamonds for drilling bits. The right-hand-drive Drophead Coupé was finished in Shell Grey to complement a red folding soft-top and matching red leather upholstery.

Passing through a chain of owners, this S1 Continental was primarily maintained by the Lex Mead garage of Maidenhead throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Come November 1987, the car was acquired by Mr Mark Tippet of Farham. According to the 1991 Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club directory, he was based in Japan at the time and was also the proud owner of a 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupé and a 1959 Bentley S1 Radford Saloon.

Since acquired by Mr Carlo Vögele in Switzerland, chassis BC15FM was purchased in 2004 by Dr Norbert Seeger of Liechtenstein. A collector of significant Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, he paid 330,000 Swiss francs for the S1 Continental. During his custodianship, Dr Seeger spent 40,885 Swiss francs with Kress of Damikon in August 2006 to have the current black soft-top roof fitted while the interior was also retrimmed. Thereafter, the car was attended to by Qaderer Automobile of Liechtenstein during the 2010s before a FIVA identity card was issued in 2019.

Shortly after Garage J Müntener of Buchs in Switzerland had cleaned and treated the underside of the car in April 2020, the Drophead Coupé joined The Dean Kronsbein Collection in June 2021.

Presented today in its factory shade of Shell Grey, this S1 Continental by Park Ward has been well maintained throughout its life. Considered to be among the most desirable of all post-war Bentleys that was then dressed in the pre-eminent Drophead Coupé coachwork, chassis BC15FM would make for a significant addition to the collection of any luxury car connoisseur.