Bentley S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3)
1955–1965 · Bentley S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) — Luxury Saloon, Inline-6, designed by John Blatchley.
The Story
By the mid-1950s, Bentley and Rolls-Royce had quietly become the same car wearing different jewellery — and the S-series was the most elegant expression of it. Launched in 1955 as the Bentley twin of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, John Blatchley’s standard-steel saloon differed from its sibling only in grille, bonnet line, mascot, instruments and wheel covers.
Under the skin it evolved with the times. The S1 used a 4.9 straight-six whose roots ran back to the original Silver Ghost; in 1959 the S2 brought the all-new 6.2 aluminium V8 — about 30% more power, if at the cost of fuel economy halving to 10 mpg. The 1962 S3 added the quad-headlamp face that came to define 1960s Crewe. It remains the most attainable way into truly elegant classic Bentley ownership.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Luxury Saloon class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
John Blatchley
John Polwhele Blatchley was Rolls-Royce/Bentley’s chief stylist from the late 1940s to 1969 — responsible for the standard-steel saloons, the celebrated R-Type Continental fastback (aerodynamics by Ivan Evernden) and, as his last design, the Silver Shadow/T-Series.
Studio Motors POV
The most elegant attainable classic Bentley — Blatchley’s timeless shape and genuine hand-finished luxury for a fraction of a Continental. The smart entry into Crewe ownership.
The Engine
Rolls-Royce B60 Inline-Six (F-head)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3)
Worth Knowing About the S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3)
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. It was aristocratic badge-engineering — the S-series differed from the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud only in grille, bonnet, mascot, instruments and wheel covers.
- 2. The S1's 4.9 straight-six traced its roots to the original Silver Ghost; the 1959 S2's new 6.2 V8 added ~30% more power but halved fuel economy to 10 mpg.
- 3. The 1962 S3 brought the quad-headlamp face that defined the look of 1960s Crewe.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. Bentley twin of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud; design by John Blatchley.
- 2. S1 (1955, 4.9 six) → S2 (1959, 6.2 V8) → S3 (1962, quad headlamps).
- 3. ~3,107 S1 + ~1,922 S2 standard saloons.
- 4. The V8 brought 200 hp but cut economy from 16 to 10 mpg.
- 5. The coachbuilt versions became the S-Continentals.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
A period establishment and aristocratic clientele; no single celebrity owner cleanly documented.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
S1 for the classic six, S2/S3 for the smoother, quicker V8; the S3’s quad lights divide opinion. Rust and the hydraulic systems are the watchpoints; coachbuilt cars command large premiums over standard steel.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3)
- Class
- Luxury Saloon
- Production years
- 1955–1965
- Units built
- ~3,072 S1 + ~1,920 S2 (1,863 standard + 57 LWB) + ~1,286 S3 (standard saloons)
- Variants
- S2 (1959, L-series V8); S3 (1962, quad-headlamp); standard-steel & coachbuilt saloons
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- Rolls-Royce B60 Inline-Six (F-head)
- Displacement
- 4,887 cc (4.9 L, S1); 6,230 cc V8 from S2
- Power
- 155 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 13 s
- Top speed
- 101 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 79 hp/tonne · 27.9 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed automatic
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 4320 lb
Questions
S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) FAQ
How was the Bentley S-Type Saloon related to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud?
The S-Type Saloon was the Bentley twin of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, sharing the same chassis, steel body, and mechanical components. The two cars differed only in their grilles, bonnet lines, mascots, instruments, and wheel covers — deliberate badge engineering that the two marques practised throughout this era.
What engines did the Bentley S-Type Saloon use across its three generations?
The S-Type Saloon used two distinct drivetrains across three generations: the S1 (1955-1959) used a 4.9-litre F-head straight-six, while both the S2 (1959-1962) and S3 (1962-1965) used the new 6.2-litre V8 (approximately 200 hp). The S3’s key visible change was quad headlamps and a facelift, not a new drivetrain.
What is the difference between the Bentley S1 and the S2/S3?
The key difference is the engine: the S1 uses the 4.9-litre F-head straight-six producing approximately 155 horsepower, while the S2 and S3 adopted a 6.2-litre V8 with approximately 200 horsepower and a noticeably smoother delivery, at the cost of fuel economy dropping from around 16 mpg to 10 mpg.
Can you lease a Bentley S-Type Saloon?
Yes, specialty lenders structure collector-car leases regardless of model year.
Who designed the Bentley S-Type Saloon?
The S-Type Saloon was designed under John Blatchley, Bentley’s chief stylist at Crewe, whose standard-steel saloon body line evolved through the post-war Mark VI and R-Type into the longer S-series silhouette. The 1962 S3 facelift introduced quad headlamps that became one of the era’s defining detail changes.
The Bentley Lineup
Explore every Bentley
3 Litre ’216½ Litre / Speed Six ’264½ Litre ’27Blower 4½ Litre ’29
R-Type Continental ’52S1 Continental ’55S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) ’55S2/S3 Continental ’59
Mulsanne (1980) ’80Turbo R ’85
Continental R ’91Azure ’95Arnage ’98
Continental GT (1st gen) ’03Continental Flying Spur ’05Azure (2nd gen) ’06Brooklands (Coupé) ’08
Mulsanne (2010) ’10Continental GT (2nd gen) ’11Flying Spur (2nd gen) ’13Bentayga ’15Continental GT (3rd gen) ’18Flying Spur (3rd gen) ’19
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