Bentley S1 Continental
1955–1959 · Bentley S1 Continental — Grand Tourer, Inline-6, designed by John Blatchley.
The Story
When the S-series arrived in 1955, the Continental idea moved with it — and gave Bentley one of its most enduring names. The S1 Continental was a coachbuilt special, its chassis sent out for bespoke bodies, most famously H.J. Mulliner’s beautiful fastback sports saloon. Only 431 were built, and a Mulliner or Park Ward car cost more than double the £3,295 of a standard factory S-type.
Its greatest legacy is a word. In 1957 H.J. Mulliner offered a four-door body on the Continental chassis, and Mulliner’s managing director, Arthur Talbot Johnstone, named it after his own family’s heraldic device — the spur of the Scottish Borders’ Clan Johnstone. The first car even wore the clan’s spur mascot on its grille. The Flying Spur was born.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer 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 bridge between the R-Type Continental grail and the modern Flying Spur — coachbuilt elegance, and the very car that gave Bentley’s four-door its name. A connoisseur’s classic.
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 S1 Continental
Worth Knowing About the S1 Continental
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. The 'Flying Spur' name was coined here: in 1957 Mulliner's MD Arthur Talbot Johnstone named the four-door Continental after his family's heraldic spur (Clan Johnstone of the Scottish Borders) — the first car wore the clan spur mascot.
- 2. Only 431 S1 Continentals were built, most bodied by H.J. Mulliner as a fastback sports saloon.
- 3. A coachbuilt Continental cost more than double the £3,295 of a standard factory-bodied S-series Bentley.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. Coachbuilt Continental on the S1 platform; 4.9 F-head six.
- 2. 431 S1 Continentals built (1955–59); 217 by H.J. Mulliner.
- 3. The last Bentley to use the 4.9 straight-six.
- 4. Birthplace of the 'Flying Spur' name (1957 Mulliner four-door).
- 5. Coachbuilders: H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward, James Young.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
A wealthy, coachbuilt-car clientele; no single celebrity owner cleanly documented in sources.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
H.J. Mulliner fastbacks are the prize; the original Mulliner ‘Flying Spur’ four-doors are especially collectible. Matching numbers and coachwork provenance set value — expect six figures and up.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley S1 Continental
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1955–1959
- Units built
- ~431 (S1 Continental chassis)
- Variants
- Coachbuilt-only: H.J. Mulliner fastback coupe, Park Ward & James Young FHC/DHC; Mulliner ‘Flying Spur’ 4-door saloon (from 1957)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- Rolls-Royce B60 Inline-Six (F-head)
- Displacement
- 4,887 cc (4.9 L)
- Power
- 178 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 11.5 s
- Top speed
- 120 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 92 hp/tonne · 23.9 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed automatic (manual early)
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 4255 lb
Questions
S1 Continental FAQ
Which Bentley first used the Flying Spur name?
The ‘Flying Spur’ name was first used in 1957 on an H.J. Mulliner-bodied four-door Bentley built on the S1 Continental chassis. Mulliner’s managing director Arthur Talbot Johnstone chose the name from the heraldic winged spur of Clan Johnstone of the Scottish Borders, and the first car wore the clan spur as a mascot.
How many S1 Continentals were built?
Approximately 432 Bentley S1 Continental chassis were produced between 1955 and 1959, each sent to an outside coachbuilder — predominantly H.J. Mulliner, which bodied 217 of them — at a purchase price more than double the standard S1 saloon’s £3,295.
What is the S1 Continental’s significance in the straight-six era?
The S1 Continental, built from 1955 to 1959, was the last Bentley Continental to use the 4.9-litre F-head straight-six engine. From 1959 the S2 Continental adopted the new 6.2-litre V8, ending the unbroken inline-six lineage that traced back to the 1920s.
Can you lease an S1 Continental?
Yes, specialty lenders structure collector-car leases regardless of model year.
How does the S1 Continental differ from the R-Type Continental?
The S1 Continental succeeded the R-Type Continental in 1955, moving to the longer S-series chassis while retaining the coachbuilt approach through H.J. Mulliner and others. It used the final evolution of the F-head straight-six — Bentley cites 180 bhp for the S1 Continental Flying Spur. The R-Type Continental itself ran 4.6-litre engines early and 4.9-litre engines later, so the S1’s displacement matches only the later R-Types.
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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