1958 | Bentley S 1

1958 Bentley S1 LWB Touring Saloon
Coachwork by James Young Ltd.
Chassis Number ALB 20
Engine Number B19A
“The intention is that the gentleman should be chauffeur-driven to and from appointments during the week, but should use the car as a normal family saloon (sedan) at the weekends and holiday times.” (Autocar Magazine)
Conscious that there was a small but select group of owner-drivers who found the standard wheelbase Silver Cloud/ Bentley S1 chassis (be it in Standard Steel Saloon or coachbuilt guise) somewhat lacking in space and presence, Crewe introduced a lengthened variant in Autumn 1957. Given that their “Bentley S” chassis had been a modular design (and indeed would underpin everything from the Cloud/ S-series to phantom V/VI, the four-and-a-half-inch stretch that this entailed was easily accommodated. Equipped with the same coil sprung independent front suspension, live rear axle, and hydraulic drum brakes as its lesser siblings, the LWB chassis also shared their 4.9 liter straight six engine and four-speed hydraulic automatic gearbox. Available exclusively to coachbuilt special orders, just thirty-five of the 3,538 S1s made were LWB cars. Of these thirty-five, twenty-three were bodied as elongated facsimiles of the Standard Steel Saloon by Park Ward, leaving just 12 to receive truly individualistic coachwork courtesy of Hooper and James Young.
Styled by Mr. A. F. McNeill, the five James Young LWBs (three saloons and two limousines) were noted for their understated elegance and purity of line. Blessed with a far lighter/ airier glasshouse, shallower swage line, and less bulbous wings (fenders) the James Young LWB saloon conspired to look both lower-slung and more imposing than the factory offerings. Nevertheless, 7.829.- UK Pounds Sterling was a massive 2.000 Pounds more expensive than its Standard Steel counterpart and almost 1.000 Pounds dearer than a Park Ward LWB.
Ordered via Jack Barclay Ltd. by its first owner, George E. Hickman, ALB 20 was dispatched to James Young’s Bromley premises on 22nd July 1958 and delivered some nine months later on 10th April 1959 to Drummond Brothers Ltd. (Mr. Hickman’s place of work); fitted with a 4.9-liter, six-cylinder engine, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It was then purchased from Drummond Brothers Ltd. by Colin Moreton in 1971 and passed into the hands of the late owner in 2001. With only three private owners from new, the car is in very good condition overall. The body is straight with an older repaint starting to show its age with a few minor imperfections. Maintained “regardless of cost”, it is finished in silver over a dark blue with what is believed to be its original tan leather upholstery. As well as routine mechanical fettling, it has benefited from refurbished woodwork, reconnollised leather, and sundry chrome work replating over the last nine years, amassing almost 11.000 Pounds worth of receipts in the process. Mechanically, the car is very sound and runs and drives very well. Almost disconcertingly spacious, its interior is equipped with power-assisted steering and picnic tables for those moments when “just a bite and a bit of bubbly” is desired. The first of the three James Young LWB saloons to be completed, ALB 20 remains a very special motorcar.