1955 | Bentley S 1 Continental DHC

• One of only two cars built to this body design and the only one in LHD
• Stunning Velvet Green with new Dark Green Mohair Top
• Lovely Sage Green Connolly leather interior
• New Grey Wilton Carpets
• EZ Electronic Power Steering
• Automatic Transmission
• Original Swiss issued Certificat d'acquittement on file
• Delivered new to Switzerland and formerly registered in Germany
• Built to order for Madam Richepin Meeking of Villa Rochebrune, Lake Geneva
• Beautiful in every small detail
• The beneficiary of an extensive refurbishment
• A very unique opportunity!

Finished in the gorgeous Velvet Green coachwork with Sage Green Connolly hide and contrasting Swithland Slate Wilton carpets. The hood is trimmed to match the body, in Dark Green and has just been fully replaced including both outer and wool headlining , plus a dark green leather hood bag. Sitting on white banded tyres, the wheel trim embellishers are correctly coachlined by hand with a single pin stripe to match the cabin

Equipped with beautiful twin Marshal headlights, new lap belts for added safety which are trimmed in a classic weave and chrome fittings - which look the part. Uprated with front electric windows and EZ power steering which makes manoeuvring an ease. Fitment of period radio finishes off the cockpit.

Dispatched on the 8th August 1955 as a rolling chassis from Pyms Lane built in LHD form from the factory, delivered to Graber Coachworks - Switzerland just 3 months after the official launch and unveiling of the new S1 & Silver Cloud models, making this car one of the very first and also highlighting the importance of what the men at Crew thought of Graber. Built to order for Lady Richepin Meeking of Villa Rochebrume, Lake Geneva. This car is just 1 of 2 Bentleys built to this body design with the sibling being built in RHD form. The RHD car featured at the ''56 Geneva motor show and had flared sill covers. There was a 3rd car built in the same body design but equipped to a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud chassis and was tailor made to order for Emir of Kuwait with recessed head lamps, deleted chrome wing mouldings and lavish trim of ivory hide with yellow piping. Not one car was built the same making them all unique and this opportunity even more special.

Fast forward to 2019 our car was stripped back to bare metal and extensive restoration was carried out to the coachwork – all of these works were fully documented and photographed. In addition, the engine also underwent a rebuild, re writing and gearbox overhaul.

Acquired by DD Classics over the course of the next 12 months this car has benefited from works which have been fully documented, each step photographed. These including the following:

• Coachwork stripped back and painted Velvet Green, mirror finish
• All chrome removed and chromed to perfection
• Chrome body mouldings removed and straightened to perfection
• Wheel trims removed polish with new wheel embellishers painted body colour and hand coach lined to match main hide
• Complete new hood handmade including all three parts, outer mohair, inner padding and correct wool headlining
• Complete set Wilton carpets – hand cut and fit beautifully

Graber Carrossier
Hermann Graber opened his Carrosserie in 1927 in Wichtrach near Bern, Switzerland. His first work was on a Fiat 508 chassis, followed by another on a Panhard-Levassor 20CV chassis, which gained Graber the first prize at the 1929 Concours 'Elegance in St. Moritz. His first work on a Rolls-Royce was a drophead coupé body on 20 H.P. chassis GZK58, followed by another on a Bentley 3½ Litre. But it was in the post-war period that Graber tightened a profitable relationship with Crewe, becoming the most prolific overseas coachbuilder for Rolls-Royce and Bentley models. On the Mark VI chassis, Graber produced thirteen elegant drophead coupés and four fixed head coupés, followed by another seven bodies on the R-Type chassis and three on the prestigious R-Type Continental.

The Swiss coachbuilder ended collaboration with Crewe by producing two bodies for the S1. One each for the Silver Cloud I and S1 Continental and a final one for the S3 Continental. Earlier, at the 1953 Geneva Show they launched a saloon body fitted on the Alvis TA21 chassis followed the next year by a drophead coupé. These bodies met with success, convincing the British chassis maker to increase the volume of this model. But the small Bern based coachbuilder wasn't able to satisfy the requests leading to Park Ward being given permission to build the bodies under license.

Now available for viewing at the DD Classics Dealership in London, please call 0208 878 33 55 to book an appointment.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the above information but errors may occur. Please check with a salesperson.