1960 Bentley S2 Continental Sports Saloon

•One of only 41 S2 Continentals by James Young
•Only three owners from new, all same family
•Recommissioned from storage in 2015
•Recent tours of the South of France

"In the twilight of their coachbuilding years, James Young had with these cars reached the pinnacle of excellence." - Martin Bennett, Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

In the 1950s and 1960s the Bentley Continental was the world's ultimate Grand Tourer, a car in which you could set off from any European capital in the morning and arrive at Monte Carlo fresh enough to play the tables that same evening. With the arrival of the V8-engined S2 version in 1959, this consummate ability was further enhanced.

Despite the popularity of the 'standard steel' bodywork, introduced when production of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars resumed after WW2, a steadily declining number of independent coachbuilders continued to offer alternatives. Arguably the most stylish were those produced to clothe the Bentley Continental which, of course, was only ever available with bespoke coachwork.

One of the most prominent of these surviving firms was James Young, a company that had established itself among the foremost coachbuilders for upmarket chassis by the end of the 1930s. The Bromley-based carriage-maker had bodied its first automobile in 1908, affiliating itself with a succession of quality marques throughout the 1920s and 1930s before being acquired by the Jack Barclay Group in 1937. Its factory devastated by wartime bombing, the company did not resume exhibiting at the London Motor Shows until 1948, continuing to offer coachbuilt designs of distinction on (mainly) Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis until the arrival of the unitary construction Silver Shadow/T-Series range in the 1960s. A lack of suitable chassis would force the firm's closure before the 'Sixties decade ended, but in its declining years James Young produced what are widely recognised as its finest creations, this beautiful Bentley Continental among them. In total, James Young bodied 41 S2 Continental chassis.

The vendor advised us that this example has been owned by only three members of the same family and still remembers the day his uncle allowed him to steer the car for the first time. The Bentley had been in storage for a number of years prior to its purchase by a cousin, following which various recommissioning works were carried out in 2015. Since then the car has seen some use, including two tours to the South of France where it was maintained by a garage specialising in vintage cars, was used for occasional visits locally and became a well known member of the annual St Tropez Rally over 4 years before being transported back to the UK. The last word in Gran Turismo motoring in its day, this gorgeous James Young-bodied Bentley Continental is offered with sundry bills and a V5C registration document.