Replacing the R-Type, Bentley launched the S1 as their predominant luxury car. Among these was the Continental which was meant for custom coachbuilt bodies in the same theme as the R-Type Continental. To underline the sporting potential, Bentley fitted a shorter radiator, higher transmission ratios and an optional manual transmission. These were some of the most expensive cars produced in the period.
When launched the S-seires Bentley was almost identical to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I, except for the front radiator treatment. Both models used the same 4.9-liter inline-6 which could power the car up to 120 mph. The chassis was built from box-sectioned sheet steel and could support a variety of different bodies.
In October of 1955 the Continental chassis became available for custom coachwork. In total, 431 S1 Continentals were manufactured and the bulk of the bodies were built by H.J. Mulliner as a fastback sports saloon.
| BODYWORK | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| BODY TYPE | 4/5 seater fixed-head coupé | ||
| NUMBER OF DOORS | 2 | ||
| DESIGNER | H.J. Mulliner | ||
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS | |||
| WHEELBASE | 3124mm | 123 inches | |
| TRACK/TREAD (FRONT) | 1473 mm | 58 inches | |
| TRACK/TREAD (REAR) | 1524 mm | 60 inches | |
| LENGTH | 5385mm | 212 inches | |
| WIDTH | 1816 mm | 71.5 inches | |
| HEIGHT | |||
| GROUND CLEARANCE | |||
| LENGTH:WHEELBASE RATIO | 1.72 | ||
| KERB WEIGHT | 1880 kg | 4145 lb | |
| WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION | |||
| FUEL TANK CAPACITY | 82 litres | 18 [21.7] UK [US] gal. | |
| AERODYNAMICS | |||
| DRAG COEFFICIENT | |||
| FRONTAL AREA | |||
| CDA | |||
| POWERTRAIN | |||
| ENGINE TYPE | naturally aspirated petrol | ||
| ENGINE MANUFACTURER | Rolls-Royce | ||
| ENGINE CODE | |||
| CYLINDERS | Straight 6 | ||
| CAPACITY | 4.9 litre 4887 cc (298.223 cu in) | ||
| BORE × STROKE | 95.25 × 114.3 mm 3.75 × 4.5 in | ||
| BORE/STROKE RATIO | 0.83 | ||
| VALVE GEAR | overhead inlet, side exhaust (oise) 2 valves per cylinder 12 valves in total | ||
| MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT | |||
| MAXIMUM TORQUE | |||
| ENGINE CONSTRUCTION | |||
| SUMP | |||
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 8:1 | ||
| FUEL SYSTEM | 2 SU carburettors | ||
| BMEP (BRAKE MEAN EFFECTIVE PRESSURE) | |||
| MAXIMUM RPM | |||
| CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS | |||
| ENGINE COOLANT | Water | ||
| UNITARY CAPACITY | 814.5 cc | ||
| ASPIRATION | Normal | ||
| COMPRESSOR | N/A | ||
| INTERCOOLER | None | ||
| CATALYTIC CONVERTER | N | ||
| PERFORMANCE | |||
| ACCELERATION 0-80KM/H (50MPH) | 9.3 s | ||
| ACCELERATION 0-60MPH | |||
| ACCELERATION 0-100KM/H | |||
| ACCELERATION 0-160KM/H (100MPH) | |||
| STANDING QUARTER-MILE | 18.8 s | ||
| STANDING KILOMETRE | |||
| MAXIMUM SPEED | 192 km/h (119 mph) | ||
| POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO | |||
| WEIGHT-TO-POWER RATIO | |||
| FUEL CONSUMPTION | |||
| FUEL CONSUMPTION | |||
| UNIVERSAL FUEL CONSUMPTION (CALCULATED FROM THE ABOVE) | |||
| LITRES/100KM | |||
| KM/LITRE | |||
| UK MPG | |||
| US MPG | |||
| CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS | |||
| CARFOLIO CALCULATED CO2? | |||
| VED BAND (UK) | |||
| CO2 EFFIZIENZ (DE) | |||
| CHASSIS | |||
| ENGINE POSITION | front | ||
| ENGINE LAYOUT | longitudinal | ||
| DRIVE WHEELS | rear wheel drive | ||
| TORQUE SPLIT | N/A | ||
| STEERING | |||
| TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK | |||
| TURNING CIRCLE | |||
| FRONT SUSPENSION | |||
| REAR SUSPENSION | |||
| WHEEL SIZE FRONT | |||
| WHEEL SIZE REAR | |||
| TYRES FRONT | 7.60 x 15 | ||
| TYRES REAR | 7.60 x 15 | ||
| BRAKES F/R | Dr/Dr-S | ||
| FRONT BRAKE DIAMETER | |||
| REAR BRAKE DIAMETER | |||
| BRAKED AREA | |||
| GEARBOX | 4 speed automatic | ||
