1964 Bentley S3

Previously owned by a family since 2010, this car was bought from THE MARKET last year.  The owner has enjoyed over 700 miles in it since, and drove it to our HQ without a hiccup. He's just bought a Porsche (also from us), and needs the space in his garage.

This majestic and stately Bentley S3 is in very good mechanical order, as evidenced by many recent bills and receipts and supported by our experience of driving it. 

It starts, goes and stops with all the competence and capability you would hope and wish to find in a vehicle of this pedigree.

The battery doesn’t hold a charge for any length of time and may need replacing sooner rather than later, but the engine, powertrain and mechanicals all seem to be in rude good health and purring along harmoniously in the inimitably classy manner intended by the marque’s gentleman engineers and artisans.

Yes, there is some work to be done on the cosmetic front, but we don’t think it will present the car’s next owner will an unbearably onerous or expensive list of tasks.

This is a car that has attended many RREC rallies and events, and is no stranger to European shores, as evidenced by the 2022 Swiss motorway vignette on the windscreen.

It has spent its life giving pleasure to a succession of diligent owner-curators and it’s done so by being regularly used and enjoyed.

From a few feet away, the car presents very well from every angle and is a fine-looking example of both the model and the marque.

Get a little closer and there is some bubbling to be found in various places.

Namely, at the top and bottom of the n/s/f wing and behind the front bumper on the same side: near the bases of the ‘B’ pillars where they meet the sills on both sides; atop the o/s/f wing and at the forward-facing base of the same wing and in the adjoining wheel arch; at the base of the n/s/r wing and wheel-arch; at the base of the o/s/r wing: beneath the n/s/r window; and on bodywork beneath the lower edge of the boot lid.

It might sound like a lot but most of these outbreaks are pretty minor and none is in the category of galloping rot or anywhere near it.

Aside from that, there are one or two instances of split paint here and there and a fairly standard distribution of light scratches and minor scuffs.

The chrome has held up well, as have the wheels.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in good order.

In general, the dark blue paintwork has retained plenty of shine and lustre.

We believe (from a 1964 delivery card) that the car left the factory wearing an ICI paint hue described as ‘Antelope’.

The interior looks to be very original and is generally in fine fettle.

The beige leather upholstery is supportive and comfortable, both front and back.

The leather itself is, predictably, showing less wear in the rear than in the front.

The two front seats have some creasing to the outer bolsters of the backrests.

The door cards are decent, as are the carpets and brand-new over-rugs.

The wood veneers and inserts on the dashboard, door cappings, rear picnic tables and elsewhere have weathered the passage of time with commendable pluck. 

The headlining is free of any rips or tears. 

The dashboard, instruments, controls, knobs, switches and dials look good and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do, including the DAB-enabled radio. 

The rear offside vanity mirror has detached from its wooden housing and the black plastic top to the dashboard is a little tired and scuffed in places.

The boot looks solid and intact. It contains a spare wheel, a soft car cover and the aforementioned alternative cream over-rugs.

The engine bay is clean, dry and tidy.

The car’s undersides, while showing what looks like surface rust here and there, appear to be possessed of a good amount of structural integrity.

At the time of writing, we can report that while the battery takes a charge, it runs down fairly quickly, and so may need replacing.

This car comes with a very thick history file covering its entire life and attesting to the fact that some simply eye-watering sums have been spent on it over the years.

We know that the car was purchased from Ripon Brothers of Huddersfield.

We believe that it transitioned from ‘Antelope’ (a metallic gold colour) to the dark blue you see before you today in 1992, although it has since been resprayed in that colour on a number of occasions.  

We know from a letter that in 2012, when the car’s mileage was 56,000, the current vendor’s family had spent £21,000 on repairs in the immediately preceding 12 months, all through Newcastle marque specialist, Fearon.

Indeed, most of the bills and invoices for welding, new panels, mechanical repairs and sundry other jobs have been for work done by Fearon, usually featuring parts supplied by Flying Spares.

The car received a full service from Fearon in March 2024 when the odometer was reading 99,733.

Today, the mileage shown on the 5-digit odometer is 02,480 or 102,480, to be precise.

Among much other work, the engine was stripped and rebuilt, and a reconditioned gearbox sourced and fitted, by Fearon in 2020.

This splendid Bentley S3 comes with more history than the Ashmolean Museum and is, we believe, in first-class mechanical and dynamic order.

The question for the next lucky owner is whether or not they want to restore some, most or all of this car’s considerable former glory.

We’d be inclined to go for ‘all’, and not least because this car wants and deserves to be used and enjoyed for a long time to come.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £17,000 - £22,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.