Hand-built aluminium coachwork, a 6¼-litre V8 and a green leather interior define this 1962 Bentley S2 Continental Coupe. Chassis BC71CZ combines H.J. Mulliner’s two-door design with a history that begins in Switzerland, documented by copies of its original chassis cards and a detailed catalogue description from 2017.
According to that catalogue, BC71CZ is one of just 71 right-hand-drive examples built to H.J. Mulliner’s design number 7514. Its aluminium body was constructed at the coachbuilder’s West London works, where each Continental was completed to the individual customer’s order. The design evolved from Mulliner’s earlier two-door Continental, dispensing with the fins of design 7500 in favour of a cleaner, more flowing profile.
Beneath the coachwork, the S2 Continental retained the chassis of its S1 predecessor while adopting an aluminium 6¼-litre V8 in place of the earlier six-cylinder engine. Automatic transmission, power steering and servo-assisted brakes formed part of a specification conceived for covering long distances in comfort.
Completed in February 1962, BC71CZ was supplied through Garage de l’Athénée, the Rolls-Royce agent in Geneva, to its first owner, Mr Otto Streicher of Zurich. The chassis card records the original exterior colour simply as “Special Blue”, paired with green upholstery. It also lists details such as split-back front seats, luggage straps, a radio and an electrically controlled aerial, offering a glimpse of the car’s original specification.
The supplied photographs show the Bentley in pewter with green leather upholstery and a wood-trimmed dashboard. The 2017 description identifies the leather as original, connecting the later appearance of the car with the interior specified by its first owner.
Although the early ownership record beyond its first few years is incomplete, the catalogue states that the Bentley was understood to have returned to England in the late 1960s. A British collector acquired it in 1989, before Frank Dale & Stepsons supplied it to a collector in Europe ten years later.
The same account describes periodic returns to the specialist’s London workshops for servicing and maintenance, as well as preparation for a rally. Work recorded before the 2017 offering included restoration of the coachwork and extensive work on the brightwork, new dark green Wilton carpets for the cabin and boot, and the installation of air conditioning. At that time, the car was also described as accompanied by small tools in their Mulliner box, an original handbook, copies of the chassis cards and a history file covering maintenance and improvements.
Those records give BC71CZ a story beyond its appearance: a Continental commissioned for a Swiss customer, subsequently cared for in Britain and continental Europe, and adapted for touring while retaining the character of its original specification. Its aluminium Mulliner body and documented beginnings remain central to the appeal of this rare Bentley.
This rare motorcar is for sale – please contact kay@collectorscarworld.com for more details.
