Bentley 'S' Continental Mulliner Sports Saloon - Helmut Newton's dream car

Premium

Bentley 'S' Continental Mulliner Sports Saloon - Helmut Newton's dream car

This article was auto-translated. We apologize if some words are confusing or simply amusing. Would you like to help us improve?

Created on September 15, 2023

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bonhams

28

Courtesy Bonhams

3

Erich Rohmer

1

Archiv

21

53 1

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - elegance of the fifties

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Helmut Newton with his Bentley in the sixties

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - photographed in front of the La Grande Cascade restaurant in 1983

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - photographed in front of the La Grande Cascade restaurant in 1983

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - weighing around 1700 kg

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - rear view

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - View into the trunk

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - no longer in the original color

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - for four people and some luggage

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - front view

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - still with two-piece hood

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - A look under the hood

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - in-line six-cylinder engine with almost 5 liters displacement

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - should have produced over 150 hp

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Chassis badge

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Mulliner badge

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Henry Chapron also had something to do with the car

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Interior

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - View of the interior

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - separate fuel supply and ignition settings

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Speedometer up to 220 km/h

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - lots of space, lots of leather

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - plenty of room in the back seat

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Automatic transmission with four gears

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - two pedals are enough

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - beautifully finished wood

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - the coachbuilder immortalized himself at the entrance

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - Rouleau in front of the rear window

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - left-hand drive

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - trademark and "radiator mascot"

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1956) - yellow headlights for French roads

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Series 4-Door Saloon (1955) - elegant four-door car

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Series 4-Door Saloon (1955) - identical to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud except for the radiator

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Series 4-Door Saloon (1957) - with four-door factory bodywork

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Series 4-Door Saloon (1958) - comfortable and expensive

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Series 4-Door Saloon (1956) - often ordered in two-tone paintwork

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Series 4-Door Saloon (1955) - Chassis

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon H.J. Mulliner (1956) - in the style of its predecessor

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon H.J. Mulliner (1956) - elegant and sporty

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon H.J. Mulliner (1956) - the wings conceal the hatchback

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon H.J. Mulliner (1957) - the bodywork came from H.J. Mulliner

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon H.J. Mulliner (1957) - almost a hatchback

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon H.J. Mulliner (1958) - more expensive than a detached house

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S2' Continental Sports Saloon Mulliner (1960) - at the Paris Motor Show

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S Continental Sports Saloon Park Ward (1960) - at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S Continental Sports Saloon Park Ward (1958) - shown at the Earls Court Motor Show

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley 'S Continental Sports Saloon Park Ward (1957) - with notchback

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley S Continental DHC Park Ward (1956) - with top down

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley S Continental DHC Park Ward (1958) - two-tone paintwork

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley S Continental DHC Park Ward (1956) - the forerunner of the S2 Continental

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Bentley S Continental DHC Park Ward (1959) - Interior

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

You have only

1 out of 53

images seen in high resolution

Summary

The Bentley 'S' Continental Sports Saloon with Mulliner coupé body was one of the fastest and most expensive cars of its time. It embodied what was feasible at the time and combined speed and comfort. No wonder the famous photographer Helmut Newton fell in love with this car. This vehicle report tells the story of the 'S' Continental and shows it in many pictures and in the sales literature.

This article contains the following chapters

Newton's Bentley purchase
On the road to perfection
The Continental chassis
On loan to Eric Rohmer
Eight years in Newton's possession

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

There is actually no need to introduce the German-Australian Helmut Newton (1920-2004). He was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century and celebrities from David Bowie to Nastassia Kinski were photographed by him. Magazines such as Vogue and Playboy were his playground and his style was copied by many other photographers. Helmut Newton certainly had a great sense of aesthetics and style and when it came to choosing a special automobile in the sixties, he opted for a Bentley in 1964, albeit not a new car. So he went to the Paris Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealer Franco-Britannic and asked to see the used Bentleys in the basement. He quoted a budget of 10,000 French francs. However, he was only offered a few older R-Types. But his eyes fell on a silver-blue metallized car in the corner, he explained in his 2003 autobiography. "That's the car I want," he told the salesman. "You can't afford it, this is Mrs. Peugeot's car, the one she used to drive to play golf." The price for the 'S' Continental Sports Saloon was 23,000 francs.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

Continue reading this article for free?

Images of this article

Source: