1965 Bentley Series 3 Convertible
“ Originally Owned By Lady Bird (of Birds Custard). We think this grand old Bentley has many years of service and pleasure yet to give. ”
Being offered as part of our curated auction in conjunction with the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Annual Rally at Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire on the 26th – 28th June’26.

Background
Facing increasing competition from faster rivals and with development of its ageing six-cylinder engine nearing its end, Rolls-Royce had turned to V8 power as the 1960s approached.

The V8 was, of course, the predominant power unit in Rolls-Royce's most important export market - the USA - so it was only natural that the Crewe firm would study the best American designs - principally those of Chrysler and Cadillac - for inspiration.

Introduced in the autumn of 1959, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 appeared externally unchanged from their 'Cloud and S-Type predecessors, though the duo's performance was considerably enhanced by the new 6,230cc aluminium-alloy V8 engine.

Although wider and shorter than the 'six' it replaced, the new power unit fitted relatively easily within the engine bay, relocation of the steering box from inside to outside of the chassis frame being the most obvious alteration to the previous arrangements.

Externally the new models appeared virtually unchanged, while beneath the skin Rolls-Royce's own four-speed automatic transmission was now the only one on offer and power steering had been standardised.

In 1962 the new V8 engine appeared in improved form in the Bentley S3 and its Rolls-Royce equivalent, the Silver Cloud III, incorporating larger carburettors, a new distributor and raised compression ratio. There were many other changes made to the S3/Cloud III, the most obvious being the adoption of a four-headlamp lighting arrangement, the absence of sidelights from the wing tops, and a slightly lower radiator shell.

Inside the new models featured revised accommodation with separate front seats and increased room for rear passengers. The last mainstream Bentley to employ a separate chassis, the S3 remained in production until superseded by the unitary construction T-Series in late 1965.

"The size and grandeur of the car... deceive one about the performance which would do justice to many a car of more sporting pretensions. The finish, both in detail and the broader sense of equipment and trim is superb." Motor was, in fact, referring to the Silver Cloud III, but its words, of course, apply equally to the Bentley S3.

Overview
This car was first registered on 6th August 1965, having been delivered new to its first owner, Lady Bird.

Lady Bird was an heiress to the fortunes of the eponymous custard empire and later in life lived at Horton Manor, where she gained quite a reputation locally for being endearingly eccentric – not least because she drove a pink Rolls-Royce.

The car we have here for you today is every bit as rare and eccentric as that pink Rolls-Royce.

Why?

Because it started out in life as a Bentley S3 Saloon and is now, as you have no doubt discerned, a four-door drophead.

We don’t know when or by whom the saloon-to-drophead conversion work was carried out but we can attest that it was evidently done to a high standard by people who knew what they were doing.

When new, the car was ‘Astral Blue’ over ‘Shell Grey’. Today, it is ‘Caribbean Blue’ over ‘Georgian Silver’, with hand-painted coachlines along the flanks and around the hub caps.

View Current Bid Price HERE: https://www.themarket.co.uk/listings/bentley/series-3-convertible/88f271de-f240-403b-ae06-e5da430a05d9