| Bentley S2 | |
| Manufacturer: | Bentley Motors Limited (1931) |
| Assembly: | Crewe, England |
| Production: | 1959–1962 2,308 produced |
| Body Style: | 2-door saloon 4-door saloon 2-door drophead coupe |
| Predecessor: | Bentley S1 |
| Successor: | Bentley S3 |
| Related: | Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II |
| Engine: | 6.2 L Bentley L410 V8 |
| Wheelbase: | 3124 mm (123 in) 3226 mm (127 in) |
The Bentley S2 is a luxury car produced by Bentley from 1959 until 1962. The successor to the S1, it featured the new Rolls-Royce–Bentley L-series V8 engine and improved air conditioning made possible by that engine's increased output. Power steering was also standard, and a new dashboard and steering wheel were introduced. Some early S2s were built with the earlier S1 dashboard.
A high-performance S2-derived Continental edition was also produced.
1,863 standard and 57 long-wheelbase S2 car chassis were built[1] between 1959 and 1962. Almost all were fitted with standard factory bodywork. A number had coachbuilt bodies by Park Ward, Hooper, H. J. Mulliner & Co., and James Young.
Announced at the beginning of October 1959[2] the S2 replaced the S1's straight-six engine with the new aluminium Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 shared with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. It displaced 6.2 L (6230 cc, or 380 cu in), and offered significantly improved performance.
As advertised in The Times, Friday, 2 October 1959:[2]
Of the 1,863 standard S2 models produced, 15 had H. J. Mulliner & Co. drophead coupe bodies. Of the 57 long-wheelbase cars, five had James Young bodies and one a Mercedes-Bentley yachting station-wagon body by Wendler.[1]
An "S2 Continental" chassis was built with higher performance engines and higher gearing for lighter bodywork. 388 were built, bodied by the same group of coachbuilders as the standard S2.