There are more than a handful of both large and small-production automakers that possess illustrious histories chock-full of ingenious design, craftsmanship, performance, and passion. Among them is Bentley, which may take the most amount of pride in its storied, extensive past.
The Crewe, England-based luxury automaker recently invited me to ride along in, and even drive, a couple of its heritage fleet cars—meaning, cars that it produced many decades ago that are now kept in-house as a sort of mobile museum to preserve and share its history. One was a 1930 Bentley Speed Six, which I had the honor of riding shotgun in. Another was a truly enriching step into Bentley’s days of yore: I drove a 1-of-15-produced 1961 Bentley Continental S2 Drophead (meaning, convertible) Coupe, specially crafted by H. J. Mulliner & Company. It was an absolute treat to fire up this work of art, put it in gear, and go for a spin. It also left me utterly impressed. Here’s how.
Drop-Dead-Gorgeous Drophead
The conditions could not have been more perfect. On the second-to-last morning of this past summer’s Monterey Car Week, I was whisked up Pebble Beach’s iconic 17-Mile Drive to a picturesque turnout along the Northern California coastline. Conveniently, the overcast, early morning light acted as nature’s softbox, allowing me to pour over its gorgeous bodywork and cockpit in great detail.
While the S2 Continental Drophead may seem like a massive, hefty convertible, its dimensions proved otherwise in person. One can’t think of ‘60s and ‘70s Bentleys and not see many, many square inches of softly flowing bodywork, but it was surprisingly scaled down from what I’d initially perceived from photos. Perhaps a testament to how much bigger the average person is today compared to 60 years ago. Or, if you’re just used to being in the company of made-in-USA fare of the same vintage.
Nonetheless, its presence was quite striking and elegant. I couldn’t stop staring at it from every angle, especially the front three-quarter perspective, and my eyes needed several passes to truly appreciate its subtle details. Like its smooth front bumper and single-round headlamp arrangement—which, by the way, is the last car to get this design before the latest-generation 2025 Continental GT. Then, who can deny its hood ornament, chrome window trim, and simplistic chrome side mirrors? Finally, its deep shade of Ming Blue paint; fitting, as this example would roll across the lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance the following day, ready to compete with some of the most exquisitely prepared vintage cars, ever.
Soft, Supple, and Substantial
Popping the chrome door handle revealed more of its light tan fawn leather interior, which felt absolutely exquisite to the touch. Calling it airy is, well, pointless … due to it being a convertible … but the dashboard’s simple layout, spacious footwell, soft-touch leather, contributed to this vibe, truly demonstrating that this thing wafts rather along rather than rolls.
I could stare at the polished wood dash and trim’s deep, substantial grain for hours, which is nicely contrasted by a host of beautifully simple, finely machined gauges. The large three-spoke steering wheel and all ancillary controls below it felt so nice, and their action left nothing to be desired in a vehicle of this caliber.
Driving the 1961 Bentley Continental S2 Drophead Coupe
While this beautiful British convertible’s looks, dimensions, and interior accouterments may make it seem a bit dated to drive, I was pleasantly surprised by the opposite. You know: Having to adjust a choke, a heavy gasoline smell upon startup, a shaky idle until underway—traits that aren’t uncommon among its contemporaries, no matter where they were produced.
The S2, however, was quite the opposite. Clicking over the ignition fired it up instantly, with nary a rocking from under the hood, and a smooth, buttery idle thereafter. Getting underway was equally confident: After dropping the parking brake, I pressed on the brake pedal, clicked its right-hand lever into gear, and simply drove off. Once up to 20-or-so miles an hour, I slid the lever into third, the revs smoothly followed suit, and it continued on down the road without drama.
“The S2 was important, because that’s when we introduced the V8 engine,” Jonathan Smedley of Bentley’s Heritage Collection told me as we rolled along Pebble Beach’s scenic coastline. “This has been used as a fundamental basis in our cars for nearly 70 years, since.” The firm was off to a good start, too. The S2’s 6.2-liter V8 produces around 200 horsepower, which isn’t impressive by modern metrics, but it was enough to push it along with confidence. Inputting a little more throttle than necessary revealed a beautifully linear torque curve accompanied by a low, bass-rich rumble. The S2 will reach a top speed of 120 mph (as indicated on its reverse rev counter), and I doubt it would’ve felt sketchy if I had the chance to test this.
When it came to the S2’s ride quality, it was very isolated and comfortable, yet I could feel its weighted stature maintain a confident footing. The only part of the experience that felt noticeably dated was its steering, which was the equivalent of a contemporary off-roader—extremely light with no feedback whatsoever. Though, this definitely isn’t a knock as it fits the effortless-around-town demeanor quite well.
Besides the way it changed direction, driving the Bentley Continental S2 Drophead Coupe felt surprisingly modern. A testament to how thorough Crewe personnel were in its development nearly 70 years ago.
A Legacy Worth Being Proud Of
Massive thanks to Bentley Americas for letting me take this beautiful piece of machinery for a spin. Not only was it a testament to how far automotive technology has come, but also, how unchanged some of the brand’s core characteristics have stayed over the course of generations. Beautifully crafted materials, gorgeous looks, a brilliant ride quality, and an overall air of effortlessness—what a heck of a history lesson.
Additionally, while there are several other brands that run similar in-house heritage programs, more definitely should. As technology rapidly evolves and advances, it’s important to acknowledge and respect where it’s come from, and, whenever possible, pay homage. In Bentley’s case, Smedley told me a fascinating tidbit about how the brand develops current and upcoming models: By benchmarking ride quality against the S2’s successor, the mid-’60s Continental S3. Fascinating.
