While most Bentley S‑Series (and their Rolls‑Royce Silver Cloud siblings) were built with Standard Steel bodies (effectively the 'factory' body), that the cars continued to use separate chassis construction meant that coachbuilders could still practise their art on them.

Although Hooper was owned by Daimler, it still created elegant (and sometimes very flamboyant) designs for the chassis of other manufacturers, including Rolls‑Royce and Bentley.

Many of these had a distinctive frontal appearance with hooded headlamps, as is apparent with this very stylish ivory and black 1956 Bentley S1, built to Hooper design number 8430.

It seems that just 39 cars to this particular pattern were constructed, with aluminium alloy panelling.

So this was a very rare vehicle even when new, and much more so now.

The vendor tells us that one of the previous owners (the V5C records three former keepers), a retired bank manager, cherished this Bentley throughout his 30‑year custodianship of it.

It is d...