At the London Motor Show in 1959, Rolls-Royce Bentley Motors introduced their all-new 6.2-litre V8 engine with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 models.

A classic configuration of pushrod overhead valves, central camshaft and crossflow heads, the block and cylinder heads were alloy, and the fuel mixture was delivered through two horizontal SU HD6 carburettors.

A new development of the engine arrived in 1962 with the third generation S series, mounted on the Silver Cloud III and S3.

The last vehicle penned by noted Norwegian designer Vilhelm Koren, the Bentley S3 featured an impeccable harmony of clear lines and well-balanced proportions, with a straight through wing line and hooded headlamps; at the rear, the wing line extended in a finned style over a neat cluster of taillights, in a style the famed Bond-era Aston Martins later adopted.

The headlight styling of S3 Continentals earned them the sobriquet of 'Chinese Eye' models, or ‘Chinese Lanterns’, as referred to by ...