Up until World War II, most luxury marques such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley supplied only “body-ready” bare chassis.

These frames sported all the era’s advanced suspension, braking, and engine systems, but were nearly bare from the instrument panel back.

Each chassis was delivered to the coachbuilder of the discerning buyer’s choice.

From this muscular blank canvas, coachbuilders across Europe tailored opulent, custom-made bodies fulfilling most any of their clients’ desires.

The coachbuilder most closely associated with Bentley, however, was H.J.

Mulliner.

Long a favored builder of C.S.

Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce, Mulliner became so synonymous with Rolls-Royce and Bentley that by the late 1930s, almost all bodies the company built were fitted to those marques.

The graceful Continental S1 Flying Spur debuted in late 1955.

With its unique sculpted rear fenders, the Flying Spur is credited to George Moseley, chief designer at H.J.

Mulliner.

While standard bodies were prod...