Bentley’s Heritage Collection welcomes a milestone treasure.
Today, Bentley is known for its lineup of ultra-luxury vehicles that combine stunning looks with sumptuous features, high-tech solutions, spirited driving, and high performance. However, that philosophy is the culmination of Bentley’s century of heritage, and one of the most important milestones in Bentley’s lineage is the introduction of the T-Series, introducing a monocoque body to Bentley for the frist time as a car that combined luxury and performance in the way Bentley is celebrated for doing today at the highest level.
The four-door sedan T-Series featured a 225-horsepower 6.23-liter V8 engine, and got from 0-60 in 10.9 seconds towards a top speed of 115 mph, impressive numbers for the time in the 1960s. The very first Bentley T-Series, chassis number SBH1001, a four-door model finished in Shell Grey, is joining the Bentley Heritage Collection after being painstakingly restored, returning home after 59 years.
The car was originally used as a company trials car, and was also used in press coverage when the model launched. However, it was found in storage in non-running condition, and Bentley restored the precious historic car while preserving as much of its original material as possible. While the engine and rear axle needed relatively little restoration work, the interior, wiring, corrosion, and crash damage presented major challenges.
The car was beautifully restored, faithfully to the original, including details like the logos on the seat belt buckles, the lack of wing mirrors, the innovative hydro-pneumatcic ride height control and the Vibrashock mounts. Now, the stunning historic Bentley that made important steps towards the Bentley of today by being the brand’s first monocoque-bodied car combining sumptuous luxury with innovative performance, returns to the century-old manufacturer’s Heritage Collection, returning to its original home after being abandoned in disrepair.
Image Source: Bentley
