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Car of the Month - February 2023
Bentley S3 Continental, 1963, #BC76XA
4-Door Sports Saloon by James
Young
It is generally accepted that all and any specimen from the Bentley Continental R mUnderstandably the manufacturer Rolls-Royce didn't ignore the importance of the fact the bodies for their 'custom-built motor cars' should be created by the 'in-house' coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward. To advise customers who opted on vehicles delivered as 'chassis cum engine' they should select coachwork made by what was a wholly owned subsidiary of the company from Crewe brought a considerable advantage: Profit was achieved "over the entire value chain" from production to delivery.
This is the major reason, of course, why the only remaining independent
coachbuilder, James Young, only produced significantly smaller numbers.
Any gossip as regards reportedly 'superior quality' of products from
H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward" is ill-based. There was no gap - the
assessment must be that at most marginal gradations in sub-areas could
be mentioned. Fairness commands to state one and the other company
guaranteed highest standards with regard to the quality of materials and
the craftmanship in the execution of work, too. From today's point of
view in any case the comparison of production figures are interesting;
concerning Bentley S3 Continental altogether 290 units received bodies
by H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward whereas merely 20 vehicles from this model
series became finished with creations by James Young.
This inevitably results in an impact on the "appreciation" in the true sense of the word for the automobiles built by James Young. H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward built about 15 times as many bodies and it can be assumed that nowadays a considerable number still exist as "classics" whereas on the other hand from but a few versions built by James Young today at best are available a microscopically small number. - Promptly the generally valid maxim of the market reigns supreme: If something is extremely rare, though of reals interest to collectors, this will have the effect boosting the price.
In the same way this also applies to the Bentley S3's sister model, i.e. the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III. James Young offered their 4-door saloon design as an option to be erected on such chassis.
