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1955 Bentley S1 Hooper “Evolved Empress”

1955 Bentley S1 in Greenfingers, Movie, 2000

Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin:

1955 Bentley S1 Hooper “Evolved Empress”

00:35:10 Vehicle used a lot by a main character or for a long time

Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
chris40 ◊ 2010-06-12 15:46	Bentley S1/S2 Continental, may be Hooper?
robgeelen2 ◊ 2010-06-12 15:54	Bentley S1 Saloon by Hooper: not a Continental, most likely a 1955 - 1956 car.
bentleydriver ◊ 2012-10-15 13:41	Yes, S.1 long wheel base with Hooper coachbuild.
humungus ◊ 2024-07-26 01:11
dsl ◊ 2024-07-26 01:40	But RGY 710 belongs to this 1954 Bentley R Type Freestone & Webb, chassis B106UM so something's not right .... We've identified this vehicle using the details you provided BENTLEY BENTLEY OTHERS OTHERS 1954 Registration number: RGY 710 Body type: 4 Door Saloon Colour: Black Date of first registration: April 1954
humungus ◊ 2024-07-26 01:52	dsl wrote But RGY 710 belongs to this 1954 Bentley R Type Freestone & Webb, chassis B106UM so something's not right .... https://checkhistory.uk/vehicle/RGY710 indicates a plate change from YSK 656 to RGY 710 in 2006. There's a photo on pinterest of RGY 710 with the same color scheme as in the movie, but no info about the car. -- Last edit: 2024-07-26 15:11:13
dsl ◊ 2024-07-26 02:52	Sadly, I never progressed further than the introductory level of the Bentley Detectives Diploma, but if this is an LWB as claimed, it's Oct 57+, and Hooper only did 7 S1 LWBs.
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2024-07-26 08:41	B106UM was registered OXX3, then YSK 656. It was built by F&W to their design #3082C with the headlights close to the radiator, not in the wings. This S1 is definitely not that car, it appears to be a Hooper “Evolved Empress” to design #8430, 39 Bentleys and 2 Royces built carrying this body design. -- Last edit: 2024-07-27 08:29:23
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2024-07-26 08:52	Bentley R-type B106UM body by Freestone and Webb. 1) Picture from Bernard L. King’s book “Bentley R-type” 2) Please feel free to resize as appropriate but it needs to be big enough to show detail. -- Last edit: 2024-07-26 18:12:04
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2024-07-26 09:15	Not the same car, but the same body design: - Link to "www.premiercarriage.co.uk" https://www.beverlyhillscarclub.com/1956-bentley-s1-hooper-empress-saloon-c-1347.htm BTW Not Long Wheelbase, nor a Continental, or an S2 it would seem. I think not 1957, but 1955/6, as there were minor, but noticeable changes to ‘57s. See the rear wheel spats. Everybody happy? -- Last edit: 2024-07-26 09:32:26
dsl ◊ 2024-07-26 15:00	Yes, in terms of your analysis. But still bewildered by this one I stumbled on - apparently a 1957 Bentley Continental S1 Hooper Saloon - what's the point of Empressing a Continental??
humungus ◊ 2024-07-26 15:18	Here's the pic of the subject car from Pinterest (pic is not from the movie):
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2024-07-26 15:29	^ dsl - By 1957, the differences had, I think, tended to disappear. The MkVI/R-Type standard chassis was a bit on the pedestrian side for the “Silent Sports Car” so the company developed Olga and her descendants to try to recoup the lost mystique of the Speed Six and such. By the time of the late S1 cars the 4887cc engine offered a bit more power, and the two door coupé on such a big chassis was not quite so popular. As far as your example goes, was it genuinely a “Continental”? Perhaps it was a case of “they did it because they could”. I’ll do a little more digging. -- Last edit: 2024-07-26 15:32:25
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2024-07-26 16:03	The image below is from Johnnie Green’s book, “Bentley, Fifty years of the Marque”. The caption reads: - “The end of an era, Hooper’s swan song. Above, is Mr. Rivers’ design for the Continental model, of which it is thought only five were made, this being their exhibit for the 1959 Earl’s Court Show, and below is H.H the Maharajah of Bawalpar’s saloon supplied in April 1956, on the standard ‘S’ chassis.” James Taylor, in his book “Coachwork on Rolls-Royce and Bentley” also shows the design in the top picture, emphasising the unusual arrangement of the doors, where they continue downward, covering the sills. He makes no reference to any of the design shown in the subject picture (RGY 710) having been mounted on a Continental chassis, mentioning only the design in the picture immediately below on this post as being built on those. So, for what it’s worth, dsl, I don’t think your reference is a genuine “Evolved Empress Continental” because there probably weren’t any. -- Last edit: 2024-07-26 16:37:39
dsl ◊ 2024-07-26 20:17	Mopping up loose ends, my 2 RR/B picture books have no mention of any Empress Continentals, so I guess wires got crossed in the link I queried above. Both books also show the same pics you've posted: the white 1956 Maharajah of Wotsit's car was very unusual/possibly unique for having semaphores in the pillar, and the awkward dark Hooper Continental displayed at 59 Earls Court was the only S2 with this body, chassis BC1AR; the other 5 similar were all earlier-in-1959 S1.
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2024-07-26 21:24	Your link quite clearly calls it a Continental, so I don’t think your wires are crossed. Johnnie Green’s book was first published in 1969, so he should have known about the S2.
daimlere20 ◊ 2024-07-27 20:29	The Hooper ledger from this period shows little detail. In my ignorance, why "Evolved Empress" and not "Empress-line"?

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