Just completed ground-up restoration to Concours standards Presented in its simply stunning original livery of Tudor Grey Metallic Re-trimmed in the original specified Green Vaumol Connolly Hide New Green Mohair Power hood Supplied new to an executive of the legendary Ad Agency Ogilvy Definitely one of the finest examples extant Automatic transmission and Power assisted steering The ultimate postwar collectors Bentley Truly magnificent In the early 1960s, Bentley’s parent company Rolls-Royce ran an advertisement that bragged: “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock”. While the car featured in the advertisement was a Silver Cloud, the ad was careful to state that Bentleys were also made by Rolls-Royce, and the claim certainly rang true for the sister company. If the engine was surpassed only in noise by the clock, surely the only other noise that would come close to that would be music on its radio. The genre of music this particular Bentley would eventually become famed for, however, was still decades away—both acoustically and chronologically. Chassis number BC40EL, a S1 Continental Drophead Coupé with Park Ward Coachwork, was first registered to Mather & Crowther Ltd at the company’s business address at Brettenham House in London, just next to Waterloo Bridge. Specified for the personal use of E.L. Mather, the car was accordingly registered ELM 9 when new. Finished in Tudor Grey over a Green interior with a pale green convertible top, it was delivered to Mather & Crowther on 28 May 1958. An advertising agency founded by Edmund Charles Mather in 1850, it was known as Mather & Crowther through the later part of the 1880s until 1948, when it merged to become Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather. In 1959, Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather took on Rolls-Royce as a client, one year after this BC40EL was delivered, resulting in the company’s famous aforementioned ad. Perhaps this very car played a role in inspiring that iconic advertisement. The Agency is today known as Ogilvy and is one of the world's most renowned advertising agencies, their story even inspiring the iconic show Mad Men. Little is known of the car in the succeeding years. A document from HM Customs and Excise dated May 1990 shows that the car was imported back into the UK to P.J. Fisher, a well-known Bentley specialist based in Putney, London, still bearing the registration number ELM 9. Less than a year later, the car was acquired by Alan Prince, a private collector and member of the Bentley Drivers Club, who immediately commissioned a restoration with the Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialist Auto Trade Restoration of Kensal Green, London. Stripped to bare metal, the interior was fully retrimmed, all chrome trim was refinished, and the bodywork was fully repainted in its present dark blue, with the power-operated convertible top retrimmed in dark blue to match. All mechanical components were attended to as well, including a complete rebuild of both the engine and gearbox. Following the completion of the restoration in October of 1992, the Bentley was road registered. Although efforts were made to return it to its original registration of ELM 9, this was not possible, and the car’s present registration of GVS 864 was assigned. The car was well-looked after in Mr Prince’s ownership, and it would enter a fascinating stage of its life with an enthusiastic new owner at the dawn of the 21st Century, just over 40 years after leaving the factory. By the late 1990s, Jamiroquai had risen to international stardom and were ranked as the third best-selling British artist of the decade, following the Spice Girls and Oasis. With their fifth studio album, A Funk Odyssey, set to be released to critical acclaim and commercial success in September of 2001, frontman Jay Kay could finally indulge in his life’s second passion: cars. Looking to purchase a Bentley in late 2000, Jay Kay was faced with the decision between purchasing this car or a "modern" Continental. For him, the decision was easy after experiencing both. Drawn to this car’s inherent charm and attractive colours, Kay purchased chassis BC40EL in January of 2001 through the renowned Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialist P&A Wood in Essex. This would become one of the first vehicles in his now-renowned collection, and has been one of the longest lasting. Maintained by P&A Wood throughout 2001 as Jay Kay sought to have the Bentley in perfect running order, he put approximately 2,000 miles on the car during his first year of ownership. The Bentley would intersect with Jay Kay’s personal and professional life in 2002, when it was decided that the car would feature in the music video for Love Foolosophy, Jamiroquai’s third single from A Funk Odyssey. The video famously featured Jay driving through mountain roads in the Bentley, accompanied by an Afghan Hound on the passenger seat and supermodel Heidi Klum draped across the rear seats. Following our acquisition of this storied motorcar from Jay Kay after more than 20 years of his custodianship, we decided to commission a Concours standard, ground-up restoration. Upon viewing the original build records, we discovered the car's spectacular original specification of Tudor Grey coachwork with Vaumol Green Connolly hide interior with a green hood. There was no way we could ignore such a spectacular original combination and therefore the decision was made to return the car to its original livery. The restoration was carried out by Tudor & Black who are among the most skilled Rolls-Royce and Bentley restorers in the country and therefore the world. The car looks beyond incredible, both in terms of the astonishing quality of the restoration as well as the impeccable colour combination. The car represents a very rare opportunity to buy a freshly restored S1 Park Ward Drophead with the majority of cars that come up for sale having been restored 20-30 years ago. The car is ready to be used, whether to take you down to the Azure Coast in the South of France or to grace the lawns of some of the world's most prestigious concours events where the car will certainly be a strong contender. Now available for viewing at the DD Classics Dealership in London, please call to book an appointment. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the above information but errors may occur. Please check with a salesperson.