Bentley has completed an eight-year restoration of its first T-Series, a car that has been hidden for decades.
The T-Series was launched in 1965 as a sister model to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Rolls-Royce owned Bentley at the time, and the T-Series and Silver Shadow looked virtually identical except for brand-specific grilles and hood ornaments.
Both models represented a move to unibody construction for their respective brands, and in the case of the T-Series, helped keep Bentley alive over the 15 years it was in production.
The first T-Series, the car bearing chassis number SBH1001, was originally used as a press car and at one point some decades ago was parked in a warehouse. When Bentley found it, the car wasn’t running and its entire interior was gone.
The restoration started in late 2016, when a group of Bentley apprentices began removing trim and reconditioning the body. Restoration work was put on hold for a period but started again a few years back, with expert Bentley restorer P&A Wood helping with the process.
According to Bentley, the 6.2-liter V-8 engine was in good condition, requiring only a thorough service before it could run. The transmission (a General Motors-designed Hydramatic unit) similarly also needed some minor work.
The hydraulic self-leveling suspension, which used technology licensed from Citroën, required more work. Bentley said the system was overhauled and had all hydraulic hoses replaced.
Since many of the required parts for the car, especially in the case of the missing interior, weren’t readily available, the team sourced another T-Series that was at the end of its life. Every detail was carefully checked, right down to the use of seatbelt buckles featuring Rolls-Royce logos.
The car will now form part of Bentley’s heritage collection at the automaker’s Crewe headquarters in the U.K.
A total of 1,868 examples of the first-generation T-Series were built, most being sedans. A coupe was introduced in 1966, followed by a convertible a year later, but combined production of those two body styles totaled just 41 cars. A second-generation version, called the T2, launched in 1977 and stayed in production until 1980.
High-Res Gallery: 1965 Bentley T-Series bearing chassis number SBH1001
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com
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