1958 Bentley S-Type Continental Flying SpurChassis no. BC22LEL

Ex- Richard Anderson1958 Bentley S-Type Continental Flying SpurCoachwork by H.J. MullinerChassis no. BC22LEL
4,887cc Inline 6-Cylinder EngineDual SU HD8 Carburetors4-Speed Automatic TransmissionIndependent Front Suspension, Live Rear Axle4-Wheel Drum Brakes*The Ex-Richard Anderson, 6 Million Dollar Man *One of a limited number of left-hand drive total *CA blue plate, well known on the roads of Beverly Hills*Desirable color scheme THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDIntroduced in 1955, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Type differed only in detail, primarily the Bentley's lower bonnet line and simpler, rounded radiator shell. Chassis frame, engine, driveline and suspension were the same. Even their Standard Steel Saloon coachwork came off the same dies.The more demanding standards of serious drivers were met by the Bentley S-Type Continental with a higher 2.92:1 final drive ratio. Bentley S-Type Continental owners sought not only better high-speed performance but also more distinctive coachwork with the best designs executed by H.J. Mulliner. Surprisingly aerodynamic and subtly shaped with wrap-around one-piece windshields, the Continentals built by Mulliner were superb high-speed tourers, nearly silent while capable of cruising speeds of 100 miles per hour and top speeds approaching 120.In production from 1955 into 1959 Bentley built 3,538 S-Types. Continentals accounted for only 431 of the total, all of them coachbuilt. H.J. Mulliner was the most prolific coachbuilder, responsible for 218 in several different styles of which the four-door Flying Spur is the pinnacle of the series for comfort, style, spaciousness, elegance and grace.One of those drawn to the Flying Spur was actor and producer Richard Anderson. As a young man, he had seen Gary Cooper driving a Bentley and thought to himself, "One day, ..." Anderson was known in Hollywood for a career that spanned decades in film and television – and for his style, elegance and graciousness to everyone he met.After serving in the Army during World War II, Anderson started his acting career as contract player at MGM, the beginning of a long and wide-ranging career. He was in 84 films including science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet (Fred M. Wilcox, director), Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick, director), The Long, Hot Summer (Martin Ritt, director), Escape from Fort Bravo (John Sturges, director), Give a Girl a Break (Stanley Donen, director), Seven Days in May (John Frankenheimer, director) and Compulsion (Richard Fleischer, director), among many others. He performed alongside Hollywood legends such as Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas, Jack Lemmon, Debbie Reynolds, Paul Newman, Orson Welles, Natalie Wood, Ava Gardner, Gene Hackman and even Ice Cube.Anderson also appeared in 104 different television series, including Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Dynasty, Dan August, Perry Mason, The Fugitive, Charlie's Angels, The A-Team, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bonanza, Ironside, Daniel Boone and Murder, She Wrote. In 1974 he was cast in the role of Oscar Goldman, Director of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, in the second episode of the television series The Six Million Dollar Man. He continued to play that role throughout the series' run into 1978 as well as in the spinoff series The Bionic Woman from 1975-1978. Even after the television series ended Anderson, along with title actor Lee Majors and Bionic Women Lindsay Wagner and Sandra Bullock, appeared in three made for television movies through 1994.Anderson's Oscar Goldman in tweed and slacks was a steadying sartorial and emotional counterpoint to the leisure suits and bell bottoms of the bionically-enhanced title characters, Colonel Steve Austin and Jaime Summers.It was the success of The Six Million Dollar Man that gave Richard Anderson the opportunity to realize his dream of owning a Bentley S-Type Continental Flying Spur. "My father searched for years for a Continental Flying Spur," his daughter Brooke recalls. "He loved the lines of the car and its comfort, power and speed. He also believed his classic cars should be driven, not just stored in garages, and because of that, this car carries rich Hollywood history."He drove it to the studio to work, to red carpet movie events, to visit his long-time friend and neighbor, Cary Grant, and for Sunday lunches at Fred Hayman's house in Malibu. This car will be recognized immediately with fond memories at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Bel Air Hotel and at the Biltmore Hotel in Montecito, where it was always given premier parking spots at the front entrance."Finished in Black, with matching black leather upholstery and interior trim, it has an automatic transmission, air conditioning and fog lights as well as the S-Type's standard power brakes. Consistently maintained throughout its life, it has a marvelous patina and the lovely wood interior appointments that give Richard Anderson's S-Type Continental Flying Spur the ambiance of a fine gentlemen's club.Offered for the first time in decades from the estate of its long-term owner Richard Anderson, 1958 Bentley S-Type Continental Flying Spur is emblematic of Hollywood at a time when good taste, refinement and strong acting talents were important, where a Bentley S-Type Continental Flying Spur marked the accomplishments of an established, versatile, talented actor and producer.