Bentley has completed an eight-year restoration of its first T-Series, a car that had 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 shift to unibody construction for their respective brands, and in the case of the T-Series, this change helped keep Bentley alive during its 15-year production run.
The first T-Series, bearing chassis number SBH1001, was originally used as a press car and had been parked in a warehouse decades ago. When Bentley found it, the car wasn't running, and its entire interior was missing.
1965 Bentley T-Series bearing chassis number SBH1001
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 assisting 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 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.
1965 Bentley T-Series bearing chassis number SBH1001
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, with 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.
