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1964 Bentley S3 Radford Coutryman Production Question

3K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  JasonW 
#1 ·
I was wondering if anyone had any idea of how many Radford Counrtyman conversions were done on the Bentley S3, standard steel saloon in 1964. I am not having much luck finding information.

It is equipped with the following:

Webasto roll back sunroof
Spotlight
Fold down rear seating
Mineral water storage compartment in drivers door
Thermos stroage compartment in passenger door
Flask storage compartment on back of drivers seat
Tumbler storage comparment pn back of passenger seat
Flip out reading light
Storage drawer on underside of passenger dash
Rear bumper guards have holes for pop in stools.

Her chassis number is B170EC. I would love to know who purchased her when new.

Any help greatly appreciated!
 
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#2 ·
I don't have the number of S3's Radford did, but I do know the totals for the S1/Cloud I (from Davide Bassoli & Bernard L. King's book "Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 1 & Bentley S1 - 50 years"): 35 Clouds, including two long wheelbase, 37 S's, including 1 long wheelbase. I would suspect the S2/Cloud II and S3/Cloud III numbers for each series are similar or a bit less, since each of those series covered fewer years.

You can get the build sheets (which include the original purchaser's name) and other documents from the Rolls-Royce files by contacting the Rolls-Royce Historical Society in Pennsylvania info@rrohs.org or the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club in the UK rrec.org.uk. You may have to be a member to get the info from RROC, but I know the RREC will sell you the information as a non-member, but it is less expensive to members. It will cost about $75 in either case.
 
#3 ·
If you get the build cards they also tell interior and exterior colours, and if anything extra was ordered with the car. Second, and so on owners if the vehicles were sold through RR-B dealerships. I understand records of what Countryman additions to each particular car are not available, however the build cards provide proof your chassis was sent to Harold Radford from RR-B. It was possible to engage Radford's services after point of sale, but quite rare I've read.

There are a few on here that have copies of SC3-S3 Countryman brochures you may be able to get a copy of.

I started a Harold Radford Countryman thread on here to tease out related info around the coach builder if possible. Like you I have found little on the brand.
 
#4 ·
While it is true the Radford papers are gone (RR never had them), sometimes a few of the Radford modifications are mentioned on the RR/B chassis cards (but not the build sheets). Mine, for instance, calls out as "Radford adaptations" the recesses to all doors, fully reclining front seats, forward-folding rear seats, picnic case, umbrella/shooting stick, lambswool overrugs, swiveling rear quarter vent windows, and family crests painted on the rear doors. The car had other Radford accessories, some still with the car, which the chassis card did not mention. If the car was first sold in the US, the RRHS will also have a copy of the Schoelkopf card, which tracked the ownership of the car (provided it was re-sold through a RR/B dealership and thereafter was owned by a RROC club member); mine, for instance, tracks the first three owners, after which it left the club until I bought it.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Interesting, perhaps its a US or export thing? RREC produced surprisingly little for the money around my home market vehicle. Said they don't keep Radford records and the companies has been lost to time. A simple mention of Radford is all RR had as any proof beyond the physical additions the car was sent to Radford pre sale.

Maybe better records were kept as time passed, or as mentioned export, perhaps it was as simple as office staff's personal attention to detail.

I have knowledge of the first and second owner for mine. It was ordered by a celebrity and appears to have lost its attraction after 6 years so was moved on. I figure I'm the 5th but hard to say.
 
#6 ·
Could be any of those things. Much may have also depended on the level of attention the dealer paid to seeing that all was documented. Note that the build sheet is a factory document that details the construction of the automobile, but the chassis card is a sales document, so it's on the latter that one would find the details, if any, about special orders, coachbuilder modifications, etc.
 
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