Bentley once owned by Peter Sellers heads to auction

A Bentley S2 Continental Drophead Coupe once owned by comedian Peter Sellers is set to go under the hammer at auction in March.

Sellers, who is best known for his role as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series, took ownership of the Bentley in 1961. He became the car’s second owner after its first keeper had put 8,000 miles on the clock after taking delivery of the vehicle a year prior.

Sellers also made a number of modifications to the car during his ownership, including the fitment of a ‘smoke glass mirror with longer arm, allowing you full movement of the sun visor’, according to paperwork from specialists Jack Barclay that was entrusted to look after the Drophead during Sellers’ ownership of the car.

According to auction house H&H Classics, Sellers also is believed to have made some changes to the exterior of the car with an invoice from 1962 highlighting ‘in conjunction with coach shop, removing and refitting necessary lamps’. It is believed that during this process the S2 gained its distinctive ‘quad headlamp’ which was different to other examples of the drophead Bentley.

Though the soft-top and carpets have since been replaced, the S2 is believed to still be ‘very much the car which Peter Sellers owned’.

Just 60 examples of the S2 were created in right-hand-drive and Sellers is believed to have owned this version until 1966.

This S2, which will go under the hammer as part of H&H’s Imperial War Museum sale in Duxford, Cambridgeshire on March 13, is accompanied by an estimate of between £120,000 and £150,000.