Fancy owning this beautiful 1958 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe, formerly the property of Saddam Hussein? If so, you need to act quickly.
An online auction for the classic convertible, hosted by Bring a Trailer, ends this week and has already generated a huge amount of attention.
Bids for the Bentley, previously part of the Iraqi dictator’s car collection, had surpassed $725,000 at the time of writing – and showed no sign of slowing down.
It demonstrates the significant demand for a restored 1950s Bentley, even one associated with an infamous despot.
Seized by Saddam Hussein
Only 31 examples of the S1 Continental Drophead Coupe were made in left-hand drive. With bodywork by Park Ward, this Bentley was first delivered to Abd al-Ilah of Hejaz, the former Crown Prince of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq.
Following Abd al-Ilah’s death, and the subsequent Iraqi revolution in 1958, the Bentley became the property of a Baghdadi businessman.
Owned by the same person for several decades, the car even made an appearance in the 1993 movie, King Ghazi of Iraq.
Following this, the Bentley was seized by Saddam Hussein and used by the President of Iraq until he was overthrown in 2003.
Damaged by looters following the fall of Baghdad, the Bentley was later reclaimed by its previous long-term owner.
A Canadian collector on a humanitarian visit to Iraq spotted the Bentley in 2015 and agreed to purchase it.
An award-winning restoration
Subsequently imported to Canada, the Bentley was subject to a comprehensive restoration by Vantage Motorworks in Miami, FL.
This included repainting the aluminum bodywork in its original silver, and reupholstering the interior in factory-spec dark blue leather. Attention was also given to the 4.9-liter straight-six engine, with the complete overhaul thoroughly documented.
Following its restoration, the Bentley appeared at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It also won its class at the 2018 Concours d’Elegance of America.
With a comprehensive history file, a recent restoration, and a truly intriguing backstory, the bespoke Bentley could potentially sell for more than $1 million.
Bidding ends on Wednesday 17 September, leaving just enough time to stake your claim for this rare classic.
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