A 1958 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe with a remarkable and turbulent past has surfaced for sale in Arizona, blending royal provenance, dictatorial seizure, and award-winning restoration.
Chassis BC25LDJ is one of only 31 left-hand-drive examples built with Park Ward’s design number 700 bodywork. Delivered new in 1958 to Abd al-Ilah, Crown Prince of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq, the Bentley arrived just months before the royal’s assassination in the July 14 Revolution that toppled Iraq’s monarchy.
The car was later acquired by a businessman in Baghdad, Mr. Omar al-Janabi, who loaned the Bentley to be featured in the 1993 film King Ghazi of Iraq. During Saddam Hussein’s regime, it was confiscated and retained until the dictator’s fall in 2003, when looters damaged the vehicle. Its longtime Iraqi owner, still holding original documentation, successfully reclaimed the car with assistance from U.S. forces.
In 2015, a Canadian collector, Mr. Steve Maman, purchased the Bentley from Mr. Jenabi during a humanitarian visit to Iraq and exported it to North America. Soon after, Michigan real estate developer Mr. Jim George commissioned a full refurbishment, stripping the aluminum body to bare metal and refinishing it in its original silver with dark blue coachlining. The interior was re-trimmed in factory-correct dark blue leather, while the 4.9-liter F-head inline-six was overhauled. Modern upgrades included air conditioning, though period features like the Smiths gauges, Wilton wool carpets, and dual-grain wood trim were preserved.
The restored car debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2017 and went on to win its class at the Concours d’Elegance of America the following year. Now consigned in Phoenix, the Bentley is offered with factory build sheets, refurbishment records, and a Continental Touring Kit. See it here.
The car remains a rare survivor of Bentley’s Continental program, distinguished not only by its craftsmanship but also by a history that spans royalty, dictatorship, and international restoration acclaim.
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