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Photo credit: Jay Hirsch FROM THE ESTATE OF DUDLEY MOORE CBE PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT MUSIC FOR ALL SEASONS AND THE DUDLEY MOORE RESEARCH FUND FOR PSP 1963 BENTLEY S3 CONTINENTAL COACHWORK BY JAMES YOUNG Chassis No. BC 134 XA Cream with green leather upholstery Engine: V8, overhead valve, 6,230cc.; Gearbox: four-speed automatic; Suspension: front, independent, unequal length wishbones, coil springs, rear, semi-elliptic leaf springs; Brakes: servo-assisted four wheel drums. Right hand drive. The third and final series of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and equivalent Bentley S-Type was introduced in October 1962; the Bentley cost $16,335 and, following tradition, the Silver Cloud III was a further $300. A noticeable change was the paired headlamp arrangement, while the most important mechanical change was the improvement in compression ratio up to 9:1 which gave these luxury models an additional 15bhp. There were a few minor modifications in style and the radiator grille was shortened. Internally there were now separate seats for the driver and front passenger and more leg room for rear passengers. Performance topped out at about 116 miles per hour and the cars were available in Bentley guise as standard S3, long wheelbase S3 or Continental S3. Coachwork was still available to special order and, in particular, the H.J. Mulliner/Park Ward Flying Spur and the very similar version from James Young such as on offer here today, were very much individual motor cars for the discerning Bentley owner and were regarded as among the most attractive designs. Not surprisingly they were built in only small numbers. This four door six-light Continental saloon, sometimes referred to as a "James Young Flying Spur", although technically this term belonged exclusively to H. J. Mulliner, was according to the build sheets delivered in July 1963. The first owner was Alec F. Higham Esq from Accrington, Lancashire. By December 1966 the car had changed ownership and was with Mr. D.E. Wheeler of Warren Street, London W1. Exactly when Dudley Moore acquired this Bentley is unknown, however we believe he imported the car from the UK while living in the US in the mid 1970s and he certainly became a familiar sight driving it around the Los Angeles area by the early 1980s. Initially the car was registered 919 YEE, but Dudley later changed his license plate to read TNDRLY which it still carries. Dudley Moore used the Bentley extensively as in 1981 the mileage was reading 26,086 and currently the mileage is showing 72,000. During his ownership in California the car was regularly maintained by a number of specialists, although by the 1990s the car was used less frequently. Condition today and as verified by an official appraisal carried out in September 1997, since when only 100 miles have been covered, indicates that generally the exterior is very sound and presentable, although the undercarriage and engine bay are beginning to show their age as one would expect from any vehicle which has been driven regularly. The interior is also quite presentable, with some patina of use to the upholstery. The Bentley comes equipped with air conditioning, a sliding sun roof, tinted windows and a Kenlowe fan for additional cooling to the radiator. The trunk is equipped with a CD player and at some stage the car was wired for a hands free phone. Dudley Moore had many talents and was a highly accomplished pianist, comedian and actor. He won a scholarship to Oxford University where he studied music. As a comedian he was hugely successful as a member of London's Beyond the Fringe comedy troupe which produced ground breaking '60s satire. He became a cult figure in British comedy most notably when he and Peter Cook formed a duo playing Derek and Clive, two scruffy individuals whose rambling diatribes are still legendary today. In the early 1970s Moore moved to the US to pursue his film career and in 1979 his big break came in the hit comedy film 10 . Two years later he won an Oscar nom