HE’S a Well Respected Man – and now a classic Bentley owned by Kinks singer/songwriter Ray Davies could soon be heading off into the Waterloo Sunset.
It’s because the 1960 Bentley S2 owned by Sir Ray is going under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions later this month.
The car was bought by Ray in 1970 after the Kinks’ single Lola soared to Number 1 in the charts.
He was persuaded by his family to invest in a big car, unusual for Ray as he didn’t actually drive at the time – in fact he didn’t start driving until he was 44.
“We lived in a little semi in Muswell Hill and the neighbours were in shock and awe when they saw this huge black Bentley drive up along the narrow shingle path to the house,” he said.
Sir Ray Davies’ 1960 Bentley S2 which is up for auction
“We subsequently went on holiday in the Bentley to Cornwall, an exotic spot in England which was our family outing with my two daughters in the back with their buckets and spades.”
It was in the same car that Ray wrote the group’s next single.
“While on holiday in Mullion I sat in the back seat and wrote a follow up to Lola called Apeman on a Spanish guitar which I carried in the back.”
The Kinks used the car in a photoshoot for the Preservation Act 1 album and it still exists in some old black and white footage of the band posing as gangsters outside KONK studios in London
It was even used occasionally as a tour bus by the band.
“When I moved to Surrey in the 70s the car came down with me, I still could not drive, I had never driven the car which gives it some element of Kudos,” adds Ray.
Interior fittings in Sir Ray’s Bentley S2
“It was occasionally taken out for special events like weddings and family outings. The Kinks took it once on the road in England but the fans started writing on the car with lipstick and our then manager Ken Jones promptly retired my car to the garage.”
The Bentley has been in long-term storage since 1991 and now requires some restoration work. It is offered for auction direct from the ownership of Sir Ray, estimated at between £25,000 and £30,000.
Commenting on the May 13 sale, classic car specialist Arwel Richards said: “It is rare to auction a car direct from rock royalty and this Bentley offers an incredible opportunity for rock ‘n’ roll fans and Bentley aficionados alike.”
For more information on the car you can visit: https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1960-bentley-s2-the-property-of-sir-ray-davies-of-the-kinks
