Crewe, a little town in the centre of England near London, where all the Bentleys are handcrafted and shipped, has more than 36,000 solar panels, which provide a substantial amount of clean energy to the factory. On my recent visit to the factory, I was stunned that despite such a big step already towards sustainability, Bentley is still to launch a bespoke EV. However, the electrified Bentleys are in the works, and a new factory adjacent to the existing one will churn out Luxury Bentleys running on electric power. It's essential to get the act together and not throw the towel on the electric furnace, which many automobile manufacturers have done. Making the manufacturing process sustainable and running on solar power is the first significant step. Bentley factory and headquarters in Crewe is the UK's first carbon-neutral car factory. They have also set an ambitious target to be end-to-end carbon-neutral, and all its models will be fully electric by 2030.
With its rising millionaire’s taste for finer things and rising sales charts for Bentley, India has attracted the leadership team’s attention at the HQ. The first ever Mulliner bespoke edition created for the Indian market was recently launched, and the collection includes Continental GT Speed, Flying Spur Speed and Bentayga EWB Azure. Inspired by the colours and materials featuring the Indian national colours of green and orange, Scarab green paint from the Mulliner coachbuilding programme will connect well with the Indian story. Unique fascia design depicts wild horses and mountain peaks, traditional symbols of good luck and prosperity as per Indian feng shui, and five individually curated Bentley models created exclusively for the Indian Market. Just like in other more extensive and more significant markets like China and Japan, which have their version of tailormade Mulliner editions, India can also boast of the same and offer it to the Indian luxury taste buds with an Indian emotional connection.
It features an extensive specification, with unique exterior and interior finishes that take inspiration from the colours of our Indian flag. Mulliner, Bentley's in-house personalisation and bespoke department, can take the choice of customisation and personalisation to another level. The Opulence Edition is limited to just five vehicles: a Continental GT Speed, a Flying Spur Speed and three Bentayga EWB Azure models. Things like a Scarab Green exterior, 22" Speed wheels in dark tint finish, and LED welcome lamps, among other personalisations, will appeal to every Indian. Just like the Himalayas, they are sacred to followers of five Asian religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and the indigenous Bon tradition of Tibet.
Every Bentley is handcrafted for the finer things, right from the choice of veneer, which they store and draw from all parts of the world. Craftsmanship is evident throughout the process, from the cross-stitching of the seats to the lacquered finish applied to the paintwork, polished to perfection for 12 hours using lamb's wool to create the spectacular Bentley Mirror Finish.
At Bentley, quality checks are performed at various stages. The visit to the Bentley Museum nestled at the Crewe factory just blew our minds, especially after touching and feeling the oldest surviving Bentley, which went to race in 1919. It takes you back to 100 years ago when, without cutting-edge technology, they could put together a machine that could even go and race. The fuel used to be hand-pumped and pushed by the co-passenger to keep the engine running, which might sound like a crazy idea now. Bentley added a Supercharger in just ten years and dropped a Supercharged 'Blower' Bentley in 1929. Only five of those were ever made, and one of the originals is worth 30 million pounds today, almost INR 320 crores. The Bentley has put together the Blower Bentley of 1929 today, limited units that are not road-legal but will be delivered to a few enthusiasts to be driven on race tracks or in their villa’s backyard. That's Nostalgia at its best.
