Craftsmanship

Whatever wood the customer chooses, every sheet of veneer used by Bentley is ethically sourced – and Bentley’s wood experts go to great lengths to find the finest veneers in the world. On average, one of the company’s wood specialists views around 25,000 square metres of veneer during selection. Only after stringent tests to ensure the wood meets Bentley’s quality and sustainability standards, will the rich red-brown wood make it into a car. For example, to find the wood for the Liquid Amber veneer, an exhaustive two-year search led the team to the Mississippi wetlands, where the American red gum tree grows. A tree is only used by Bentley if it falls naturally.

Finding wood of the quality required is an ongoing quest for Bentley’s experts, especially as tastes and fashions change. In response to a desire from some customers for paler, more minimalist wood finishes, Bentley recently began offering Koa wood as an option. A straight-grained wood from trees that grow on Hawaii, it has traditionally been used to make guitars, canoes and surfboards, but rarely car interiors – until now. Customers choosing the new Continental GT can even opt for Dual Veneers – a uniquely Bentley feature comprising two contrasting veneers, one placed above the other, with a chrome strip between them. It emphasises the width and space of the cabin, to stunning effect.

Despite Bentley’s age-old commitment to fine woodcraft, the team responsible for veneers also work with a range of more varied materials.The team is constantly experimenting with new materials and techniques, such as the Côte de Genève console veneer in the new Continental GT – a breathtaking finish inspired by Swiss watchmaking. For a contemporary, motorsport-inspired feel, Carbon Fibre can be commissioned, while turned aluminium, also known as ‘Engine Spin’ can be used to achieve a racing-themed interior more evocative of cars and planes from years gone by. At the other end of the spectrum, stone veneers represent a 21st Century fusion of age-old craft and cutting-edge technologies. Sustainably sourced – and only available in the natural colours of the stone – these laser-cut stone slices are incredibly thin, creating a stunning interior finish without adding significant weight to the car.

Bespoke embroidery is also available, with some designs featuring up to 500,000 individual stitches in truly bespoke colours. In the Mulsanne Hallmark Edition, for example, special Gold or Silver threads were used, while in the Breitling Jets Limited Edition Continental GT, the seats featured stitching that was precisely colour-matched to Breitling’s yellow. While much of this work is now necessarily undertaken by sewing machines, the patterns must still be created under the guidance of the human eye. Skills passed down through generations Some members of the 120-strong needlecraft team in Crewe have as many as 40 years’ experience. And in true Bentley tradition, these senior members of the team are charged with passing on their knowledge to the apprentices – the next generation of Bentley experts.