Super-luxury automaker Bentley has confirmed its interest in returning to its roots by once again opening a bespoke division, responsible for creating one-off vehicles to order.
While most of the world’s major automakers are hell-bent on shifting as many vehicles as possible, Bentley has its sights set on unique one-off concepts. In what would represent a quite spectacular return to its earliest roots, Bentley is considering once again opening a bespoke order division, which would see one-of-a-kind custom vehicles built from the ground up to the exact specifications of super-rich buyers.
Traditionally a custom coachbuilder of the highest caliber, Bentley may be looking to go down the same road at McLaren and Ferrari, which recently built the X-1 and F12 TRS respectively to order.
“Go back to the beginnings of our company, we built the chassis and customers put their body of choice on top. At one point there were 50 coachbuilders in London alone,” said Bentley board member Kevin Rose in an interview with AutoExpress.
“I love that idea, it’s like Haute Couture for a car, I think that’s fascinating to take things a step further and make a car specifically for you,”
“Technically it’s possible and the cost is irrelevant, even if it was up to £5m. We have to work out if it’s feasible, but we’re interested in the concept.”
When quizzed about what exactly Bentley could come up with if asked by an ultra-rich client with limitless funds to produce a one-off auto, he stated it would be a case of balancing their dreams with regional/national practicality.
“It would depend on what they wanted, and the legislation where they live,” he said.
“The Middle East is fairly relaxed, for example, whereas Europe is far more strict,”
“We’ve started to look at this more seriously in the next year or so, but we’re not at the stage to say yes or no yet.”
Rose also touched upon the still-controversies subject of the Bentley SUV, which continues to divide critics and brand-devotees right down the middle. As far as he’s concerned however, the disputed vehicle will be a genuine and significance sales and growth driver.
“The total market won’t grow much over the next few years – we’re hoping for modest double digit growth – until the SUV comes along and then we’ll see some more model driven growth,” he said.
“For now though some markets like the Middle East are growing well, but others such as China are flat.”