'Amphibious' interior fails to make leap to production...
A Bentley once left the factory at Crewe with an interior trimmed in freshly flayed South American frog skin, but for some reason it failed to start a trend.
No frogs suffered to make this latest pop-art car
Good old leather remains the choice of most Bentley customers, though since Connolly folded in 2002, the hides have been sourced from Northern European suppliers. It takes an average of 17 cows to line the interior of a Bentley Arnage, once a computer scanner has rejected any the sub-standard bits that go on to become key fobs, belts and possibly bdsm gear, but sadly our tour guide at the Bentley factory couldn't say how many frogs were used to trim their South American customer's car. Possibly not as many as you think, however, as apparently the beasts grow to the size of our own domestic cats. (Now, there's a thought...)
It's amazing what you can learn on a factory tour, especially somewhere as special as Bentley. Sadly, PH didn't get a sneak preview of the new saloon that's currently nick-named the 'Grand Bentley', but on the morning we turned up somebody had parked their Rolls-Royce Phantom outside Bentley's front door - confusing me momentarily, as the last time I'd been to Crewe the two marques were built there side by side. 'A potential Grand Bentley customer getting a preview,' explained Bentley PR man Martin Broomer with a nod and a wink, but he still wouldn't show it to me!
Badgers. Those pesky critters are everywhere...
Nonetheless, I did learn that Martin has apparently forgiven me for the emotional grief I caused him in his former role as PR boss at Jaguar in the early 1990s. It's an uncomfortable story involving a pre-production Jaguar XK8, a badger, and a long taxi ride home, so I won't bore you with the details. Suffice to say that as we bade each other farewell on the factory steps a few days ago, Martin's pointed advice to 'follow Pyms Lane, then head down Badger Avenue' was delivered like a gleeful twist of the knife. I winced at the time, but I hope the opportunity was cathartic.
It wasn't until later that evening when I downloaded my camera, that I noted the name of the derelict pub I'd chosen randomly as an 'arty' backdrop for the vivid red GTC Speed Martin had handed me the keys to earlier. The picture could set the poor chap back years, so sorry again Martin - but it was an accident, I swear! Anyway, we'll have more on this beautiful car soon.
PH couldn't shed light on new 'Grand Bentley'
Meanwhile the main picture above is a Continental GT that has just been customised by Brazilian pop artist Romero Britto. Apparently Mr Britto comes from an impoverished village and uses cheerful shapes and colours to buck up peoples' spirits. The car itself is a static prototype from 2003 that Bentley donated to the project. It will be exhibited in Berlin until September then auctioned in aid of charity.
