Tuesday 7th July 2009

Frog-skin Bentley Remains One-Off

'Amphibious' interior fails to make leap to production...

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trusty Steed]

Nice, does it smell of Garlic & Butter?

[Jackal2k9]

how many frogs would you need to cover a car?

[richie_mck]

you'd love to see a picture of the guy who looked at a frog and thought that would make a good seat.

[Crusoe]

richie_mck said:

you'd love to see a picture of the guy who looked at a frog and thought that would make a good seat.

I have a frog skin watch strap, makes very cool leather IMO. Same for Ostrich, Crocodile etc. so why not?

Edited by Crusoe on Tuesday 7th July 12:32

[BoRED S2upid]

The field behind my GF's house doesn't have 17 cows in total! about 12 I would say they couldn't even kit out a bentley useless creatures.

[EDLT]

Badger Avenue is a hole.

[dazsmith69]

Crusoe said:

richie_mck said:

you'd love to see a picture of the guy who looked at a frog and thought that would make a good seat.

I have a frog skin watch strap, makes very cool leather IMO. Same for Ostrich, Crocodile etc. so why not?

Edited by Crusoe on Tuesday 7th July 12:32

because its fking sick esp. things with crocodile etc in them for pure aesthetic purposes

which fking idiot at Bentley thought of frog skin, retard

[Crusoe]

dazsmith69 said:

because its fking sick esp. things with crocodile etc in them for pure aesthetic purposes

And it is different from cow leather how? Crocodile is farmed, the meat eaten and the skin used. How did a lentilist get on the forum?

[Trommel]

dazsmith69 said:

because its fking sick esp. things with crocodile etc in them for pure aesthetic purposes

which fking idiot at Bentley thought of frog skin, retard

Don't choke on your burger.

[AkinaZ]

1st of all who ever thought of this clever frog skin interior is in quite simple words...sh%t for brains
now... as a future car designer I believe that this kind of attitude has to stop from the top, its designers like these that have been destroying our natural world, the reason why we are so much sh%t right now with global warming etc.

after knowing that different species around the world are dying out because of human consumption you'd think that designers would think twice about the materials that they use in vehicles/ products. All in all its a bloody bad idea, as well as selfish and cruel.

I hope that this frog skin remains a one off....and that this cruelty opens the eyes of the consumer as to how cruel big companies can be just to make money

(im not a hippy...im a designer thinking about the future)

[jgt1972]

dazsmith69 said:

because its fking sick esp. things with crocodile etc in them for pure aesthetic purposes

which fking idiot at Bentley thought of frog skin, retard

fking hell, who let Morrisey in?

[Trommel]

AkinaZ said:

after knowing that different species around the world are dying out because of human consumption you'd think that designers would think twice about the materials that they use in vehicles/ products.

How do you know there aren't millions of these frogs waiting to be turned into seat covers?

[Crusoe]

AkinaZ said:

1st of all who ever thought of this clever frog skin interior is in quite simple words...sh%t for brains
now... as a future car designer I believe that this kind of attitude has to stop from the top, its designers like these that have been destroying our natural world, the reason why we are so much sh%t right now with global warming etc.

after knowing that different species around the world are dying out because of human consumption you'd think that designers would think twice about the materials that they use in vehicles/ products. All in all its a bloody bad idea, as well as selfish and cruel.

I hope that this frog skin remains a one off....and that this cruelty opens the eyes of the consumer as to how cruel big companies can be just to make money

(im not a hippy...im a designer thinking about the future)

good first post, I'm sure they found the rarest species and hunted them to extinction just for the interior... best avoid any fancy French restaurants just encase, never know what they might hide under a white wine sauce.

[jgt1972]

AkinaZ said:

1st of all who ever thought of this clever frog skin interior is in quite simple words...sh%t for brains
now... as a future car designer I believe that this kind of attitude has to stop from the top, its designers like these that have been destroying our natural world, the reason why we are so much sh%t right now with global warming etc.

after knowing that different species around the world are dying out because of human consumption you'd think that designers would think twice about the materials that they use in vehicles/ products. All in all its a bloody bad idea, as well as selfish and cruel.

I hope that this frog skin remains a one off....and that this cruelty opens the eyes of the consumer as to how cruel big companies can be just to make money

(im not a hippy...im a designer thinking about the future)

You also appear to be very angry. Perhaps a more measured, educational approach might be more advisable rather than labelling people 'st for brains' and playing into there hands? All you're acheiving is to make people think your a bit of a tit, which I'm sure you're not (much).

Edited by jgt1972 on Tuesday 7th July 13:32

Edited by jgt1972 on Tuesday 7th July 13:34

[Balmoral Green]

The frog skins could be from a sustainable source, or even be waste material? In many parts of the world, excessive numbers of bull frogs and toads are a nuisance and vermin, to be culled or exterminated. Why assume that these skins are from rare or endangered species of frog and that it's not green/eco/whatever? Frog skin has been used for decades by trimmers. For all the anti's know, it might actually be freindlier and more sustainable than the more usual choice of hides, like Ostrich skin for example, which is also widely used, and not just for cars.

Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 7th July 13:43

[Trommel]

[EDLT]

Wouldn't frog skin have seams everywhere, the seats must have looked like a patchwork quilt.

[Justayellowbadge]

Trommel said:

Whale foreskins?

[dazsmith69]

LOL @ the replies!

im no hippy and im certainly no veggy, i just happen to like animals and despise people/companies who profit from killing them for no reason other than to say ive got frogskin seats in my Bentley rar rar rar etc. Would you buy a car with an ivroy steering wheel? or dogskin carmats? Same principle.

[Trommel]

Justayellowbadge said:

Whale foreskins?

The very same.

dazsmith69 said:

dogskin carmats?

Cool - do they do them in Red Setter?

Edited by Trommel on Tuesday 7th July 13:53