The An Unbroken Line exhibition - just unveiled at Bentley's Crewe headquarters - follows the story of creativity and precision behind the creation of the latest Bentleys including the Continental GT and Mulsanne.
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| Draughtmanship from the Bentley archives. |
Many of the first drawings for the new Continental GT, including concepts consigned to the studio archives, are being shown publicly for the first time.
The designers offer a step-by-step guide as to how the interior and exterior styles take shape both through computer virtualisation and sophisticated full-scale clay models.
They also provide an insight into how they employ state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques such as aluminium superforming, adapted from the aerospace industry, to shape the metal into the complex but clean lines that define the new Continental GT.
As well as capturing how the modern Bentley designer combines inspiration with technology - the exhibition also captures key moments of the company's lineage and the unbroken line of signature characteristics that define a Bentley to this day.
Whether it is the particular shape and positioning of the headlights, the use of inverted needles on the dashboard or the pronounced 'powerlines' that sweep down the flanks of the car - the language of design comes to life.
Dirk van Braeckel, Bentley's Director of Design and Styling, explains: "What I like about the exhibition is the sheer number and variety of interesting objects we've been able to bring together for the first time. It is quite a collection. It is also fascinating to see just how talented the early Bentley designers were - the beauty of their concept sketches and precision of their technical drawings still inspires my own team to this day."
Whilst designing the next new Bentley is serious work and a sizeable investment - the exhibition also highlights the lighter side of factory life with some design folklore.
The slightly strange world of 'Teddy Bear Ears,' the 'Bentley Bat Cave' and 'Dame Ednas' are explained and there is the opportunity to see how the designers have turned their hand to creating bespoke accessories with partners like Breitling and Tibaldi.
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| Braeckel (left) with other Bentley employees Robin Page and Raul Pires standing next to the Blue Train car. |
Right at the heart of the exhibition - illustrating the art of designers both past and present - are some of the finest examples of the cars that have made Bentley famous for over 90 years.
The new Continental GT and Mulsanne line-up alongside some classic and rare Bentley's including Woolf Barnato's 1930 'Blue Train' Speed Six Coupe which has been shipped in from America by a friend of the company.
The car is renowned for its Gurney Nutting coachwork and is also famous for winning a wager when Barnato, a Le Mans-winning driver, drove all the way back to London from southern France before his friend reached Calais on 'Le Train Bleu.'
An Unbroken Line is being shown at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, England, throughout 2011.
