Bentley Continental Flying Spur Design Proposals By Linley
Bentley has announced a collaboration with Linley, the British design company, to create a limited edition of 10 Bentley Continental Flying Spurs.
The special edition Bentley Continental Flying Spurs will be sold in China, featuring signature Linley elements which are designed to appeal to customers who value pedigree and lineage, handcrafted quality and peerless design.
The Bentley Continental Flying Spurs will feature specially selected Linley veneers in Santos rosewood on the fascia, console, waist rail and roof console. The veneers cover the entire wood surfaces which normally feature Bentley chestnut or walnut.
David Linley, Chairman of Linley, comments: "It is a great honour to be working alongside such an esteemed British brand as Bentley. Our two brands share a commitment to superlative craftsmanship and design. I believe that the culmination of our efforts will result in a car that is utterly unique and reflective of the passion that both brands share for pushing boundaries of engineering and excellence."
As featured on the Linley Helix Furniture Collection, the Linley Helix motif will be set into the waist rails and picnic table of the Bentley Continental Flying Spurs. The Helix pattern features four different types of veneer, contrasting with the Santos rosewood. The rear console will be modified for a customer-commissioned Linley humidor.
Brett Boydell, senior designer at Bentley, says: "A special box has been designed by Linley which drops into a unique console. We have reconfigured the console so that the box can fit in, moving things around and creating a space. It was an engineering feat to meet the quality requirements of a Bentley and the design cues of Linley."
Mark Blanchard, Head of Design at Linley, who has been working on the project said: "It has been an exciting and challenging project to work on. We designed the interior within the stringent constraints specified by Bentley, however we ensured the car exemplified Linley craftsmanship.
"The car had to look different and we wanted a strong statement inside the interior, so we chose Santos rosewood, a straight grain veneer. Bentley usually uses burr veneers for their interiors as they are more malleable around compound curves. Using a straight grain veneer was a new challenge but together we succeeded and the final results look stunning."
Also featuring on the limited edition Bentley Continental Flying Spurs are stainless steel Linley treadplates alongside a Linley for Bentley rhodium-plated plaque in the glove box. The seats will feature modified fluting with burnt oak contrast stitching and additional burnt oak hide in the storage areas and door pockets.
Included in the boot will be a Linley branded leather handbag, a cashmere blanket and other Linley items including leather luggage tags.
Boydell explains that there were several deign challenges to overcome: "For instance, the marquetry of the Helix pattern had to be combined with the manufacturing standards and processes which we adhere to in the automotive industry.
"The collaboration is a ringing endorsement of two great British brands working closely together. We have achieved a very high-class product which has the recognisable signs of Linley entwined into a Bentley. We are offering customers the chance to own a highly customised piece of British heritage.
"I hope the collaboration will be a springboard for future projects."
