All Entries in the "BENTLEY" Category
Bentley Wishes You A Happy Chinese New Year
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Bentley Motors ::: Bentley Continental GT and the Chinese New Year
CHALK it up to a sign of the times. Bentley honored its Chinese patrons (the PRC is Bentley’s fastest flourishing market) with an artful display on its webpage heralding the Chinese New Year. The above image is that of a striking, signal red (rouge for prosperity) or “Dragon Red” (as Bentley’s marketed the new color) Continental GT set off by tall rims with red B-logo center caps. And as you might’ve guessed by the depiction, 2012 is the year of the dragon. Incidentally, the BBC asked a Feng Shui expert to prophesize what the significance of the dragon means for the world and the global economy. Apparently there’s to be an upturn ahead for the American market. Does this mean Bentley will have a red, white, and blue edition in time for the Fourth of July?
From One Owner With Impeccable Taste… Bentley Continental R
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via eBay ::: 1994 Bentley Continental R
ACCORDING to the seller, Rod Stewart once owned this ’94 Bentley Continental R in “Crimson Red” over “Magnolia”. Mind you, this righteous pushrod mastodon could stand on its own to the would be collector/aficionado; such is its imperial grandeur. But the celeb history is likely an added bonus for the buyer. Brings to mind the 90s Rolls-Royce print ad: “from one owner with impeccable taste to another.”
[eBay]
Seventeen Minutes of Raw Bentley Footage
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: YouTube ::: Bentley video
DID I say “raw”? More like zen. This is a corporate video montage circa 2008. Matched with at-times heavy, pithy-sounding music, the viewer is supposed to awe at the majesty of Bentley. And sure enough, there’s one moment when the product imagery and the music coalesce and prompt a comment like: “my God, that woman getting out of the passenger side of that majestic Azure is breathtaking.”
Go On, Party Like It’s 1999: Bentley Arnage
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via eBay ::: 1999 Bentley Arnage Red Label
SEEMS like, well, yesterday that Bentley’s terribly grand Arnage was the über chariot of über chariots. Parading alone on the London stage (and others), Crewe’s posh tank wafted Rolls-like in splendid isolation from unseemly competition. Of course, that’s since changed.
Thank Trigger: 1987 CAR Road Comparo 560SEL v 750iL v Turbo R v Sovereign
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img (1987) CAR Magazine via Flickr ::: Road Comparison Test Issue
THUMB through the pictoral mountain that is Flickr and you’ll find an account called “Trigger’s Vintage Road Tests!” It’s awesome. For one thing, “Trigger” posted a 1987 comparison issue from CAR that compared a quartet of 80s luxury rock stars – the BMW 750iL, Bentley Turbo R, Jaguar Sovereign, and Mercedes-Benz 560SEL. Girly squeal! He’s done us auto aficionados a great service. Here’s why:
Our German CEOs Are Better Than Your German CEOs
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Kevin Kusina for ADLX ::: Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO Jaguar-Land Rover
CREDIT Dr. Ulrich Bez, the former Porsche engineer and current CEO of Aston Martin for providing the sharp, unsentimental, efficient leadership that the UK based bespoke car maker needed to transform itself into a global success story. So, how much credit can be given to the fact that Dr. Bez is German? Difficult to say, but you might ask the current heads of Bentley, Jaguar-Land Rover, MINI, and Rolls-Royce.
Message From Shanghai: Bentley Hearts China
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Bentley Motors ::: Auto Shanghai 2011
RECEIVED a press release from Bentley Motors. Apparently, Bentley’s chairman Wolfgang Dürheimer is in Shanghai to tout the PRC’s rising star and unveil the Continental Flying Spur China. From his remarks, it looks like China is set to pass the US of A as Bentley’s biggest market inside a year.
“China now is [vitally important] – both to Bentley and the rest of the automotive sector. In 2010 it was our third largest market but I can now confirm that China is officially number 2. In the first quarter of 2011 we sold 302 cars, up 64%.”
