Bentley examines bespoke coachbuilding division

Posted on 10-07-2014 at 11:15 by CasperH – 4 Comments”

Unique creations to build if you have customers ask, why not?

Brands like McLaren, Koenigsegg and Ferrari are doing it for a long time: if the bag of money is big enough, you can a unique car to order which is built for you. Recent examples include the McLaren X-1, Koenigsegg One:1 and Ferrari F12 TRS.

Coachbuilding is in fact the source of the brand Bentley: at a certain moment there were more than 50 coachbuilders in London that is concerned with the design of the carriages on the basis of a Bentley chassis. The customer chose his chassis and had a coachbuilder, a coach on build.

Today it is a much more complicated way of bespoke cars to build but that is not to say that there is no need for customization. Kevin Rose (member of the board at Bentley on behalf of sales and marketing) let Auto Express know that there is chatter about the startup of such a maatwerktak within Bentley. There is still no decision taken but Rose is enthusiastic about the idea.

“Technically it is possible and the costs for a car are irrelevant, even if the price tag of 5 million pounds (6.3 million euros, ed.) .”

In terms of legislation in some countries it can be difficult to have this kind of projects on the street, but people with enough money to give there little to. Straatlegaliteit of cars to people, and the Al Thani’s, for example, no problem, as we saw this morning yet.

Bentley still has no yes or no said on the plan but is seriously considering, according to Rose. To be continued.