No.

36 WI NTER 2010
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Ashoka Collection
T: +44 (0)161 833 9000 | www.boodles.com
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INTRODUCES
London 106 New Bond Street - Tel +44 (0)2074 991434
Paris 60, Rue Franois I
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- Tel +33 (0)1 42 25 15 41
Cannes 4, La Croisette - Tel +33 (0)4 97 06 69 70
Monaco 13, Boulevard des Moulins - Tel + 377 97 70 44 22
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Lyon 27, Rue Gasparin - Tel +33 (0)4 78 37 31 92
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A l l o u r b r a n d s a v a i l a b l e o n :
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8
Contents: Issue 36
Winter 2010
12 CONTINENTAL EXPEDITION
Expectations for the new Continental GT are sky high
and, as Nick Foulkes discovers during a grand tour of
Oman, it exceeds every one.
21 DIRECT MAILER
Nick Foulkes attends the Norman Mailer gala awards
and reects on their contribution to the art of writing.
22 MAN OF MANY FACETS
Arnaud Bamberger, the head of Cartier in the UK, is a
Bentley-driving Anglophile of impeccable taste, reports
Nick Foulkes.
28 TROU CONTENTMENT
The newly reopened Trou aux Biches in Mauritius, a
tropical beach paradise with an eco-friendly philosophy.
30 A SENSE OF DELIGHT
The Six Senses resort at Ninh Van Bay offers lavish
oriental hospitality in a tranquil setting, declares
Julia Marozzi.
37 BOOT CAMP FOR BENTLEYS
Nick Swallow meets the engineers who take Bentley
cars to extremes in pursuit of perfection.
43 FUTURE PROOF
The 2011 Continental Flying Spur and Continental
Supersports now feature the latest in-car
technologies, reveals John Francis.
47 DELIGHTS IN STORE
Julia Marozzi browses in the Mount Street Deli, an
epicurean treasure-house in the heart of Mayfair.
51 PARALLEL LINES
As Jonathan Bell discovers, Bentley only works with
partners who share its principles of craft and design.
57 CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY
Heritage Cashmere maintains a proud craft tradition
amid Englands now-silent mills. Julia Marozzi reveals
their secret.
62 A GIFT FOR UNDERSTATEMENT
Looking for a special gift this festive season?
James Falkingham meets Lindsay Weaver, head of
the Bentley luxury goods collection.
69 ON COURSE FOR THE LOIRE
A Continental Flying Spur Speed and the chance
to play a round of golf at Les Bordes? Tim Yeo cannot
say no.
75 CLEAR THINKER
Maximilian Riedel creates ne crystal for wine lovers.
Roger Morris proles a Bentley owner who knows
where hes going.
80 BENTLEY WORLD
The world reveal of the new Continental GT
and other key events of the Bentley social and
sporting calendar.
88 ROAD COMPANIONS
Travel guides that go the distance.
For information regarding any articles please refer to page 87.
front cover
New Bentley Continental GT in Moonbeam
with Hotspur interior, shot by Dominic Fraser
on location in Oman.
12
75
69
9
Welcome to the Winter 2010 issue of
Bentley magazine.
It was a proud moment for everyone at Bentley
when the covers came off the new Continental GT
for its international debut at the Paris Salon de
lAuto. From the press and public reaction, it is
clear that our design and engineering teams
have managed to rene the iconic lines of a
Bentley grand touring coup whilst improving it
in every aspect, from performance and handling
to interior comfort.
Before any new Bentley is launched, prototypes
undergo thousands of miles of testing in some
of the worlds most arduous conditions and
Nick Swallow explains some of the unique
tortures devised for the Continental GT by our
development engineers. Meanwhile, Nick Foulkes
joins the worlds press in Oman to drive the
nished article.
This is the season of giving and inside youll
nd plenty of inspiration in our articles on
Bentleys luxury collection, from exquisite writing
instruments to the richest cashmere. You may
also feel inclined to treat yourself to something
special a new Continental GT, perhaps?
Editor
julia marozzi
A former features editor, news
editor and Weekend editor at the
FT, Julia has worked in Toronto,
Hong Kong, Montreal, Miami and
London for a variety of national
and international publications,
including the South China Morning
Post and the Sunday Times.
Contributors
DR.-ING. F-J PAEFGEN
Chairman and Chief Executive
jonathan bell
Jonathan Bell has enjoyed the
Bentley experience everywhere
from Birmingham to Spain, and
believes the Continental GTC is the
perfect machine for a family
holiday. He lives in South London
with his wife and two children.
tim yeo
Tim Yeo enjoys driving golf balls,
cars, aeroplanes, sheep and hard
bargains. He loves motoring on
Frances uncrowded roads.
roger morris
Roger Morris, who describes himself
as a professional drinker, writes
mainly about wine, food and travel
for consumer and trade magazines,
including Robb Report, Wine
Enthusiast and The Drinks Business.
47
22
ANDREAS CANYON
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800. 551 . 5578 WWW. BI GHORNGOLF.COM/PREMI ERE PALM DESERT, CALI FORNI A
A P R I V A T E R E S I D E N T I A L G O L F C O U R S E C O M M U N I T Y
T H E D I F F E R E N C E I S N I G H T A N D D A Y .
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12
FEW CARS HAVE BEEN AS EAGERLY AWAITED AS THE NEW CONTINENTAL GT, WHICH REPLACES
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CAR IN BENTLEYS LONG HISTORY. NICK FOULKES TAKES THE WHEEL ON
OMANS DESERTED ROADS >
Continental expedition
13
NEW CONTI NENTAL GT
One ne Arabian morning in the middle of December 1955, I walked into
the palace of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman. So begins Sultan in Oman
Jan Morris classic account of a journey, the rst by motor vehicle across the
Omani desert, from Dhufar on the shores of the Indian Ocean to Muscat on
the coast of the Gulf of Oman.
At the time Jan Morris was James Morris, a reporter for the London Times,
fresh from his scoop, accompanying the rst successful ascent of Everest.
He found himself in what was then the least known of all the Arab lands to
accompany its ruler on what was in effect a high speed tour of national
unication; quelling a rebellion in the north of the country (without ring a
shot), establishing a border with the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi and entering Muscat
in triumph. At times there are comic ashes of Waugh in the narrative, as
lorries laden with baggage, provisions (some live), servants, slaves and quite
literally hangers-on, skid, jolt and bump their way across the country,
encountering everyone from stiff-upper-lip British ofcers, recalcitrant
mountain tribal leaders and oil prospectors.
Fifty ve years later and where treacherous sands once swallowed the
unwary and mired heavy trucks, pristine roads of bowling-green smoothness
now unroll like endless ribbons of black silk across a harsh moonscape of a
country. And I was in Oman to use those roads and drive the car that is the
successor to the Continental GT.
I am unable to claim, as was Morris, that I started my Omani road trip at
the Sultans palace. (But then strictly speaking Morris journey was not a road
trip as there were no roads.) Nevertheless my starting point was a palace of
sorts: the Al Husn, the diadem that crowns the hotel complex that is Shangri
Las Al Jissah Resort and Spa. What I nd remarkable about luxury hotels is that
they all seek to dene themselves in a curious language that, while nominally
English, has conventions of its own as rigidly observed as religious catechisms:
beaches are inevitably unspoilt or inviting; locations are always dramatic or
spectacular; water is of course azure, crystal clear and sparkling. As a self-
respecting luxury hotel the Al Husn conformed. The hotel, I was informed,
nestles alongside the sparkling bay of Al Jissah in a dramatic desert setting
of rugged mountains and inviting beaches. The only thing that made this
14
description slightly unusual was its veracity: the licence sometimes taken by
hotels when describing themselves can be dramatic and spectacular, but if
anything this little paean rather undersold the charms of the place.
The landscape was not just dramatic and rugged, it was mind-twistingly
fantastic: mountains were folded and corrugated into shapes and patterns of the
sort you only see on the surface of alien planets in science ction lms. The sense
of lm-set unreality was enhanced at dusk when the dying sun covered the stones
in a veil of gold, casting shadows that deed description. The drive to an hotel is
usually a forgettable half-hour (if you are not so lucky, an hour) of suburban
dreariness. By contrast arrival at Al Husn was, as the tourist brochure might
put it, breathtaking, the road insinuating itself into this surreal landscape of
mountains and canyons, like Theseus thread in the lair of the Minotaur.
Thing was that neither Theseus nor Jan Morris had the good fortune to be
driving a Bentley and I did. As I entered the familiar yet subtly different cockpit
of the car, I could not suppress a smile. It was November and the daytime heat
was somewhere around 35C, quite a difference between that and the rst time
that I got behind the wheel of a GT some seven or eight years ago. I had chosen
to drive one of the very early cars through Wales at the height of the rainy
season which, by the way, runs from January until December at one point the
water could not leave the road rapidly enough and yet the GT powered manfully
on rather like Moses at the Red Sea, carving through the water and running as
if on rails.
Happily the cloudless sky and searing sun suggested that I would not have to
test the amphibious qualities of the Continental GT on this outing. Instead it was
to be a 400km (give or take) thrash up through the interior to the historic fortress
town of Nizwa and then after snacking on a few dates and perhaps some wind-
dried camel meat I declined the huge array of salads and desserts back down
to Muscat, hopefully in time to beat the evening rush hour at 4pm when the souk
Above Among the new
Continental GTs
distinguishing features
are a more upright
grille, larger inset
headlamps and a wider
track. Al Husn hotel in
the Al Jissah Resort and
Spa provides a suitably
exotic backdrop.
Continental expedition continued
15
NEW CONTI NENTAL GT
reopens and the streets clog up faster than the arteries of a heavy smoker
with a 20-a-day cream cake habit.
The new Continental GT is the perfect paradox of a vehicle: the same but
different. It is similar enough to the original to be recognisable as its offspring
and yet different enough to represent a real development of what can now
with real justication be called a contemporary classic. The new Continental
GT takes all the things you loved about the original and makes them better.
The impressive in-gear acceleration of the original is now synapse-snappingly
fast, making shifting up through the gears a genuine thrill. And without
compromising on the ride quality those clever bofns in engineering have
turned the wick up on the engine it was good to see my old friend the spoiler
at the back, popping up to keep me from getting airborne as I powered past
the goatherds and random posters eulogising the benevolent leader of this
well run and very tidy Arab nation.
The distinctive silhouette of the GT has been sharpened up with some
razor-edge enhancement that gives extra denition to an already gorgeous
body: ladies imagine the perfect male torso with just that extra bit of
sculpting around the pectorals and the six pack.
Meanwhile the legendary all-wheel drive system that kept me anchored
to the road in the Welsh downpour at the beginning of the decade has been
made more fun with a 40:60 rear-torque bias (compared with the 50:50
bias of the original Continental GT). This helps with understeer during hard
cornering or, to put it another way, enables you to swing the back out a bit
more before the electronics bring you back into line.
16
IT IS SIMILAR ENOUGH TO THE ORIGINAL TO BE RECOGNISABLE AS ITS OFFSPRING AND YET DIFFERENT
ENOUGH TO REPRESENT A REAL DEVELOPMENT THE NEW CONTINENTAL GT TAKES ALL THE THINGS
YOU LOVED ABOUT THE ORIGINAL AND MAKES THEM BETTER.
17
NEW CONTI NENTAL GT
Continental expedition continued
Left Unmistakably a
Continental GT, yet leaner,
lower, wider and more
sculpted, the new Bentley
also features the family
horseshoe rear boot lip,
a design cue shared with
the Mulsanne.
Right In Oman, ancient
tradition and modern
urban development live
side by side.
And then there is the work that has been done in noise reduction. It is, to use
a term that nds favour with the young, awesome. The level of aural
insulation is breathtaking and makes a considerable contribution to the
illusion of decreased speed that grips you as powerfully as any desert mirage:
80 feels like 40, 120 like 60, 140 like well you get my drift. And if you dont
believe it, just wind down the window as I did and as well as getting a blast
furnace belch of desert heat, the wind noise is painful and yet, with the
window up it is as if someone has cut the power of the hi-.
There are some passenger enhancements too, most notably the seating
arrangements for passengers in the back have been improved by the expedient
means of moving all the seatbelt structure into the body of the car and
scooping out the back of the seats a small but signicant benet, if not for me
then certainly for the photographer who sat behind me for an hour as we
roared through the mountains (I wound the window down to appreciate the
throaty roar cannoning off the walls of the limestone ravine) and as we
crawled along Muscats riposte to the Croisette or the Promenade des Anglais.
The best part, however, was without doubt the long overland section of
the trip sheer motoring ecstasy punctuated by some bizarre roadside sights.
Aside from the glorious empty roads and brand spanking new schools
situated seemingly randomly, miles from any town or village, there was much
that would have been familiar to Jan Morris. Numerous hill forts testied to
an historic tribal bellicosity. Men engaged in the demanding occupation of
standing at the roadside, motionless except for a twitch or two of their canes,
leavened an otherwise unrelenting landscape of scree, sand and stone with
occasional stunted, wizened, leaess trees. And then abruptly we would come
to an oasis or a wadi: the lush verdancy all the more arresting for appearing so
suddenly amidst the barrenness.
Along the way I was rewarded with some truly spectacular sights. Most surreal
was a goat standing on its hind legs attempting to climb into a small tree. Only
slightly less strange was the Hungry Bunny restaurant that appeared at the side
of the road whether it offered deep-fried rabbit I did not linger to discover.
And then there was a huge and frankly alarming billboard bearing lurid
photographs of some highly sinister-looking glossy carmine-coloured beetles
magnied until well over a metre in length and some quite frankly revolting pupae
and plenty of grainy black and white photographs of shrivelled rotting and feculent
looking vegetation all in all a scene was evoked that made a plague of locust
seem heaven sent (which I suppose it was). Underneath these harrowing images
ran the legend Never transfer any date palms & any parts from Al-Hope Village.
18
Left Nick Foulkes enjoyed
the combination of
smooth, traffic-free roads,
spectacular scenery and
567bhp of Bentley in Oman,
where the speed limit is
120km/h. Apparently.
Continental expedition continued
I was of a mind to stop and interpolate the word Abandon before Al-Hope, but rather fearing that I would be attacked by
metre-long cochineals hiding out in this blighted township I hurled the gear stick into sport and held down the paddle
shifts as long as possible to put as much dust, burnt rubber and distance between me and this village of the damned date
palm. As roadside decoration it was a relief to return to an unrelenting parade of posters and billboards exalting Sultan
Qaboos, the enlightened leader of this ne country on the 40th anniversary of the coup with which he ousted his father
(Morris Sultan).
Indeed Oman, at least the bits of it that I was fortunate enough to see, was run not so much like a country, but as a large
English public school. Everything was neat and there was the sense that Sultan, whose sunny visage beamed beatically
from lampposts and bridges and walls, was some sort of latter-day Dr Arnold, exercising a benevolent and enlightened rule
over those entrusted to his care.
This sense of Tom Browns schooldays, albeit with better weather and faster cars, was brought to mind when icking
through the route book I saw a letter in Arabic at the end. What is this? I asked. If you are pulled over this will explain who
you are and what you are doing here. It was, in other words, a get-out-of-jail-free card or, to borrow from my schooldays,
a chit from my housemaster excusing me from games
Nick Foulkes is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Finchs Quarterly Review, luxury editor of GQ, a columnist in Country Life and editor of
Vanity Fairs ON TIME. His new book Gentlemen & Blackguards Gambling Mania and the Plot to Steal the Derby of 1844, is published
by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
21
NORMAN MAI LER
Direct Mailer
The inimitable Norman Mailer novelist, essayist, journalist, poet and playwright died in 2007 but
his memory lives on. Nick Foulkes is invited to a unique celebration.
utumn (or Fall as I am learning to say in
American) in New York is fast becoming a
xed point in my annual peregrinations.
The hues of russet, gold and brown are
tinting the trees. The weather is usually pleasant,
poised between the sweltering steam bath of
summer and the grim chill of winters icy hand.
In fact, on the whole, life especially when viewed
from a room at the Carlyle takes on a rather
pleasant complexion.
But before you think I am engaged on some idle
enjoyable seasonal city break, I would like to
disabuse you of that notion. Autumn sees me in
New York for the annual Norman Mailer Center
gala. Established shortly after the writers death
the centre does more than keep the memory of
the pugnacious American man of letters alive.
It actively fosters new writing talent, holding
courses at Mailers beachfront house, dishing out
writing prizes to students and so on.
Moreover, for reasons best known to itself,
the supreme council of the NMC saw t to appoint
me to its advisory council last year. Although I feel
compelled to admit that, rather than recognition
of my contribution to numerous newspapers and
magazines and my dozen and a half books (if you
count the short ones like the Bentley Miscellany),
it was a case of who rather than what you know.
My friend, Bulgarian businessman and art
collector Spas Roussev is the chief benefactor of
the Norman Mailer Center and he was behind this
attering invitation. As well as being a friend,
Spas is a civilised man who has his suits made by
Rubinacci, his shirts made by Charvet, his cars
made in Crewe and his watches made by Lange
and Patek. His support of the Norman Mailer
Center is an equally elegant gesture: a good deed
in a bad world.
I have to say that this invitation was both an
honour and a surprise. After all, Mailer was one of
the towering gures of the English language in the
second half of the 20th century: a hard-drinking,
bellicose, philoprogenitive, idealistic, romantic he-
man of letters. By contrast I try not to drink or get
into ghts, have only two children and one wife,
and if I had any youthful idealism it has been
tempered by experience. Moreover I am most
emphatically not a he-man and forget the English-
reading world, I am still some way off being the
most successful writer in my native Shepherds
Bush. And yet I was being asked to hitch my name
to Mailers: vanity alone was enough to have me
accepting the invitation.
But there is also a powerful self-interest motive
at work. The idea of any organisation that does what
it can to shore up the status of the written word and
protect those who put words together for a living
is one that appeals to me greatly. Such work is
especially necessary at a time when good writing is
under constant threat. These days every fool with a
computer, an internet connection and an opinion
considers him or herself a writer churning out
bilious or banal observations that have not even
been subjected to the spell-check function let alone
any other form of quality control. To call this writing
is an insult to literacy and as well as criminally
abusing the language of Milton, Dickens and the
bloke upon whom the lm Shakespeare in Love
was based, it has devalued the currency of actual
writing by people who know what they are doing.
It is now acceptable to talk of content provision
much as if writing were like a broadband internet
connection or a mobile phone tariff, something to
be bought and sold on price and price alone.
I am not one for romanticising the writers life:
keeping up with the expenses of a middle-class
life, educating my children outside the state system
and all that militate against me waiting at my desk
for the muse to alight. Nevertheless I do like to
think that what I do has a little more dignity than
the term content provision suggests. Writing is a
craft skill that one never really perfects but
something at which one works and improves with
experience and time. One does not become a fully
qualied medical practitioner after watching a
couple of episodes of House or Holby City. It is the
same with writing and the Norman Mailer Center
wants to help those who recognise this.
And, descending from the moral superiority of my
high horse for a moment, I have to admit these
Mailer galas in New York are really rather fun.
The dynamo that keeps the Mailer machinery
ticking over is photographer Larry Schiller. Larry was
the Zelig of America during the 60s and early 70s,
he went on the campaign trail with Bobby Kennedy,
he went into the desert with Dennis Hopper and he
shot photographs of Marilyn Monroe swimming
nude. He also collaborated with Mailer on such
important works as Oswalds Tale, a debt Mailer
acknowledges when he eulogises Larry as a skilled
and wily colleague in interview and investigation.
And Larry has proved just as skilled and wily
after Normans death, attracting a truly impressive
array of talent to participate. Take this years
event: MC Gay Talese, Tom Wolfe (looking like a
19th-century photograph of himself in his white
suit) honouring the contribution to journalism
made by Rolling Stone founder Jan Wenner, Nobel
Laureate Orhan Parmuk giving one of the wittiest of
speeches and an audience crammed with famous
writers. Although, unlike last year, there was not the
extra frisson of Salman Rushdie showing off a new
female companion it was at the 2009 gala that he
unveiled a new and predictably attractive friend,
Min Lieskovsky.
Even so, despite the facts that the event was
only in its second year and the plight of struggling
writers is not as emotive as starving children in the
disaster-struck developing world, a very respectable
$391,000 was raised to continue the centres work.
But what is arguably just as important is the prole
and glamour a dirty word I know that this event
gives writing. After all, cinema is perpetually
wallowing in a warm bath of self-congratulatory
awards: Oscars, Baftas, Palmes dOr, Golden Lions,
Golden Bears so why not a Golden Mailer?
A
nick foulkes:
Left to right Photographer Larry Schiller with Rolling
Stone founder Jan Wenner and Tom Wolfe; guest
speaker Orhan Pamuk; the Normal Mailer awards.
22
Frenchmen have unlimited capacity for gallantry and indulge it on
every occasion. With only the minor difculty that he penned this
epigrammatic aperu in the late 17th century, Molire might well have
been writing about Arnaud Bamberger. If you are at all familiar with
Londons Bond Street, then you will know Arnaud Bamberger, he of the
leonine mane and elegant suits. For about 20 years Arnaud Bamberger
has been one of the chief ornaments of the worlds greatest shopping
thoroughfare, but although he may have been at the head of Cartier in
the UK for a generation, his gravelly voice still gives Maurice Chevalier a
run for his Oh-so French francs when it comes to speaking English with
a Gallic accent.
Cartier is lucky to have someone of such character to represent it in
the UK. I have seen him sell an expensive piece of jewellery and it is a
wonder to behold. And London is lucky to have him: as luxury brands
become increasingly run by faceless apparatchiks with little more than
an MBA and plastic smile, Arnaud is a proper character, which is
probably why, in spite of his resolute Frenchness, Arnaud nds himself
at the centre of English society. Like some Zelig of upper-crust English
life, he is everywhere. There he is in plus fours blasting away at the birds
at Blenheim with his friend Sunny Marlborough (that is the Duke of
Marlborough to the rest of us). There he is again, this time in top hat
and morning coat in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. And if you miss him
CHARMING, ACCOMPLISHED AND WELL CONNECTED, THE HEAD OF CARTIER IN THE UK IS AS
FRENCH IN HIS ACCENT AS HE IS ANGLOPHILE IN HIS PURSUITS. NICK FOULKES MEETS THE
BENTLEY-DRIVING ARNAUD BAMBERGER >
Man of many facets
Right Gallic charm,
English tailor. Arnaud
Bamberger relaxes in
his ofce. As the head
of Cartier in the UK, his
circle of acquaintance
within British society
is extensive.
23
ARNAUD BAMBERGER
24
I KEEP IT FOR FUN AND FOR WEEKENDS AND OF COURSE I DRIVE IT TO EVENTS LIKE THE CARTIER
POLO AND GOODWOOD. BUT IT REALLY COMES INTO ITS OWN ON EUROPEAN ROADS.
25
ARNAUD BAMBERGER
during the game bird shooting season or the Royal meeting then you will
of course catch up with him at the end of July at the Cartier Polo in
Windsor Great Park, where, elegantly blazered, he will be in the Royal Box
exchanging bons mots and badinage with Her Majesty the Queen or His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
In fact I would be prepared to put money on the fact that Arnaud is
the Frenchman that the Queen has seen most often over the years, and
given that she has met most of them, from De Gaulle to Sarkozy, Arnaud
tops a pretty impressive list. For his part, although he refers to himself
self-deprecatingly as a Frog and was recently honoured by the French
nation with the Legion dHonneur, he is about as Anglophile as it is
possible to get. It is safe to say that provided you happen to be a Duke, a
member of the Royal family or a connoisseur of ne jewellery, Arnaud
has done more for Anglo-French relations than anyone since Edward VII
initiated the Entente Cordiale.
I cannot say I am not French; even if I wanted to deny it people
would laugh as I have a French accent, he drawls. I dont deny the
beauty of France, France has a lot to give. I just realise that the British life
is more my, he pauses, thinking of an appropriately Anglophone
metaphor, it is more my cup of tea. And it is not just the shooting and
the drumming of horses hooves on the polo grounds of Windsor Great
Park he has also mastered that most British of arts, understatement.
He describes his family house just off Eaton Square as nothing grand,
just a cozy and nice, typical London house, a bit narrow, with four oors
so you are always on the stairs.
But when we meet it is not at his typical London house, nor his equally
smart West End ofce, but rather at the coal face, or more accurately the
tweed mine, of Britishness. W. Bill is a warren of store rooms and corridors
underneath Savile Row, lit by ickering strip lighting where the tweeds
of generations past are preserved and offered for sale to those who know.
It is one of Arnauds most signicant sartorial moments: the selection of
the cloth for a shooting suit.
His current one is almost 20 years old. It was made for him by John Kent
shortly after he arrived in England and while it has still got a few seasons left
in it, Arnaud feels it is about time to start breaking in its replacement.
And, well aware of the maxim that a gentlemans shooting clothes should
never look too new, he has descended beneath Savile Row to seek out some
truly vintage tweeds. After surveying and winnowing a range of historic
patterns, Arnaud settles on a dusty, both guratively and physically, checked
tweed. So while the suit will be made bespoke for him and will of course be
brand new, in another way it will also manage to be about 50 years old if the
tweed were any older you would need carbon dating to establish its vintage.
And, as with clothes, so with cars. If education is about the three Rs
then Arnauds style is about the three Es: Elegance, Englishness and
Effortlessness. I bought a Bentley because I always thought it was the
most elegant car in the world, he says of his mid-1990s Azure. I never
wanted to have a Rolls because I thought it was a bit OTT or nouveau riche.
I always have loved Bentleys, specically the old ones. And as Arnaud sees
it a Bentley is for driving: when he is being driven he has a long wheelbase
black Jaguar and matching chauffeur called Les.
Man of many facets continued
Left Arnaud Bamberger
waited patiently until his
ideal Bentley Azure came
along; a 1995 model
imported from America,
its left-hand drive cockpit
makes it ideal for
continental touring.
Like many Bentley owners, Arnaud did his automotive apprenticeships with a range of other marques, before alighting on the winged
B from Crewe. Rather predictably they have tended to have a very British quality about them. Apart from the Jaguars I had a lot of
English cars. There was a TR3 that I bought in 1995. I bought a very old one and completely re-did it. Then I had an MG binge: I bought
an MGA, MGB and MGC. And once I had got that out of my system, I moved on to a classic Aston Martin from the 1960s. He loved
his Aston but he could not resist adding a touch of French savoir faire. I think my Aston must have been the only one to have had a
Cartier clock installed in the dashboard, he chuckles.
I sold my Aston because I wanted to have a convertible car and the only car that I wanted was an Azure. I looked high and low
until I found one from 1995 from America, left-hand drive, making it perfect for European tours. It is a beauty: black with a black hood
and red leather inside. Its a real four-seater convertible, it is very powerful with the most wonderful look. The car makes you feel
powerful but at the same time it is very comfortable and pleasant to drive.
I keep it for fun and for weekends and of course I drive it to events like the Cartier Polo and Goodwood. But it really comes into
its own on European roads. At least once a year I try and make a proper trip whether to the Alps, the Italian lakes or St Tropez; then I
take my time and travel the smaller routes and stay at Relais & Chteaux type places.
I suppose what I like about my Bentley is what I like about England: the real sense of occasion that you dont nd anywhere else.
For instance, I love the fact that when you go shooting people ask you to wear a dinner jacket at night. Nowhere in France would you
have that, he pauses thoughtfully, but then France could never make a Bentley.
26
Left Arnaud Bambergers
Cartier UK ofce reects
the eclectic tastes
and impeccable taste
of its occupant.
Man of many facets continued
El Toro
Patented Perpetual Calendar.
Self-winding movement.
18 ct red gold case with ceramic bezel.
Water-resistant to 100 m. Also available in platinum.
Limited to 500 pieces.
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Ul ysse Nar di n Swi t zer l and - +41 32 930 7400 - emai l : i nf o@ul ysse- nar di n. ch
28
Just the word Mauritius conjures up images of white beaches, of clear
blue seas, of lush forests fringed with palm trees: the sort of place we all
long for when winters are cold and skies are grey.
Since the re-opening of the ve-star Trou aux Biches in November,
the Indian Ocean island will have even more appeal for travellers who
want an exotic escape and the sorts of sophisticated treats offered by a
ve-star hotel.
When the island resort closed in January 2008, it had been a relaxed
home from home for generations of upmarket holidaymakers. Two years
later, it has been more than restored to its natural beauty; it has been
entirely rebuilt, a 90-million facelift making it more spacious, upmarket
and green than it has ever been.
Because of the hotels situation on one of the most stunning
beaches on the north-west of the island, facing two kilometres of white
sands, seas that range from pale aquamarine to deep inky blues and
natural palm forests all around Beachcomber Hotels wanted to ensure
its new villa-style resort was as natural and Mauritian as possible.
Which is why buildings are low-rise and thatched, in typical island style,
and rooms arranged in small groups, separated by lush landscaping.
Restaurants look out over the sea to optimise views and sea breezes.
The spa offers treatments both indoors and beneath shaded verandahs,
to take advantage of the natural environment. And, of course, dozens of
activities are based outdoors, so guests can enjoy the beauty of the
forests, the blue skies and the seas: from mountain bikes, pedal boats,
windsurfers, sailboats and scuba-equipment, to exercising on six oodlit
tennis courts, the beach volleyball court, or yoga and aerobic areas.
Knowing their guests well, the hotel owners have created rooms in
styles that are natural, contemporary, private and utterly comfortable.
While the doubles are spacious enough for a couple with a baby, and
secluded enough for honeymooners, the three-bedroomed pool villas are
THE NEWLY REOPENED TROU AUX BICHES IS A GEM AMONG TROPICAL BEACH RESORTS A SUN-FILLED
PARADISE THAT HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER EVERYONE, FROM HONEYMOONERS SEEKING SECLUSION TO
KIDS WITH ENERGY TO BURN >
Trou contentment
29
positively palatial, each with its own private pool, suntanning deck,
secluded garden shower and even barbecue for casual outdoor dining.
To ensure that guests leave as little footprint as possible, the resort
has been created in as eco a way as possible. Designers have situated the
buildings within natural greenery; water is heated by 1,000m
2
of solar
panels; drinking water is sourced from the hotels own desalination plant;
electricity supplies are tted with power-saving devices; and swimming
pools are regulated by computers to ensure they are as ecologically
friendly as possible.
Being green doesnt mean that electronic gadgets have been
shunned. Like the villas, which have Wi, entertainment centres, media
hubs and Nespresso machines, the carefully devised Kids Club is packed
with all the gadgets children love, from Wii games, Xboxes, state-of-the-
art sound system and DVD and games libraries to a glass-bottomed boat
for excursions out to the reef.
To make sure that young guests are catered to equally as well as their
parents, Bob Marlin Mini Club has experienced carers who will look after
junior guests during the day (and babysit, if asked), playing with them in
the childrens pool, putting on shows on the clubs stage and teaching
them games, painting, tennis and, if they fancy, even shing. For over-12s
there is also a separate teens club, so older children can enjoy the
company of new friends in suitably cool surrounds. Being exible to
guests needs is important; and because the resort is tailored as much to
families as it is honeymooners and romantics, there are six different
restaurants so all tastes can be catered for. The chefs offer Indian cuisine
(a local specialty, using fresh spices), Thai dishes (the islands tropical
weather means ginger, chilli and lemongrass can be grown on site), as
well as international favourites, healthy grills and ne dining. Fish is,
naturally, always on the menus; large lobster and giant prawns breed in
these waters, so dishes are often just-caught. And at the two bars,
Caravelle and Oasis, fruity cocktails can be conjured up with fresh local
produce and a wide range of cigars whisked from humidors, should
guests be tempted.
To ensure that guests dont worry too much about over-indulging,
there are state-of-the-art health facilities: a gym, air-conditioned so
exercisers remain cool even in tropical heat, and a spa overlooking
gardens or a tranquil pool. Here, spa-lovers can indulge in Clarins
treatments from thatched pavilions, before they retreat into specialised
balneotherapy, algotherapy and Ayurvedic rooms, having steamed in
one of two saunas and two hammams. Given there are 17 treatment
rooms, including six double massage rooms and one room dedicated
to shiatsu and Thai, the health facility will be one of the most spacious
on the island.
In spite of all of these luxurious man-made treats, the hotel is
expecting its star attraction in the evening to be a natural one: the beach.
From here, visitors have one of the best views of sunsets on the island,
something that cant be matched elsewhere, whatever the cost.
For more information on Trou aux Biches, log on to www.beachcomber-hotels.com
or call 01483 445 685. Beachcomber Tours offers seven nights at the hotel in a
junior suite, on a half-board basis, with economy ights on Air Mauritius and
private transfers, from 1,745 per person, sharing.
promotional feature
Low-rise eco-friendly
buildings, welcoming
staff and cuisine to suit
the most demanding
gastronome are among
the attractions of
Trou aux Biches.
A 90-million
refurbishment has
restored it to the
pinnacle of ve-star
beach resorts.
30
31
NI NH VAN BAY
THE SIX SENSES RESORT AT NINH VAN BAY COMBINES THE GENTLE CHARM OF VIETNAMESE HOSPITALITY
WITH THE APPEAL OF A TRULY SPECTACULAR SETTING, DECLARES JULIA MAROZZI >
A sense of delight
32
The place to start before embarking on a rst visit to Vietnam is not with the multiplicity of tomes about the war in which the
US became embroiled in the 1960s. Begin instead with the doyen of 20th-century travel writers, Norman Lewis, and his 1951 look
at the ancient civilisations of south-east Asia, A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (Eland books).
In the twilight of the French colonial regime after the Second World War, Lewis witnesses these ancient civilisations as they
were before the terrible devastation of the epoch-dening Vietnam War. He creates a portrait of traditional societies struggling
to retain their integrity in the embrace of the West. He meets emperors and slaves, brutal plantation owners and sympathetic
French ofcers trapped by the economic imperatives of the colonial experiment. From tribal animists to Viet-Minh guerrillas, he
witnesses this heart-breaking struggle over and over, leaving a vital portrait of a society on the brink of catastrophic change.
Reviewers eager for a lazy comparison mentioned him in the same breath as Graham Greene, whose celebrated 1955 novel
The Quiet American (Penguin Classics) is itself a subtle, moving depiction of one American innocent causing unwitting harm in
Vietnam. Greene himself had no hesitation in calling Lewis one of the best writers, not of any particular decade, but of our century.
And to read Lewis account of Indo-China is indeed to fall instantly under the spell of his subtle musical magic.
By the second page of A Dragon Apparent, Lewis reputation as a stylist is safe: On the morning of the fourth day the dawn light
daubed our faces as we came down the skies of Cochin-China With engines throttled back, the plane dropped from sur-alpine
heights in a tremorless glide, settling in the new, morning air of the plains like a dragony on the surface of a calm lake.
James Fenton, whose eye-witness account of the end of the Vietnam War, The Fall Of Saigon, is widely seen as one of the
dening pieces of travel writing from this era, says of A Dragon Apparent. Everybody who worked in Vietnam really appreciated
A sense of delight continued
Above Local materials,
artful yet subtle rustic
chic and an all-pervading
air of simplicity and calm
set the mood in each Six
Senses villa.
33
NI NH VAN BAY
reading it. People used to say at the end of the Vietnam War that
Graham Greenes novel The Quiet American had foreseen
everything that would follow. But Lewis was there before Greene
and you wonder whether Greene had read Lewis book and
thought this place sounds interesting.
The value of Lewiss writing lies not only in the civilised style
that, as the critic and writer Cyril Connolly said, could make a
lorry interesting, but in a delight in describing the surfaces of
the world with an underlying yet elegant warning.
For more than 60 years Lewis observed the ebb and ow of
governments, the dissolution of indigenous tribal cultures and
the activities of missionaries, bandits, proteers and political
scene-shifters. He was among the rst to argue that some
aspects of American foreign policy could thrust countries into
the embrace of communism. In A Dragon Apparent, he foresaw
the ultra-efciency of bombing techniques 15 years before the
long-houses of the Mos people of Vietnams central plateau
were bombed into nothingness, and the constant virtual
catastrophes besetting the lives of ordinary people.
It feels like a century since that era of conict and casualty. Yet it
is only in the past 20 years that Vietnam has emerged as a
booming regional economy, rich in human resources, cultural
treasures and unspoilt natural landscapes. A magnet for
travellers from the developed world, it remains an inviting
destination for discerning visitors who want to chill out in
harmony with sun, sea and sky.
Against the backdrop of a soaring rocky peninsula north of
Nha Trang, its difcult to see the 58 villas of the Six Senses Ninh
Van Bay. This wild and remote bay is known for its fabulous coral
reefs, white sand beach and impressive mountain backdrop.
The wood and ylang ylang construction of the villas camouages
the native scrub. The villas are accessible only by sea glide
past the sentry who stands alert to all entering the bay and
slowly the palm trees become obvious, along with the broad
smiles and waving hands of the welcome team. The speedboat
ties up next to the woven basket boats and your bare feet touch
weathered wooden jetty and crunchy sand before you sink into an
ice-cold fresh coconut. Outside, your butler is managing your
luggage and adjusting a bicycle, yours for the duration to ramble
between your villa, the restaurants, beaches and spa.
The hotel has a multitude of fun, adventurous activities for
guests to enjoy from the luxurious Six Senses Spa and steam
and sauna facilities to a scuba diving school and motorbike tour.
There is also a library with Internet access on the grounds.
Six Senses are pioneers of barefoot luxury. The company is a
trail-blazer of eco-tourism and the brainchild of an Old Etonian
and a Swedish supermodel. They believe in using local materials,
local people and local produce. Things have to be sustainable,
local, organic and wholesome. The mantra encompasses a
description of what any stay should entail or be learning,
inspiring, fun and full of experience.
From the nature trails that take advantage of the unique
location to organic gardens, with marine biologists on hand to
help with snorkelling, Six Senses offers guests a spectacular
smorgasbord of activities. Guests can enjoy seclusion, remote
but accessible, in an architectural environment in sympathy with
the natural geology. Pools are created out of rocks and boulders,
villas are built over water among rock formations. Nothing in
nature is disturbed.
At Ninh Van Bay all the villas have ocean views, with the
Hilltop villas set higher than others, back from the beach,
shrouded with wily vegetation thick enough to give privacy for
the open lounges of double-storied hideaways (Beach Pool villas)
and their beachside plunge pools. The Water villas, sculpted into
the basalt boulders, bring a more unique kind of privacy shield
from your neighbours. But do watch out for the barge ferrying
guests to the Presidential villa which may pass by in front of your
glass-fronted bedroom.
Outside, the villas are all weathered wood and rustic chic.
Nature is integrated both functionally and inspirationally in the
indoor and outdoor living spaces. Rough chopped wooden pencils
and coat hangers, woven baskets and coconut wood accessories
set the mood and are accentuated with weathered brass ttings
in the bathrooms. Plenty of day beds and comfortable chairs with
natural bre covers and lamplight provide a comfortably
luxurious way to pass time on this beach hideaway.
It would be hard to imagine a more casually romantic
evening than with the blinds up in the open at the sides living
room. The sky glitters in the dim light, the sound of the waves
and the night beat of the insects. Polish off with some soothing
sounds (courtesy of the well-positioned sound systems) oating
on a breeze which softly kisses your skin. The maxi-bar fridge
stocked with a good selection of full-sized bottles from the
resorts outstanding wine cellar and a nightly Vietnamese
antipasto platter complete the fantasy.
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is barefoot luxury at its best, with
amazing service, food and facilities, all in a totally relaxed
atmosphere and a stunning beach location. The coral reef, the
white sand beach, playful stream and towering mountains all
add to the sense of being luxuriously at one with nature.
Located in the middle of the lush vegetation of Ninh Van Bay
and blended into the rocks beside a gentle waterfall is the Six
Senses Spa. It spans an area of 10,000m
2
. Space, complemented
by the silence of the jungle, is reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe.
A true nature spa, its surroundings and ambiance make it a feast
for the senses. The spas open design, complemented by the
rhythm of the waters, delivers inner calm. The expert healing
touch from the East and West redenes the sense of rejuvenation
and wellbeing. The Six Senses Spa offers an unrivalled selection
of holistic and signature treatments to suit individual needs
and preference.
And if you fancy a day or night in a castaway setting, the
resort will take you to Bai Nho by boat, where the beach remains
SIX SENSES NINH VAN BAY IS BAREFOOT
LUXURY AT ITS BEST, WITH AMAZING SERVICE,
FOOD AND FACILITIES, ALL IN A TOTALLY
RELAXED ATMOSPHERE AND A STUNNING
BEACH LOCATION.
practically untouched, exclusive and private. You can spend a day relaxing and marvelling at the warm, crystal-clear turquoise waters.
It is an ideal location for snorkelling and afterwards you can enjoy the services of a chef and a waiter to cook and serve a BBQ for you.
Whether you enjoy the experience at night or during the day is entirely up to you.
About 30 minutes away lies Hang Tien, a beguiling retreat which features a shallow cove for swimming or giant rocks for lazing.
The cove is another gem of the resort, untouched by civilisation. Giant granite rocks surround the small beach, some of which are
perfectly at and great for having a quick snooze.
For adventurous and active guests, Six Senses offers a masterchef cookery experience, with in-house chefs starting the class by
showing what ingredients you need. You will then be provided with recipes as the chefs demonstrate some of the extravagant dishes
you will learn to cook. Once you have seen the chef in action, you will get your own chance to stir the pots and pans. Depending on
the local market produce availability, the classes can range from a Vietnamese cooking class to a Fusion cooking class.
After working hard over the hot stove, sit down to sample and cherish your own creations, and discuss the results over a glass
of wine. At the end of your cooking class, you will receive the Six Senses cookbook and a souvenir apron to take home.
Norman Lewis would no doubt not recognise this benign and engaging outcome of the post-colonial phase of Vietnams history.
His encounter with the exit of a French ruling class encompassed a paradoxical and surreal world of formalities, proper manners
and elitism in stark contrast to the daily grim realities of life. For more than 50 years, this prophetic portrait of the failing days of
French colonial rule has been praised by critics, but still stands as the denitive account of the confrontation between fading
grandeur and dangerous destruction that plagued this tropical region for so many decades. Vietnam has come a long way from
those troubled times
34
A sense of delight continued
Below The villas and
even the swimming
pools are carefully
camouaged amidst the
idyllic surroundings of
the bay, giving guests
the sense of being at
one with nature.
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BS1002 R4452 Bentley MarAW.indd 1 11/02/2010 10:07
105011 B36 ZAI P36 23/11/10 12:44 Page 36
37
TESTI NG
FEW OWNERS OF THE NEW CONTINENTAL GT WILL SUBJECT THEIR CAR TO THE KIND OF ABUSE
IT IS CAPABLE OF ENDURING. NICK SWALLOW MEETS THE MEN WHO HAVE TAKEN THE NEW
CONTINENTAL GT TO THE LIMIT IN THE PLANETS MOST INHOSPITABLE PLACES >
Boot camp for Bentleys
38
I dont know how they recruit engineers at Bentley, but Id love to imagine the
interview. How do you feel about working in the heat, Mr Smith? Yes, about
50C in the shade unfortunately, there isnt any shade. Youre OK with that?
Good. And youd be prepared to work a twelve hour day, no weekends?
Excellent. Now, have you ever worked in the polar regions?
It sounds like the job description from hell, yet Nick Burns, Bentleys
Engineering Manager for heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC), seems sane
enough. Hes part of a team of Bentley engineers and mechanics who travel
the world, putting Crewes high performance machines through the kind of
test that no owner would ever countenance. Their efforts ensure that whether
you live within the Arctic Circle or your daily commute is through Death Valley,
Arizona, your new Continental GT or Mulsanne will deliver you to your
destination as swiftly and as comfortably as you could wish, without the need
to make any concessions to the outside conditions.
To achieve this, Bentley development engineers have to work for up to ve
weeks at a time in some of the most god-forsaken corners of the planet,
in extremes of heat and cold that are potentially hazardous to human life,
checking and re-checking that the cars in their charge perform precisely as
they were designed to.
For Nick Burns, this could mean timing how swiftly the windscreen and side
windows will defrost at temperatures of minus 30C. It could equally mean
leaving a 575bhp Bentley idling for an hour in the mid-day heat of a desert,
with an ambient temperature of 50C or more, to ensure that it neither
overheats nor allows the cabin to deviate from the temperature set on the
climate control. These are the everyday challenges of the hot and cold eld
trials, a series of torture tests that any new Bentley will undergo time and time
again to ensure absolute consistency of performance.
While Nick and his team are checking the cars heating, cooling and
ventilation systems, other engineering colleagues are doing the same to
suspension, engine fuelling, emissions, brakes and every other aspect of the
Bentleys performance. At times the eld trial locations resemble a military
camp with their own workshops, medical facilities and spares trucks. Its a
temporary community hidden away from the prying lenses of the worlds
press, who are naturally eager for the rst scoop of a new model.
Its no picnic. During the hot eld trials, dehydration is a real danger,
explains Nick. Our guidelines suggest we take around eight litres of water
a day, but its easy to get involved in an engineering issue and forget.
Drinking that much water also ushes a lot of salt out of your body, so were
AT TIMES THE FIELD TRIAL LOCATIONS RESEMBLE A MILITARY CAMP WITH THEIR OWN WORKSHOPS,
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND SPARES TRUCKS. ITS A TEMPORARY COMMUNITY HIDDEN AWAY FROM
THE PRYING LENSES OF THE WORLDS PRESS.
Above Tyres, brakes and
suspension come in for
painstaking scrutiny
when theyre going to
be subjected to a V-Max
run in 40C. Hot eld
trials are usually in remote
areas, so workshop teams
need to be self-sufcient.
Boot camp for Bentleys continued
39
TESTI NG
issued with salt tablets to compensate. There are mental pressures, too.
Youre working 12-hour days in up to 50C of heat with the same group of
work colleagues, mostly men. Its inevitable there will be friction. Tempers can
get frayed, especially when youre encountering problems or running out of time.
One of my tasks is to spot when a team member is showing signs of stress and
give him some time out.
The locations themselves are a closely guarded secret. Engineers are briefed
not to wear any item of clothing when travelling that could identify them as
Bentley employees and they usually travel under a ctional group name, to be
met at a foreign airport by a courier holding up a sign for Patterson Travel or
some such invention. Spy photographers do occasionally intrude on the eld
trials, staking out nearby roads with their long-lensed cameras, but no-one
wants to make it easy for them.
As part of the Volkswagen Group, Bentleys eld trials often take place
alongside vehicles from other group brands, with shared workshop and medical
facilities. But testing a Bentley has its own, unique challenges. The interior of a
Bentley, for example, is almost exclusively upholstered and trimmed in natural
materials such as ne wood veneers and awless leather hides. Hot and cold
eld trials help to ensure that even in the most extreme temperatures, these
natural materials neither discolour nor crack.
One surreal test involves parking a Bentley in desert conditions, where the
cabin temperature can be as high as 90C, and leaving it there for 12 months,
moving it from time to time to ensure that the suns damaging UV rays shine
directly into the cabin. It seems a crime to treat Crewes hand-craftsmanship
that way, but its the only way to make sure that a Bentleys interior will continue
to look and feel as its creators intended, no matter how harsh the environment.
For the HVAC team, the toughest ordeal of all is the hot eld trial
V-Max test. Other high performance cars are tted with an electronic
governor that limits maximum speed. A Bentley isnt. So if a Bentley
Continental GT is capable of 200mph on a derestricted German autobahn,
when the air is cool and densely packed with oxygen, it has to be capable of
exactly the same speed in the kind of heat that sets the horizon shimmering
in a 40C heat haze. We dont dictate to our customers how or where to
use their power, as Nick puts it.
Turbocharging adds to the complexity of the challenge. In a mild north
European summer days temperature of 20C, compressing the air through a
turbocharger will raise its temperature to around 140C, which the
intercoolers then reduce to 40C or thereabouts by the time the air enters
the combustion chamber. Now, imagine the problem faced by the engineering
team when the ambient temperature is already 40C. And then consider
that the hotter the intake air, the less spark advance can be used, which in
turn limits the power.
Yet through Bentley engineering teams combined alchemy of cooling,
fuelling and ignition settings, a Bentley Continental GT is still able to reach
V-Max in the kind of temperatures that would make a camel faint. The catch
is that someone has to prove it. Its enough to put butteries in the stomach
of the most experienced driver.
You always breathe a sigh of relief when the V-Max test is over, confesses
Nick Burns. We have a great workshop team and I know theyll check over
every tyre meticulously, but you cant get away from the physics; youre
driving at more than three miles a minute on a road surface thats hot
enough to fry an egg on. Yet you have to oor the throttle and keep it pinned
for up to half an hour, with the needle hovering the other side of 200mph.
Its exhilarating, but also stressful.
Once, a tyre picked up a piece of road debris during a high-speed run.
Yes, Ive had a blow-out at 200mph, Nick says, as calmly as if discussing the
next days weather forecast. The car behaved itself perfectly and we stopped
without any problem. Its only afterwards that you think about what might
have happened
Nick also grins at the memory of one run, when he was accompanied by a
fellow engineer who was tweaking the fuel and ignition mapping from the
passenger seat via his laptop as they drove. We hold the unofcial world
speed record for a standard production Bentley: 336km/h, veried by GPS
tracking. Thats around 208mph. Nick also recalls that at the urging of
Dr Eichhorn, Bentleys board member for engineering, he has recorded 198mph
in a Continental GTC with the top down.
YOURE DRIVING AT MORE THAN THREE MILES A MINUTE
ON A ROAD SURFACE THATS HOT ENOUGH TO FRY AN
EGG ON. YET YOU HAVE TO FLOOR THE THROTTLE AND
KEEP IT PINNED FOR UP TO HALF AN HOUR.
Left All the cars shown
here are development
mules, with the
powertrain and running
gear of the new
Continental GT beneath
the bodywork of the
outgoing model.
Such highlights aside, development testing is a long and frequently repetitive
process, checking every parameter under all known conditions. Most Bentley
owners, after all, live neither in Greenland nor the Sahara desert, but have
every right to expect that their Continental GTs air conditioning will maintain
clear screens and a constant, comfortable temperature come rain, shine, fog or
heatwave. Long before the rst production cars roll off the line, disguised
Bentley Continental GTs were driven the length and breadth of Europe to
make sure everything worked as it should.
The process of testing begins even before the design of a new car is
signed off, using the new components within the previous models bodywork.
These development mules known as simulators are replaced in turn
by the rst prototypes, using the new bodywork and interior but built
using prototype components. They, in turn are succeeded by the nal
pre-production vehicles.
By the time of the Whole Vehicle Event, when board members from across
the entire Volkswagen Group drive a new model and give it their nal seal of
approval, around 50 pre-production Bentley Continental GTs will have been
built and put through some of the most punishing testing regimes the
planets roads can offer. Theyll have been roasted, frozen, driven continuously
up and down steep mountain roads, driven 24/7 in shifts to record 15 years
average mileage in less than a year, measured, assessed, critiqued and in some
cases driven into concrete blocks for crash testing. Only then does a new
model qualify for its nal sign-off, releasing it for full production.
Its ironic, then, that Bentley owners are usually enthusiasts with a high
degree of mechanical sympathy and an appreciation of hand-craftsmanship,
who wouldnt dream of ill-treating their cars. Most Continental GTs will be
cherished, driven fast but not furiously and garaged when not in use. But if
youre ever at the wheel of a Continental GT on an arrow-straight road in the
middle of the desert and youre tempted to take it to the limit, its rather
reassuring to know that you wont be the rst person to have done so
Nick Swallow is a freelance writer who specialises in the design and technology of
luxury brands. He has been visiting Crewe since 1992 and makes a fresh discovery
with every visit.
40
Boot camp for Bentleys continued
Above Sensors festoon
the cabin of a Bentley
Mulsanne during cold
eld trials, monitoring
the speed and efciency
of the four-zone air
conditioning system.
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Untitled-2 1 28/9/09 16:54:48
43
CONTI NENTAL FLYI NG SPUR
THE 2011 CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR AND CONTINENTAL SUPERSPORTS NOW FEATURE THE
LAST WORD IN BENTLEY INFOTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY, REVEALS JOHN FRANCIS >
Future proof
The Continental Flying Spur has always seemed the most
businesslike of Bentleys. If the Continental Supersports is the
performance-focused extrovert of the family and the Continental GT
the perfect long-distance grand tourer for two, the four-door Flying
Spur appears ideally suited to gliding smoothly and discreetly
around the business district, conveying its occupants from meeting
to meeting in a haven of handcrafted calm.
Being a Bentley, of course, there is another side to its character.
It concedes little to either of its coup siblings in outright speed,
handling or performance, despite being able to carry four in the
spacious comfort of its handcrafted cabin. Its this split personality
the sprinter in a Savile Row suit that has won the Continental
Flying Spur a loyal following among Bentley owners.
Crewes engineers and designers have no intention of changing
a winning formula, so the enhancements for the latest model
year are few, but nonetheless signicant. Inside, the 4+1 seating
arrangement, with the two rear outer seats featuring electrically
adjustable recline and cushion tilt, is now standard. The Series 51
interior colour schemes, featuring two complementary hide colours
with contrast stitching in a third colour, are now available as an
option for the Flying Spur, having proved a popular choice with
owners of the Continental GT and GTC.
However, the most notable change for the new model year
is a new infotainment system, incorporating a state-of-the-art
touchscreen and voice control for audio, telephone, navigation and
ride settings. Its the same technology that features in the acclaimed
new Continental GT, albeit adapted to the trim and design of the
Continental Flying Spur console and driver display.
Business customers make up one of the largest groups of
Continental Flying Spur owners, according to Marcus Abbott,
Bentleys category manager for the 2011 models. They keep up with
the latest technologies and demand efcient, user-friendly in-car
systems. Owners will be able to access their full list of phone
contacts on the touchscreen, either via Bluetooth or their mobile
phone SIM cards, he explains. Theyll be able to reach their
destinations, or access music, DVD entertainment and comfort
settings more easily, without having to keep referring to the owners
manual. The best kind of infotainment technology is the kind you
simply dont notice because it works so intuitively and quickly, and
thats what weve aimed for here.
44
At the heart of the new infotainment system is a 30GB hard drive,
which offers up to 15GB of storage space for music as well as a
massive amount of mapping data. While 15GB of music should be
enough to last you on a round-the-world tour without hearing the
same track twice, you can also play music via an iPod, MP3 player,
the cars own six-disc CD changer or even an SD card. Naturally,
the audiophile Naim for Bentley system is still available as an
option for those owners wishing to turn their Bentleys into a rolling
concert hall.
As with the new Continental GT, the 8-inch touchscreen reveals
some subtle Bentley touches. No garish colours or clashing graphics
are allowed to intrude on the harmony of a Bentleys interior
design. Instead, numerals and typeface are designed to match
those of the rest of the cars instrumentation, and slider controls on
the touchscreen itself feature virtual knurling, another Bentley
design signature.
Satellite navigation is a constantly evolving technology and the
new Continental Flying Spur system has several next generation
features. Full seven-digit postcode entries are accepted, so you dont
need to further dene the destination by street names or numbers.
You can also view both location and destination through satellite
imagery, using geo-tagged photography or, in certain markets
where the technology exists, Google Maps.
Another new feature, dynamic navigation, diverts you around
areas of heavy trafc, potentially saving hours of valuable time.
And while voice command technology has been around for some
time, the Bentleys system is as simple and straightforward as you
could wish for. The say what you see feature controls radio,
entertainment media, navigation and phone so you can just press
the voice command button on the steering wheel, issue a command
and the Continental Flying Spur will faithfully obey, from selecting
a favourite music track to navigating you homewards.
Someone still has to do the driving, of course. But in a 12-cylinder,
552bhp, all-wheel drive Bentley, thats not exactly a hardship
John Francis is a freelance writer whose interests cover travel, gastronomy
and the automotive industry.
Future proof continued
Above The new
touchscreen and 30GB
infotainment system
integrates neatly with
the Continental Flying
Spur console. Online
point-of-interest
searches offer instant,
real-time information
on hotels, restaurants,
towns and local features
on your route.
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105011 B36 Pearl Yachts P46 23/11/10 14:39 Page 46
47
QUI RKY BUSI NESS
Delights in store
LONDONS MAYFAIR NOW HAS A NEW MAGNET FOR THE EPICURE THE MOUNT STREET DELI,
WHERE MOUTH-WATERING DISHES TEMPT THE FOOD-LOVER AT EVERY TURN. JULIA MAROZZI
SAMPLES ITS AMBIENCE >
quirky business:
48
ometimes a chicken or cheese salad
just wont do. Getting home from a
full-throttle day at work, with your
Signicant Other engaged on business
far away, you poke around inside the fridge
to nd the remains of a supermarket salad,
a bottle of champagne you are saving for a
more luxurious evening and, if youre lucky,
a fresh pot of hummus. You might crave
something a bit more well delicious.
Its at times like this that Londons Mount
Street Deli can make a big change to your life.
Stuffed with the nest produce from Italy
and the UK, this new kid on the super-chic
section of Mayfair that is Mount Street is the
answer to many a meal dilemma.
London is not lacking in food emporiums,
now that you can easily nd rustique French
bread, fresh Italian pasta, organic marsh-
grass-reared lamb and organic eggs from the
most rened of chickens.
But it is not easy to nd Lobster Infused
Extra Virgin Olive oil, or Bloody Mary Salsa for
Oysters, or Mondovino Porcini Mushroom
crackers (serve with champagne).
The deli opened in May and has quickly
become the neighbourhood place to
have a cappuccino or a salad or to nd
incredible, full-to-bursting sandwiches
which are good-to-go for lunch or supper.
If I was staying at the Connaught hotel,
which is almost directly opposite, I would
occasionally ditch the breakfast there and
head straight across the street to the more
informal setting of the room with small
tables and chairs at No 100.
Giles Davison, the general manager,
has been in charge since September and
used to work in Italy before running a
food store in Queens Park, north London.
He also worked for a chain of bakeries in
London, but decided that back ofce work
was not for him.
I wanted to get back in the front line,
he says. Working with gourmet foods.
We are in the rst stages still at the moment
because you cant really tell what people
are going to like until you have been open
for a while and you see what they are
going to buy.
Giles was raised in south London, where
his interest in food derived from his food-
obsessed family. Both of his brothers worked
as chefs for some time and his sister is a
keen cook and vegetable gardener.
Having initially trained in the engineering
industry and then worked in Cambridge,
his passion for food overtook his love
of engineering and he altered his career
path by enrolling at the prestigious Leiths
School of Food & Wine in Kensington.
After graduating, he gained experience
working at Fork with food photographers
and stylists, with clients that included
Sainsburys, Saturday Express Magazine and
Dr Oetker. He also found time to work in an
Italian cookery school in Tuscany, preparing
and assisting with classes, cooking for
groups of visitors, writing menus and
Delights in store continued
S
49
QUI RKY BUSI NESS
managing budgets all of which allowed
him to indulge his epicurean passions.
Davison envisages the deli as a natural
progression which is evolving organically to
provide superlative service to local diners
and shoppers. What has taken off is the deli
as a local hang-out, where you can sip a
glass of peach nectar over a green bean,
mustard seed and tarragon salad, or a
chicken curry, or a bowl of brown rice,
apricots and pistachios.
Several criteria were taken into
consideration when plotting the landscape
of the deli. Produce was obviously paramount
and much effort was put into sourcing
artisanal suppliers in Italy and the UK.
And because many people tend to be time
poor, dishes are available for people to take
home in the evenings including some
favourites from fellow members of the
Caprice Holdings group: Daphnes tiramisu
& polpette brasate con patate al forno
(meatballs with roasted potatoes and tomato
sauce); J Sheekey Oyster Bars potted shrimps
and sh pie; Le Caprices Thai baked sea bass;
Rivington Grills steak & kidney pudding;
Scotts Bakewell pudding; The Ivys salmon
shcake & sorrel sauce and shepherds pie.
On top of this, the head chef, Mary Lewis,
created some delicious and tempting
dishes to eat at the deli, at the desk or in
the boardroom, and an electric van was
purchased to take deliveries of these to
ofces in the W1 area. The mouth-watering
array of both classic and new dishes includes
breakfasts with freshly baked pastries,
homemade granola and warm pancakes,
paired with exotic coffees, the nest teas
and luxurious hot chocolate. Lunch features
homemade sandwiches and soups, smoked
sh, Italian and English cured meats, salads
and indulgent cakes and puddings.
Hannah Gutteridge, the delis manager,
has not only been single-minded in her food
sourcing mission, but has managed to ll
the deli with quirky kitchenalia, discovered
in antiques markets on her travels. The 30s
and 40s recipe books that she acquired
even captured the imagination of the chef,
who drew inspiration from them for the
delis daily-changing menu. Gutteridge
believes she has found the Holy Grail of
coffee available as an everyday staple
supplied by Caravan, who roast special
blends on Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell.
The deli focuses on seasonal produce and
groceries sourced from small, independent
producers. The wines are chosen by Richard
Rotti from Annabels cellars. Bin ends are
regularly available at special prices. This year,
for the rst time, Christmas hampers from
Annabels, The Club at The Ivy, Wentworth
Club and The Mount Street Deli itself, are
all available.
As Davison says: The Mount Street Deli
is right at the heart of Mayfair life. Hedge
funders on their way to the ofce, gallerists
out for a meeting with a client, shoppers
and local residents alike visit for a coffee
or something to eat. The day begins with
breakfasts from 8am (with boiled eggs and
soldiers incredibly popular) and the shop
doesnt stop buzzing until we serve our
last high teas and produce to go at 6pm.
Saturdays sees a more relaxed crowd coming
for a pick-me-up mid shopping, often
detouring from Oxford or Bond Streets.
Outside, there are people sitting at the
small tables with tiny topiary trees, while
inside the decor almost reeks of rusticity
with wood, cupboards and shelving all
painted in pale colours and Art Deco posters
dotted on the walls. Iberico hams from
Spain hang lusciously in the window and
the groaning shelf of breakfast goodies is
weighed down with croissants, brownies,
artisanale bread and home-made pastries
and cakes. Its a gourmet heaven with one
wall devoted to a choice selection of Italian
and French wines, some familiar, some
unusual. Below the Arte Domenico Clerico,
the Puligny Montrachet and the Sassicaia
Tenuta San Guido are shelves loaded with
panettone, Confettura Extra di Arance et
Melone (pear and cinnamon jam), and
nectars in every fruit avour.
You can buy Lonza di Fico (hailing from
the province of Ancona), a g cake made
from dried gs mixed with almonds,
walnuts and star anise seeds, which is
excellent with cheese. Or for nougat fans
there is exotic Sorelle Nurzia in several
sticky incarnations, Torrone Bianco, Tenero
Alla and Nocciola. A selection of the food
comes from the Slow Food accredited
producers of Italy. This includes high
mountain rhododendron honey; culatello
prosciutto (cut from heavier pigs, aged and
often cured with wine).
For people who live and work in the
area, a local delivery service offers a range
of food, from breakfast canaps and quick
sandwich lunches to two or three course
lunches and dinners to W1 and SW1.
A bespoke catering service is also available
for dinner and cocktail parties, boardroom
lunches and large-scale events, providing
everything from stafng and event
production to the perfect venue.
As Des McDonald, chief executive of
Caprice Holdings, puts it: The Mount Street
Deli is naturally a very exciting new venture
for us as it is our rst retail channel within
the group, which we hope will cater for the
many different food enthusiasts; be they
members of the clubs, regulars to our
restaurants, residents, Mayfair employees or
simply passers-by.
Whichever category you fall into, one
things for sure youll never have to be
home alone with an empty fridge again
Opposite The Mount Street Deli is fast becoming
a favourite meeting place for Mayfair residents
and those working in the area.
Above The Deli focuses on seasonal produce
from independent artisans; the quality is
exceptional, down to the last champagne trufe.
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51
DESIGN PARTNERS
AS JONATHAN BELL DISCOVERS, BENTLEY CHOOSES ITS LUXURY PARTNERS WITH CARE AND WORKS
CLOSELY WITH THEM TO ENSURE COMPLETE CONTINUITY OF ETHOS IN CRAFT AND DESIGN >
Parallel lines
The history of Bentley is not just a story of motor racing, grand tours, engineering and industrial innovation, but also a
history of strong partnerships with the nest manufacturers in every eld of luxury. These fertile associations date back to
the coach-building era, when the carmaker was a gateway to a world of craft and artisanship. The 8 Litre, the last Bentley
to be designed by W.O. Bentley himself, and perhaps the technical and stylistic pinnacle of the marque before the modern
period, exemplied this collaboration between manufacturer and specialist designer.
The 8 Litre was conceived by W.O. as a very personal project, a machine that fullled his exacting requirements. Of the
100 cars built, all were unique, with a variety of body styles undertaken by some of the leading coachbuilders of the era,
operating out of small workshops and factories on the fringes of cities like London and Paris. Bentley 8 Litres were
designed by Vanden Plas in Brent, Thrupp and Maberly of Cricklewood, Arthur Mulliner of Northampton, J. Gurney Nutting
in Croydon, Park Ward, and Freestone & Webb in Willesden, as well as French coachbuilders Kellner, Henri Binder and
Letourneur & Marchand, and Frank Hershey of Murphy Coachworks in Pasadena a wide range of designs and body types
underpinned by the Bentleys mighty engineering.
Such partnerships were integral to the high-end car market of the day, creating cars of unrivalled elegance and
sophistication. Today, Bentleys design department, led by Dirk van Braeckel, together with the companys renowned
Mulliner division, continues this proud coachbuilding tradition. But the company has gone further, extending the
importance of drawing inspiration from and working with a broad spectrum of luxury brands. For 2011, Bentley nds itself
in an unmatched position, with a new agship, the Mulsanne, and an all-new Continental GT beginning production.
52
Above Functionality,
extreme performance
and an understated
elegance are the
characteristics of the
zai for Bentley ski,
closely modelled on
the design of the
Continental Supersports.
Parallel lines continued
The companys design collaborations are also burgeoning and we spoke to ve
companies who have worked closely with Bentley to create denitive products
for the discerning customer.
Zai Skis are one of Switzerlands most prestigious young companies,
founded in 2004 by former Salomon designer Simon Jacomet, who now works
in collaboration with entrepreneurs Benedikt Germanier and Patrick Markus
Aisher. As Simon Jacomet explains, the Disentis-based company was delighted
to work closely with Bentley. Although I knew a little about the racing
background of Bentleys early days, I have always considered its design to be
outstanding and powerful and not too trendy, ever since the emergence of the
Continental GT.
The collaboration was kick-started by Bentleys chairman Dr Franz-Josef
Paefgen, a keen skier. Dr Paefgen visited our factory, as he wanted to see how
his own zai skis had been manufactured, says Jacomet. I was impressed by
his interest in all kinds of different materials and in the processes.
The end result was an invitation to Crewe, a meeting with Bentley
designer Brett Boydell and the creation of the zai for Bentley ski, a sporting,
functional design that aligns explicitly with the Continental Supersports.
I was working in close collaboration with designer Daniele Ceccomori, and
from the beginning we agreed to work strictly with typical Bentley design
elements, like the diamond design, which was ideal to inuence the torsion
parts of the ski. The design of the tip and the end form of the ski are as well
the implementations of Bentley lines, says Jacomet.
The nished product includes a newly developed carbon-bre compound
in order to create a very light and strong ski, nished off with a discrete
application of the famous B logo. It was important for me to get the Bentley
driving feeling in order to implement it into the ski-ing character of the ski,
says Jacomet, so at the rst test in Crewe I drove the Supersports and enjoyed
its enormous power, as well as the huge feeling of safety. After that, I knew
what I was looking for.
The Supersport skis reference the stripped down nature of the car itself,
with excess weight and extraneous detail pared back to make the ultimate
sporting ski. Limited to just 250 pairs, the skis, which come with custom
titanium and carbon-bre poles with leather grips and a ski bag, use the newly
patented material, Zaira, in the top layer, combined with a centre of natural
rubber and a mix of uni-directional and woven carbon fabric.
Jacomet has built a business that fulls all the demands of the modern
luxury manufacturer: small scale, highly attentive and aware of the need to
form a close bond between customer and manufacturer. With just a dozen
staff, zai has evolved to the point where it is a technological leader, pushing
the boundaries of ski-making and operating on a very different scale and time-
frame to mass-market products. Just like the hundreds of man-hours that go
into creating a Bentley interior, each zai for Bentley ski is subjected to hours of
grinding and waxing in order to create a pure, blemish-free surface.
For Giuseppe Aquila, CEO of Tibaldi, the Bentley project fullled a long-
held family connection to the rm. The partnership with Bentley came
about from my fathers great passion for the British marque, Aquila explains.
53
DESIGN PARTNERS
FROM THE BEGINNING WE AGREED TO WORK STRICTLY WITH TYPICAL BENTLEY DESIGN ELEMENTS,
LIKE THE DIAMOND DESIGN, WHICH WAS IDEAL TO INFLUENCE THE TORSION PARTS OF THE SKI.
54
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH BENTLEY CAME ABOUT FROM MY FATHERS GREAT PASSION FOR THE BRITISH MARQUE,
AQUILA EXPLAINS. HE HAS OWNED MORE THAN 10 BENTLEY CARS AND HAD ALWAYS DREAMED TO TEAM UP
WITH THEM IN SOME WAY.
55
DESIGN PARTNERS
Parallel lines continued
Opposite Bentleys
partnerships with
Tibaldi and Estede
reect its desire to
create luxury products
that faithfully reect
the marques design
traditions.
Right Bentley designer
Brett Boydell worked
closely with the zai
team to create the
zai for Bentley ski.
He has owned more than 10 Bentley cars and had always dreamed to team
up with them in some way. I therefore approached Bentley, initially to produce
the Bentley Crewe 60 Years limited edition pen, which was subsequently
followed by six more collections, Brooklands, Continental, Azure, Mulsanne
and now the Continental Slimline and Supersports.
The Vicenza-based pen maker has nearly a century of history to its name
and is acutely aware of the role of heritage and design in all its products.
Tibaldi and Bentley share the same brand values: tradition, technological
innovation and creativity, says Aquila. Most importantly, we both share the
passion that drives our respective teams.
Tibaldi has collaborated closely with Bentley since 2007. As their names
suggest, the new additions to the Tibaldi for Bentley range, the Slimline and
the Supersports, take their design characteristics from the lithe, powerful
Bentley Supersports. Both pens are lighter and slimmer than their
counterparts, designed for smaller hands and pockets. The Continental
Slimline uses the design cues of the original Continental pen and reduces the
overall dimensions. Just 999 examples of each style fountain pen, roller ball,
ball point and pencil are being manufactured, with ve colours to chose
from, each referencing a popular Continental paint colour: Beluga, Silverlake
Blue, White, St James Red and Magenta.
The Tibaldi for Bentley Supersports collection goes further. Tibaldi
worked closely with Bentleys Robin Page, Head of Interior Design, and
Jonathan Punter, to ensure a consistency of material and form. Key Bentley
characteristics, such as the knurled surface of Bentleys handmade switchgear,
are referenced in the bands across the pen barrel and cap. Most importantly
of all, the Supersports pen utilises carbon bre and aluminium, making the
pen feel light yet strong, all the while retaining the feel and perfectly dened
proportions that are a characteristic of all Tibaldi pens. Just 630 examples
of the Supersports fountain pen and roller ball will be made, a number
that reects the power output of the specially modied W12 engine at the
heart of the actual car.
Bentleys ongoing collaboration with Breitling is well documented. For the
past decade, Breitling for Bentley watches have represented the synthesis of
two performance and craft-focused brands. The latest result of this hugely
successful partnership is the Bentley Supersports special series, a limited
edition of 1,000 steel-cased chronometers. Breitling has used the raised bezel
to reference the knurled metal nish of Bentleys secondary control switches
while at its heart, the Bentley Supersports special series is a self-winding
chronometer with precise markings and graduations. The watchs functions
include a variable tachometer with circular slide rule, red arrow-tipped hand
and rubber strap, making it a tough, high-performance timepiece that sits
proudly alongside the Supersports itself.
As Eddie Schoepfer, Head of Breitling Design, explains, Working with Bentley
is not just the state-of-the-art factory facility and the breathtaking cars, the
brand has a fascinating story and a very distinctive design which inspires us
Built on its racing heritage, the Bentley story is passionate and eventful:
24-hour Le Mans and the Bentley Boys, an authentic design for the
Continental GT and Mulsanne, the worlds most respected 6.75-litre engine,
the handcrafted luxury, the tailor-made customisation at Mulliner.
More recently, the Austrian eyewear manufacturer Estede has worked
closely with Bentleys Brett Boydell to develop a range of sunglasses and
frames. The Estede for Bentley collection uses precious metals and new
surface treatments. Together with silver palladium and 18 carat gold, the
Estede pieces also feature platinum the rst time a manufacturer has used
this rare precious metal in eyewear. Each pair comes as individually numbered
frames in a special presentation box, with the option for each owner to
engrave their name and car details on the frame.
Christoph Rosenauer at Estede believes the success of the product is down
to the respect and enthusiasm each company has for the others work. I think
it was important for both sides to understand the interests and the qualities
of the other side, before starting such a type of partnership. For me, it was
important that it would not be a regular licence deal, but rather something
outstanding at least for eyewear, he explains. I think what Bentley has done
in the last years is a masterpiece, both on the technological side, but also in
terms of design. To nd this equivalent in eyewear was really our key focus.
Finally, as the worlds leading manufacturer of luxury grand tourers, it feels
appropriate for Bentley to team up with Robert Ettinger of London, one of
the capitals nest purveyors of leather goods. Ettingers Bentley Collection
references classic Bentley paint colours, with a Limited Edition range of travel
items, including luggage tags, key fobs, passport holders and coin purses, all
handmade in England from the nest leather.
Contemporary luxury manufacturing is a vibrant and innovative sector.
Bentley, with its long association with innovation and collaborative design, is
proud to help bring new products to the market, helping to improve design
and manufacturing technology, while sharing skills and craft knowledge with
some of the worlds most respected names in luxury design
www.zaiforbentley.com
www.breitlingforbentley.com
www.tibaldi.it
www.ettinger.co.uk
www.estede.at
Jonathan Bell writes about architecture and automotive design for Wallpaper magazine.
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SYRIA: Mario Retail, +963113312221 TURKEY: Greenwich Istanbul, +90 212 241 7510 U.K.: Linder LuxuryLimited, +44(0)8455192855UKRAINE: Noblesse, 380445283385USA&CANADA: WLG- WLuxuryGroup, +13056749670
EUROPE: FRANCVILAS.A., +41223170727WWW.FRANCVILA.COM/ INFO@FRANCVILA.COM
Not only mine, but a part of me
57
HERITAGE CASHMERE
THE TEXTILE LOOMS OF ENGLANDS INDUSTRIAL NORTH HAVE FALLEN SILENT APART FROM
THOSE OF HERITAGE CASHMERE, WHOSE ATTITUDE TO QUALITY MIRRORS BENTLEYS OWN.
JULIA MAROZZI DISCOVERS THEIR SECRET >
Close-knit community
58
The team at Heritage
Cashmere work with
clients such as Bentley
to translate their brand
ethos onto the soft,
tactile and luxurious
material of a cashmere
scarf, using techniques
that range from
embroidery to digital
printing.
Drive through the suburbs of Halifax in the north of England, green hilly elds
on all sides, and you can see streets of terraced houses dotted with the brick
towers and squat, square buildings of former textile mills. Many of them have
For Development notices nailed to their doors.
This part of the north was once home to a thriving textile industry, with
vertical mills which did everything from carding to weaving to spinning to
nishing to knitting providing the backbone of wealth and economic
prosperity for the entire area.
That depth of manufacturing has long since disappeared, with few
survivors in the globally competitive marketplace. Victims of fashion, ckle
tastes, stubbornly unchanging working practices and ruthless cost-cutting by
competitors has seen the decline of an industry which once produced clothing
and accessories worn from Cardiff to Calcutta.
But there are notable, world-beating exceptions. One of them is Bentleys
partner Heritage Cashmere, based at Holmeld, which makes cashmere
scarves for the Luxury Collection. Occupying two oors of a former mill,
Heritage Cashmere was founded 15 years ago by John Kaye, who had worked
at William Edleston, Sowerby Bridge, a woollen manufacturer. This company
had had a long and illustrious history since its founding by William Edleston
in 1848. It was a pioneer in the blanket and South American long wool trade
and also specialised in pure camel hair and alpaca clothes.
The business had a large UK trade, as the company was a contractor to the
Admiralty and War Ofce, and its goods were shipped to every corner of
the world. It became a limited company in 1939 and came to concentrate on
supplying top European fashion houses with high-class mohair and cashmere
accessories and textiles.
You could argue that John Kaye learned everything there is to know about
cashmere while working there. But after 15 years at Edleston, while still young,
he decided to go it alone and set up a small business to make cashmere
garments and accessories for himself.
At rst he had a small ofce and one assistant. Now Heritage Cashmere
employs up to 25 people, depending on the season, and a design team headed
by Charlotte Hallas, who is creative director.
His son James, responsible for business development and sales and
marketing, says: It all started with my grandfather, who was also in the
textile business angora, cashmere, lambswool. Now, the company makes
woven accessories in the UK and knitted garments such as sweaters, which
are designed in-house.
We are the name under the name, says James. While the label Heritage
Cashmere does not appear on many products, the names Thomas Pink,
Jaeger, Aquascutum and House of Cashmere often do.
Back in 2003, John was looking for major brands other than fashion
houses to link up with, which is how the relationship with Bentley was born.
We started making a basic accessory range, which was nicely branded,he says.
It took time for the right product mix to evolve, but we now have ve
cashmere scarves in three different designs, with news styles being developed
on a seasonal basis.
For a company like Bentley the branding is very important, says John.
It has to be subtle, with the logo not thrown into somebodys face. We sent
numerous amounts of artwork to get the right interpretation. The scarves
are an amalgamation of our design with Bentleys, driven by our expertise
in cashmere.
As for Bentley, all the Heritage Cashmere lines are made to order for
individual customers, many of which also get design input from Sally Jones,
head of knitwear design. A big source of inspiration comes from the companys
archive, which often acts as a spur to the cardigans, sweaters, dresses and
tunics seen in high fashion houses around the world.
Anything that can be knitted, we can do it, says Sally.
Spinning, dyeing, colour-matching, weaving, cutting, nishing and
teasling which raises the nap of cashmere to give it a soft and silky surface
are all processes undertaken by Heritages textile partners in Yorkshire and
Scotland, under the strict quality control of the Kayes and the designers.
We monitor all the different parts of the process, says Charlotte.
We have close relationships with all our suppliers, built up over years. We are
always a very close part of the process, from design to manufacture, so with
our suppliers we can always nd the right route.
Close-knit community continued
59
HERITAGE CASHMERE
WE ARE A NICHE BRAND, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE LEFT. DESIGN IS INTEGRAL. WE WORK WITH OTHER
PEOPLES DESIGNERS AND WE HAVE THE FACILITIES TO SUPPORT THEM AND THEIR CREATIVITY.
60
Close-knit community continued
Left Subtle colours,
elegant design and the
tactile pleasure of the
nest cashmere are
the distinguishing
features of the Bentley
Luxury Collections
cashmere scarves.
As China has piled into the cashmere market in recent years, the price of the
basic bre goat hair from Mongolia and outer China has escalated. Add to
that the fact that goats died in last winters harsh climate, and the outlook for
a small company in Yorkshire might look rather cloudy.
Not at all, says John. We are a niche player and we are exible and
responsive. China can buy up the raw material but it has a very, very short-
term outlook. Plus we have the designs. China buys lots of European products
and then reproduces them. We offer products that are different.
Charlote adds: We are trying to make completely unique and
experimental products. Natural bres only no viscose or modal. Plus we can
do very small print runs of, for example, scarves with complicated designs.
An integral tool in the design function is the computer. Clients want
to see designs in 3-D and digital techniques allow many different designs to
be sent and seen from all sides. Digital printing also allows designs to be
identical on both sides of a scarf, for example, which solves the problem of
one side of a scarf being brightly coloured and colours on the reverse looking
faded in comparison.
When John started the business he was doing all the design himself, but
quickly realised that if he wanted high fashion houses as clients, then design
and quality had to go hand in hand. We try to guide clients in the right
direction, he says. And often we are providing them with inspiration for their
collections. We try to show that this is the sort of scarf you can have and this
is the variety you can develop.
Challenges abound in the global marketplace. Companies change radically
and often, says John. Every family used to have somebody in the textile
trade here, if not all of them. Spinners and weavers, nishers. Now there
are very few people you can go to for this type of work. But the ones who
are left are world-class. We are a niche brand, which is why we are left.
Design is integral. We work with other peoples designers and we have the
facilities to support them and their creativity. As Charlotte puts it: People
have a vision of what they want: what they are trying to achieve. We are there
to make it happen.
In the world village, Heritage Cashmere has to keep pace with the fast-
changing fashion industry, which itself can generate ideas fast and get them
onto the high street within weeks. For a lot of our customers we now come up
with design work which will feed their creativity, says Charlotte. Customers
can see what the end result will be, with computer-aided design. We are
pro-active rather than reactive.
Sally can send technical instructions via computer to a knitting bed or
write a weaving ticket for a weaver for an exact specication for a scarf
checks, colours, weaving structure, ripple nish so customers get bespoke,
exclusive products tted to their range and look.
Some of the worlds leading luxury goods makers are beating a path to the
doors of Heritage Cashmere. Doors that still open onto a smiling associate in a
small shop selling exquisite and soft-as-feathers cashmere accessories and
garments. With not a For Development sign in site. Theyre doing that already
62
Lindsay Weaver is still buzzing from the Paris
Salon de lAuto. The world retail debut for the
new Continental GT couldnt have been better
received, he declares. We sold all of our Paris
stock allocation inside the rst week and had to
order more. It certainly is good news, even when
you realise that hes talking about the Bentley
Collection 1:43 scale model, whose appearance
was timed to coincide with the world reveal of the
full-size version.
Equating the scale model of the Continental GT
to the example you can drive isnt as far-fetched
as it may appear. Both were created and signed off
by the same team of designers. The interior hide
colour and exterior nishes of the model were
matched and approved by the Bentley colour and
trim team. The scale model might be small enough
to t on your desk, but its still a Bentley.
Lindsay Weaver is Bentleys Director of
Licencing and Luxury Goods, and he outlines the
thinking behind the Bentley Collection. For Bentley,
its not enough that something should be well
made, or exclusive, or well designed, he explains.
It also must have a reason for being in the
Collection. You should be able to look at any item we
offer and say that could only be a Bentley product.
Easy enough to achieve in the case of a scale
model, surely? Lindsay shakes his head. Its not
just a case of taking the exact dimensions of a
Bentley and scaling them down. Darren Day, one of
our senior stylists, works with the modelmakers
and subtly accentuates certain styling lines that
otherwise would not register on the eye at the
smaller scale. Its a case of taking objective
accuracy and adjusting it for subjective perception.
And nobody can do that with more understanding
than someone who was part of designing the
original car.
Scale models represent the more accessible
end of the Collection, compared with items like
the sterling silver model of a Blower Bentley by
Anthony Holt, a 1:12 scale work of art that retails at
25,000 excluding tax. So which group is the
Collection intended for: fans of the brand, or
Bentley owners?
We would never cheapen the brand by
making it ubiquitous, says Lindsay, so I dont
expect you will ever see people wearing Bentley
T-shirts or caps on every high street. But a brand
like Bentley needs its enthusiasts, people who
dream of owning a Continental GT one day and
would like to show their allegiance right now.
Polo shirts, scale models, umbrellas these are
simple items but theyre well made, with a touch
of Bentley style, and they give enthusiasts the
feeling that they belong to the family, even if
they cant stretch to one of our cars.
At the same time Lindsay Weaver is well aware
that Bentley owners include some of the most
discerning shoppers in the world, and that the
Collection has to meet the most demanding
expectations. If we feature leather goods, the
quality of the leather should be up to the
standards we demand of ourselves on our
production lines. If we offer gloves, they should be
made by a company that has the same craft ethos
as Bentley. Otherwise our customers will simply
ask what the Bentley logo is doing there.
The point is well made. Anyone browsing the
Bentley Collection online can rest assured that
the Bentley logo sits very comfortably on the Dents
Peccary gloves, with their Bentley signature cross-
stitching and oatmeal Scottish cashmere lining.
The same can be said of the leather folders, key fobs
and accessories made by Ettinger of London, each
piece hand-stitched in England. Clearly Crewes
business is making cars, but its standards translate
to other aspects of an owners lifestyle.
For Lindsay Weaver and his colleagues, its
essential that Bentley not only chooses its partners
well, but remains in close dialogue with them, if the
Bentley wings on a set of skis or cap of a fountain
pen are to carry the same weight of meaning as
they do when atop the radiator shell of a
Continental GT. Bentleys lifestyle partners include
zai skis, Breitling chronometers, Tibaldi pens, Estede
eyewear and Stockinger safes, a blue-chip list of
companies whose collective reputations are second
to none. Weaver plans a bi-annual summit for
Bentley partners at which product developments
and plans can be shared, and he intends to ensure
that either he or one of his colleagues is in weekly
contact with each partner.
LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL GIFT THIS FESTIVE SEASON? JAMES FALKINGHAMMEETS LINDSAY WEAVER, BENTLEYS
ARBITER OF STYLE, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND EXCLUSIVITY FOR THE BENTLEY LUXURY GOODS COLLECTION >
A gift for understatement
01
63
BRANDED GOODS
01 Precious metal: silver
Blower Bentley model
02 Aviator-style sunglasses
from the Estede for
Bentley range
03 Pittards Cabretta gents
gloves with B detailing
04 Leather ying helmet
and goggles and Birkin
spot scarf
05 Pittards Cabretta
ladies gloves
06 1:43 scale Bentley
4
1
/2 Litre Blower
03 04
05
06
02
64
07 1:43 scale model of the new
Continental GT
08 Le Mans memories:
Speed 8 print
09/10 Adult blue/grey baseball
cap, plus childs baseball cap
11 Finishing touch:
Bentley B cufinks
12 Travelling companion:
the Birkin bear
13 GMT Chronometer from the
Breitling for Bentley range
14 Leather-bound notebooks
by Ettinger of London
In the case of zai, makers of zai for Bentley skis,
poles and ski bags, Bentleys styling studio
collaborated with the zai team at Disentis,
Switzerland, in the creation of the Supersport range
of skis. The result is a high performance ski that, like
its Bentley namesake, rewards high levels of skill
without punishing the less experienced. The 2011
edition of the zai for Bentley Supersport features a
new surface solution, both improving the skis
torsion and avoiding excessive reected glare from
the sun. zaira, a newly patented material, is used
on the skis top layer in combination with natural
rubber in the centre, a world rst. The skis also
feature an innovative visual mixture of uni-
directional and woven carbon fabric which sits
very nicely with the satin-nish carbon bre of a
Bentley Continental Supersports cockpit.
Another celebrated Swiss brand, Breitling, has
enjoyed a partnership with Bentley that stretches
back to the companys victory at Le Mans in 2003,
when two dark green Speed 8 Bentleys with the
Breitling logo on their enclosed bodywork took
rst and second place. From a partnership forged
in the crucible of competition has come a series of
brilliantly executed and sought-after watches
under the Breitling for Bentley banner. The latest
example of that collection made its Paris debut
alongside the new Continental GT as an edition
of the Bentley GMT chronograph, limited to just
1,000 examples worldwide.
Uniting Swiss precision with Bentley heritage,
the Breitling GMT features a ange and rubber
strap in British Racing Green, with a black dial.
The movement is Breitling Calibre 47B with 38
jewels, ofcially chronometer-certied by the
COSC. It has a 24-hour second time zone with red
hand adjustable using a pushpiece integrated into
the left side of the case and a British Racing Green
ange carrying the 24-city time zone scale.
With its purposeful yet understated design, the
Breitling GMT makes a perfect festive gift for a
Bentley owner, or indeed any connoisseur of Swiss
watchmaking.
A comparable level of exclusivity distinguishes
the products of one of Bentleys newest luxury
partners, Estede Eyewear. The Estede team worked
closely with the Crewe design team to develop a
limited edition, high-end range of sunglasses and
ophthalmic frames under licence for Bentley.
Each individually numbered pair of frames is
offered in a presentation box containing spare/
different lenses for varying activities, and can also
be engraved with owners name or car details.
But what really sets the Estede for Bentley collection
apart is their use of precious metals and innovative
surface treatments, including silver palladium, 18
carat gold and platinum. In particular, platinum is
considered to be the rarest of all precious metals
and never before used in eyewear, so Estede claims
with some justication that the new Bentley range
will establish a precedent in the eyewear sector.
With the season of giving just around the
corner, writing instruments are always a highly
acceptable present. Personal, without necessarily
assuming the intimacy of a gift such as jewellery, a
fountain pen or ballpoint is suitable as a gift for
either sex. Tibaldi has been working with Bentley
since 2007, faithfully translating the DNA of the
cars and their design ethos across to a beautifully
crafted range of writing instruments. Features such
as the Bentley switchgear knurling are featured on
Tibaldi for Bentley pens and ballpoints, while the
Bentley typeface down the engraved retaining clip
on the cap is exactly as you would nd it atop the
cam covers on a Bentley V8 or W12 engine.
Tibaldis design is based around the concept of
Phi, also known as the Divine Proportion, a ratio of
1.618 to 1 that has been used in art, architecture,
mathematics and even music down the centuries
as a way of creating harmony in proportion.
The ratio between the pens cap and the visible
portion of the barrel when the pen is closed equals
the phi ratio, 1.618. Even the accompanying case is
measured in multiples of the phi coefcient.
As with a Bentley car, the visually arresting outer
shape conceals precision engineering within, in the
form of the Tibaldi patented lling mechanism.
Revolving the cap to ll the barrel with ink is a
feeling as tactile as that of manually winding the
crown or bezel of a ne watch.
For 2010, Tibaldi has developed a new
Continental Slimline range for those who prefer a
slimmer writing instrument, either because they
nd it more comfortable to grip or, perhaps,
because it makes less of a bulge in a jacket inner
pocket. It is available in ve colours, matched by
the colour and trim team at Crewe to the most
Headline in here continued
A gift for understatement continued
PARIS WAS A FANTASTIC SHOWCASE FOR THE ENTIRE COMPANY
IT BROUGHT HOME THE MESSAGE THAT BENTLEY IS BOTH A SUPREME
CARMAKER AND A LUXURY BRAND IN A WIDER SENSE.
65
BRANDED GOODS
12
07 08
09/10
13
14
11
66
popular colours from the Continental family of
cars: Beluga, Silverlake Blue, White, St James Red
and Magenta. The Continental Slimline is offered
in a limited edition range that includes fountain
pen, roller ball, ball point and pencil, with just 999
of each to be made.
Tibaldi has also catered for the more extrovert
tastes with the Tibaldi for Bentley Supersports
collection. Inspired by the performance-focused
Continental Supersports, the Supersports fountain
pen and roller ball express functionality, advanced
materials and precision in every detail. Working
with Robin Page, head of Interior Design, and
Jonathan Punter of the Crewe Styling Studio,
Tibaldis design team created a light, strong pen
and roller ball using carbon bre and aluminium.
The pen barrel and cap feature knurled bands,
echoing the design of Bentley switchgear, and
each pen features Tibaldis unique pocket clip
which terminates in a rolling ball. Only 630
fountain and roller ball pens will be made, exactly
matching the number of horsepower produced by
the Bentley Continental Supersports.
In a rst for Bentley, all the luxury partners and
many other of the Collections pieces were available
for sale in a special Bentley Boutique on the Paris
Motor Show stand, including the aforementioned
1:43 scale model of the new Continental GT. Is this
the way forward for the Collection?
Paris was a fantastic showcase for the entire
company, agrees Lindsay Weaver. Not only could
people see our latest model in the Continental GT,
they could also browse and even buy items from
the Boutique during the show. It brought home
the message that Bentley is both a supreme
carmaker and a luxury brand in a wider sense.
For the Collection, it brought our range to a
larger audience than ever before in one place
and people clearly liked what they saw.
The Collection can of course be viewed and
items ordered online, but Weaver acknowledges
the limitations of online sales for high luxury
goods. To fully appreciate the craftsmanship of an
Anthony Holt solid silver model, or a handmade
humidor, you need to see the real thing, he
concedes. In future Id like to nd more ways of
bringing the Collection to our customers, and well
be working closely with our dealers to develop
a greater presence for the Collection within
showrooms, alongside the cars. The Paris Motor
Show proved the viability of this approach.
Lindsay is also keen to extend the Pure Bentley
portfolio of individually commissioned pieces,
citing the opportunity for owners of classic
Bentleys to commission a sterling silver replica or
bronze that would be unique to their car. We have
the partners and the collective skills to create
one-off works of art, he explains. We love to be
challenged by our customers, to be inspired by
them as well as to inspire them in turn. It gives us
the chance to develop a dialogue with Bentley
customers, which I would love to see.
Meanwhile, if youre still searching for
inspiration as the days tick away to the year end,
www.bentleycollection.com can be relied upon for
both quality and quantity of choice. A childs
Team Bentley replica racing suit for a very lucky
young man or lady? A Speed 8 limited edition
print for the motor racing enthusiast? Or how
about a leather ying helmet, goggles and
silk/cashmere scarf, featuring the polka-dot
design made famous by Bentley Boy Sir Tim Birkin?
Excellent choices all. Of course, recipients would
still have to provide their own Blower Bentley to
complete the ensemble but its the thought
that counts, isnt it?
James Falkingham is an automotive design
commentator and former director of a global
experiential design company.
A gift for understatement continued
15 Bentley polo shirts
16/17 Tibaldi Supersports
fountain pen and rollerball
18 2011 Bentley wall calendar
15
18
16/17
Sales | Charter | Management | Construction | Crew
A Tradition of Innovation
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11_01_FY_Bentley Mag_H2OME.indd 5 11/18/10 10:59 AM
105011 B36 Albatross P68 24/11/10 08:05 Page 68
69
LES BORDES
A CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR SPEED, A SWIFT CROSSING TO FRANCE AND THE CHANCE
TO PLAY 18 HOLES AT THE EXCLUSIVE LES BORDES GOLF CLUB. FOR TIM YEO, LIFE RARELY
GETS BETTER THAN THIS >
On course for the Loire
70
When the chance to borrow a Continental Flying Spur Speed for
a visit to Frances top golf course in the heart of the Loire coincided
with a meeting of the board of Groupe Eurotunnel SA I was
naturally delighted.
Bentley told me the cars registration number was 20TU, so I gave
this to the Eurotunnel staff booking my crossing. Back came an e-mail
asking: Do you mean 20TY? I have never wanted a personalised
number plate so I conrmed that it was indeed 20TU.
When the lovely new grey Flying Spur was delivered to my London
at I drove it to work, where it aroused admiring glances from the
security staff in the House of Commons car park. A trip to Norfolk next
day involving a mix of motorways and twisting single track roads was
the perfect preparation for my French safari. It also reacquainted me
with this cars remarkable combination of phenomenal performance
and extreme passenger comfort.
Next morning my wife and I set off early down the M20 to
Folkestone, the rising sun in our eyes as we sped through the Kent
countryside. Our convenient Flexi Plus ticket got us straight on to the
rst available shuttle through the Channel Tunnel and I was in
Eurotunnels ofce in Coquelles, near Calais, barely two hours after
leaving central London.
By Thursday afternoon the business part of the trip was completed
and we headed south along the smooth-surfaced Calais-Boulogne road.
The late afternoon trafc around Boulogne was heavy as we tucked in
behind an Italian-registered Ferrari on the elevated road with its
spectacular view of the town and the port.
When the slow-moving trafc eventually cleared the Ferrari driver
put his foot down. Moments later I caught his startled look as the
Flying Spur left him standing while accelerating up a long hill. But one
of the joys of such an obviously superior car is that it eliminates the
need to drive competitively. With a clear road we began to savour the
sweeping views from this typically uncrowded French autoroute,
colourful in the early evening light.
Progress was good and we reached Chartres in good time for dinner.
Afterwards it was still warm enough to stroll the quiet streets and
appreciate the impressive Son et Lumire which celebrates the famous
cathedrals history, an agreeable postscript to a satisfying days driving.
Next morning we headed further south to the Loire Valley with a
sense of mounting anticipation. To my relief the sat-nav led us
unerringly to our destination just south of the Loire between Orleans
and Blois, no mean achievement in view of the well-hidden entrance
to Les Bordes. This large private estate near Beaugency contains a
former hunting lodge set amid 1,300 acres of ancient oak forest.
In 1985 this magnicent property was owned by Baron Bich, who
had the inspired idea of laying out a top quality golf course. Its situation
is as discreet and anonymous as you would expect from a club where
seclusion and privacy rank high on the list of priorities. Once off the
main road you proceed through the forest along lengthy tree-lined
roads from which gradually glimpses of the golf course become visible
until the gated entrance to the club itself is reached. After a few more
twists and turns in the drive the attractive clubhouse and associated
buildings come into view.
Leaving the Flying Spur in the almost empty car park, we were
warmly received and our bags taken to a comfortably furnished
charming cottage in a prime position overlooking the 18th green.
Mark Vickery, the executive director of Les Bordes whom I rst met
more than a decade ago when he was establishing the Royal
Westmorland course in Barbados, welcomed us with a glass of
champagne on the comfortable terrace between the club and the
practice putting green.
On course for the Loire continued
Below The beauty of
the Loire valley is best
enjoyed on its quiet
backroads and
Bentleys fastest four-
door is the perfect
choice for a tour.
Opposite Les Bordes
is a challenging yet
delightful course in
glorious natural
surroundings.
71
LES BORDES
As we sat outside in the sunshine waiting for lunch he outlined the recent history of Les Bordes, now owned by a group
of investors who are planning to make it the most exclusive golf development in France. This will involve selling a very
small number of large building plots within the forest area. The owners, who are expected to come mostly from
international backgrounds, will have membership rights at Les Bordes. In addition, two more 18-hole golf courses will be
built, an expansion for which the estates size is more than sufcient.
When the food arrived, ordered from the Golfers Menu (a choice which resembled the Savoy Grill compared with
similarly titled offerings at most clubs), Mark informed us that there was only one other group of golfers playing the
course that day. I was pleased this meant there was no rush to nish my delicious veal escalope, especially as it was
accompanied by an excellent Sancerre. Eventually, however, the time came to tear myself away from these agreeable
surroundings and head for the practice ground on the other side of the clubhouse, where I could attack the neat piles of
golf balls awaiting my exclusive attention without fear of being observed by other players.
Having discovered that the mornings swift and pleasant run from Chartres in the Flying Spur had done no harm to
my swing, I headed for the rst tee. There my wife and I were presented with neat brown Les Bordes baseball caps with
THE EXCLUSIVE CHARACTER OF LES BORDES MEANS THAT PLAYERS CAN ACTUALLY HAVE IT TO THEMSELVES
AS EMMANUEL AND I DID ON THIS PARTICULAR AFTERNOON.
72
AT THE END OF THE ROUND I FELT SPIRITUALLY REFRESHED BY THE TRANQUIL BEAUTY OF THE
SURROUNDINGS, MY MOOD CALM ENOUGH TO COPE WITH THE IRRITATION OF WASTING A
PERFECT DRIVE ON THE FINAL HOLE.
73
LES BORDES
our names stamped on the back, an excellent idea for those occasions
when you are playing with people youve just met and whose names
you have confused.
My wife, fearing that the challenge of the course might be too much
for someone recovering from a tennis injury, opted to go round in a
buggy so my playing partner was Emmanuel, the clubs personable
young assistant professional. The surroundings were as peaceful as they
could be and under a clear blue sky with the sun shining conditions were
perfect. However, as all golfers know, this is no guarantee of success.
I therefore experienced the usual sense of relief when my rst drive
ew gratifyingly straight to the middle of the fairway. The rst green
at Les Bordes has a narrow entrance and is surrounded by a huge
circular bunker. Somehow I managed to avoid the sand with my
second shot trickling on to the front of the putting service. Three putts
later I realised the greens were fast as well as true.
One of the many advantages of playing a course where the layout
was designed with no constraints whatever on the total amount of
space used is that each hole can be separated from the others,
allowing golfers to enjoy the sense of having the course to
themselves. The exclusive character of Les Bordes means that players
can actually have it to themselves as Emmanuel and I did on this
particular afternoon.
Mature trees, beautiful water hazards and strategically situated
bunkers of all sizes abound on this course. At three of the short holes
the tee shot has to carry over water all the way to greens where there
are no bail-out areas to land on only bunkers and hillocks. The par
ve 14th is particularly spectacular, requiring a drive over water from
the tee and an approach shot to a green entirely surrounded by water.
There is a good variety of par fours too. The 11th green is very
reachable in two shots, provided you have the nerve to stay close to
the water next to the fairway all the way along this hole, which dog
legs sharply to the left. At the next hole the drive must again carry
water and the long second shot needs to be accurately judged to reach
the right level of a two-tier green to offer a chance of par, an outcome
which happily I achieved.
At the end of the round I felt spiritually refreshed by the tranquil
beauty of the surroundings, my mood calm enough to cope with the
irritation of wasting a perfect drive on the nal hole by dumping my
second into the water on the right of the green. But the severity of the
golng challenge at Les Bordes is not in doubt and even the best
players will nd much to test their skills here.
With the golf over the sybaritic pleasures of the clubhouse
loomed prominently again. Before dinner more zz, of a vintage
variety now, was consumed in front of a roaring log re under the
beams of the high-ceilinged bar. In the dining room we were joined
by Mark Vickery and a delightful London-based Vietnamese designer,
Peter Phan, who is advising on modications to the already superb off
course facilities.
Over another faultless meal accompanied by rst growth wines
the conversation ranged far beyond golf as no doubt it will when
others from round the world join this very desirable club. Afterwards I
slept soundly in conditions of absolute silence and peace. Next morning
the attractions of a mornings drive in the Flying Spur to a nearby
chateau, owned by a retired Scottish advocate who is an old friend,
dragged me away. As I got into the car I cast one more last glance up
the rst fairway, full of regret that time did not permit another crack
at this delightful golf course
Tim Yeo is MP for South Suffolk and a former Environment Minister.
On course for the Loire continued
75
MAXIMI LIAN RI EDEL
MAXIMILIAN RIEDEL LOVES THE PRECISION OF HIS FINE CRYSTAL, THE FEEL OF A WELL-TAILORED
SUIT AND THE RACE-TRACK PERFORMANCE OF A BENTLEY. HE TALKS WITH ROGER MORRIS
ABOUT WHERE HES BEEN AND WHERE HES GOING >
Clear thinker
75
MAXIMI LIAN RI EDEL
MAXIMILIAN RIEDEL LOVES THE PRECISION OF HIS FINE CRYSTAL, THE FEEL OF A WELL-TAILORED
SUIT AND THE RACE-TRACK PERFORMANCE OF A BENTLEY. HE TALKS WITH ROGER MORRIS
ABOUT WHERE HES BEEN AND WHERE HES GOING >
Clear thinker
76
Maximilian Riedel is a man of the senses. At the age of 33, he represents the
11th generation of the family-owned business, producing ne glassware that
has revolutionised how we smell and taste wine. As a world traveller, he loves
the thrill of adventure, such as taking an unsanctioned dip in Capris famed
Grotta Azzurra. And, as the owner of a stable of nine sporting cars the only
kind he collects he loves the speed and precision of club track racing, such
as testing a Bentley Supersports on New Yorks Monticello circuit.
My father and business mentor [Georg Riedel] likes to drive cars and
drive them fast, so the interest in ne automobiles runs in the family,
Riedel (the name rhymes with needle) tells me during a recent conversation
at his spacious, but not ostentatious, ofce in Edison, New Jersey. I remember
in the early 1980s, my uncle had a Red Label Bentley. I loved that distinctive
smell of the leather, and I dreamed of owning one. He has since owned
two Bentleys a Continental GT and a GT Speed and is planning to buy
his third shortly.
But if Riedel, a compact, well-manicured, well-tailored young man with
swept-back hair and a broad smile, takes time to stop and smell the roses
and taste some of the wine that millions of Riedel glasses daily hold he is
far from a dilettante. When his father invited him to join the family business
at the tender age of 20, his rst assignment was the considerable challenge
of introducing Riedel into the Muslim culture of Dubai by tapping into the
ourishing growth of its hotel and ne-dining tourism business in the 1990s.
When he took over the critical American and Canadian businesses in 2000 at
the age of 23, he immediately tackled what he saw as a crucial, but certainly
unglamorous, problem high distribution costs and inefciencies. And, after
a decade on the job, he has quadrupled North American sales by reducing
overheads and distribution costs, introducing new product lines, expanding
sales and outlets beyond high-end shops in the major cities, and by
aggressively courting inuential sommeliers.
Riedel Glas Austria, whose slogan is The Wine Glass Company, traces its
roots in the glass business to the 1600s in what was then Bohemia as the
Venetian-born glass-blowing process was making its way into northern
Europe. Riedels rst factory was built 250 years ago, in 1760, and today the
main Riedel facility is in Kufstein, Austria, where it has become a popular
tourist attraction.
Maximilians grandfather, Claus Riedel, rst explored the concept of
wine-friendly stemware, but it was his father, Georg Riedel, who developed
the marketing concept that different wines smell and taste at their optimum
in specially designed glasses and that only Riedel designed and sold
those glasses. While mouth-blown stemware was certainly expensive, the
argument went, why buy a pricey, outstanding wine if you couldnt fully
appreciate its smells and tastes using traditional, wine-dumb glass?
Clear thinker continued
Above Riedels
reputation as innovators
at the top end of the
crystal market is
epitomised by its O
line of wine glasses,
featuring bowls with
at bottoms and no
stems. They were
designed by Maximilian
Riedel himself.
77
MAXIMI LIAN RI EDEL
You have to understand that the business we are focusing on used to be for
nerds, Maximilian says without the least hint of condescension.
The current wine industry was built on these fanatics who were always
dreaming about wine. A fortunate meeting in the early 1980s between
Georg Riedel and the Italian ne-wine marketing pioneer, Angelo Gaja, was
the catalyst that launched Riedels success over competitors who made
stemware that, while beautiful, was not truly functional.
Angelo was the man who took my fathers hand and said, Ill take you to
America. He introduced him to Robert Mondavi, Robert Parker, Marvin Shanken
of the Wine Spectator, Maximilian recalls. My father grew up with these
icons, and they were the keystones that helped us introduce the philosophy of
wine-friendly stemware to the wine nerds. Maximilian himself has cultivated
his own generation of wine icons, relating the story of picking grapes in
1997 with young Edouard Moueix at his familys estates in St-Emilion, along
with the visiting actor, Gene Hackman. Those were the hardest two weeks
of my life, he remembers.
In Riedel language, stemware may be wine friendly or varietal specic.
Wine-friendly glasses have large bowls with tapered rims that can bring
out the aromas and tastes of most wines a very large market. Where the
company struck gold was with varietal-specic glasses designed for a single
grape variety or blend, even a specic variety from a specic region. Using both
art and the science of aromas, Riedel has created dozens of varietal-specic
glasses, often under the sponsorship of regional producers associations.
Simply put, a Pinot Noir grown in Oregon will taste better in a glass designed
for it than it will in a glass designed for a red Bordeaux or even a red
Burgundy and vice versa.
Those people who may think the Riedel approach is all marketing-driven
smoke and mirrors or blown glass have only to attend a Riedel seminar,
a set piece that is the companys bread-and-butter interface with consumers
and winemaker groups. Using only four differently shaped glasses and an
equal number of different wines, Maximilian or Georg are both masters at
mesmerising groups of 100 or more wine drinkers, often sceptical ones,
assembled in classroom seating, asking them to rst pour this wine into this
glass, savor it, then transfer it into a differently shaped glass, then try another
wine until there is no other conclusion than to accept that the lip of a
glass will inuence the aroma of Chardonnay or that the height of a bowl will
affect where a Riesling will splash onto the palate and thus emphasise either
the wines fruitiness or its minerality.
We have 10 brand ambassadors in the US who conduct tastings, in
addition to myself, says Maximilian, who tells me he has just yesterday
returned from a tour of Ireland and England, where he conducted tastings for
750 people. We directly reached 10,000 consumers last year, he says proudly.
The younger Riedel has taken the base built by his father and advanced it
much farther both into marketing strategies (I love it its probably one of my
biggest strengths) and with product design. He led the company in moving
beyond the Riedel brand of mouth-blown crystal by purchasing Spiegelau and
Nachtmann, two companies specialising in machine-made crystal, to broaden
Riedels reach into more-affordable product lines.
Another key factor in our growth was to do business with mass
merchandisers and go away from being strictly bricks and mortar, he says.
And the brand is strong enough to do business from T & T from Tiffany, my
oldest customer, to Target, the rst appealing to the carriage trade and the
second to bargain-hunters. We are also a private label company, Maximilian
continues, and make products for such brands as Waterford, Lalique and
Baccarat. Even more daring is Riedels recent foray into industrial applications,
including headlights for cars and trucks, and its exploration of using, perhaps
even licensing, the Riedel brand for household items beyond tableware.
WHERE THE COMPANY STRUCK GOLD WAS WITH
VARIETAL-SPECIFIC GLASSES DESIGNED FOR A SINGLE
GRAPE VARIETY OR BLEND, EVEN A SPECIFIC VARIETY
FROM A SPECIFIC REGION.
Maximilian has also expanded the companys product lines as a designer, his
rst effort being the hugely popular and quite controversial O line of wine
glasses bowls with at bottoms and no stems. He has also garnered many
competitive art-design awards with his intricate and beautiful decanters, such
as his cobra-like Eve.
Our factory in Austria is open to the public, he explains, and people
often ask, Where are the designers ofces? There arent any. All the designs
come from the family, a venerable artisan practice that still holds sway
in spite of the current size of the enterprise about half a billion dollars in
annual sales, according to the Riedels. That being said, Maximilian is very
proud of recent design programmes he has instituted with two American
schools Parsons New School and Pratt and an upcoming one in Japan to
develop products for the Nachtmann lifestyle brand.
Maximilians mother, Eva, is also an active designer and heads the
companys factory retail business, while his sister Laetizia, an attorney,
consults for Riedel.
Although his primary home is in New York City, Maximilian calculates that
he spends three-quarters of his time on the road. Although he ofcially heads
the US and Canadian businesses, responsibilities in family businesses are often
blurred, which means he may also be spending time tending the companys
growing presence in China, where the popularity of wine is booming.
Which leads me to ask how he stays so lean and t with all that wine and
food. He immediately jumps from his chair and opens his jacket, bright green
tie (perhaps a souvenir of Ireland) dangling. I have a good tailor,he announces,
showing the t. Since I have hand-made products, I like to wear one. He goes
on to say that a gluten-free diet no our products allowed him to reduce
weight and that he does specially designed calisthenics each morning.
And theres driving, he says. People dont realise it, but driving a car on a
track can be a wonderful physical activity.
Vienna-born, Maximilian says his love of sporting cars derives from
being raised in Europe, where he avidly followed Formula One racing.
Gradually, he took to racing and collecting sporting automobiles, constantly
selling older ones and buying newer models and using them in his daily
driving. My Bentley GT Speed gives me the comfort I need for the New York
roads, Riedel says.
Today, he is a top club driver who spends all the time he can at
prominent raceways in the US, Europe, even Japan. He rattles off a list of
racing venues, including the ring courses of Europe and ice-racing
congurations in Sweden. Of course, Im racing the track, Maximilian says,
not against other drivers. Even that may change. He says he is thinking
about getting his professional certication.
Five of his cars are in Europe, where he has a climate-controlled
facility and a designated caretaker, and the other four are in the US.
Actually, I keep them in a public parking facility, under covers, he laughs.
That costs me a lot of tips.
Although he owns and drives various brands of automobiles, he says his
particular love of Bentley comes from a lot of little things (that sound of the
engine, the smell of the leather) and big things like 4-wheel drive (nothing
beats a four-wheel drive in the Tyrol) and customer service. I run a large
company with a ne brand image, so I understand the importance of customer
service, he says. There is no better customer service out there than Bentley.
Bentley has luxury and performance coming together.
Maximilian then says he is planning to buy a new Bentley GT shortly.
In fact, he says, Im thinking of going to the factory to pick it up.
American-based writer Roger Morris most recent volume is The Brandywine
Book of Food.
Clear thinker continued
Above Riedel seminars
introduce wine lovers to
the benets of tting
the right glass to the
right wine. Both
Maximilian and Georg
Riedel conduct them in
person, converting
sceptics through the
convincing evidence of
taste and bouquet.
78
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80
THE WORLD OF BENTLEY
The people, parties and places where Bentley makes the news.
The prestigious Mondial de lAutomobile held in Paris in September was
the stage for the rst ofcial public debut of Bentleys new Continental GT.
Since its predecessors Paris debut in 2002 more than 46,000 Continentals
(of which nearly half have been the GT coup) have been built at the
Crewe factory in Cheshire, England.
The new Continental GT unveiled in Paris by Bentley chairman
Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen takes its design inspiration from the original GT,
which in turn was inspired by the 1950s R-Type Continental. The dramatic
new appearance of the GT stems from the sculptured new body, bolder
and more athletic than ever before.
With the W12 engine now producing even more power (575PS/567bhp/
423kW) and torque (700Nm/516lbft) as well as even sharper acceleration
times throughout the range, Bentley is condent that the practicality,
usability and performance of this model will make the new Continental
GT another icon.
NEW CONTINENTAL GT MAKES WORLD DEBUT AT
PARIS MOTOR SHOW
PERFECTLY STAGED
81
BENTLEY WORLD
A WEEK TO REMEMBER
Pebble Beach, held every August in Californias Monterey Peninsula, is a unique celebration of thoroughbred
automobiles past and present. Its a ve-day festival that concludes with some of the worlds most iconic vehicles
battling for honours in the Concours dElegance and Bentleys North American retailer representatives and
their guests threw themselves into the round of action, parties and spectacle with wholehearted enthusiasm.
On the evening of Wednesday, August 11th, some 3,000 guests, including many Bentley owners, visited
MotorWorks at the Jet Center. This event, brainchild of Gordon McCall, celebrated its 19th year with the usual
high-octane blend of business jets, historic military aircraft, exceptional vehicles and a carefully selected guest list.
Breitling watches and the latest Bentley models were also on hand.
On Saturday, the Bentley Drive provided an opportunity for guests to explore the countryside in some of the
latest models, including the Mulsanne and Continental Supersports Convertible. Later that day, The Bentley
Signature Party, held at the exclusive Beach Club at Pebble Beach, was one of the social highlights of Pebble Beach,
with its high-spirited mix of live music, dancing, ne food and generous hospitality.
During September and October 2010, Bentley Motors
launched a Heritage Tour across North America,
featuring rare Bentley and Rolls-Royce parts from the
UK. Designed to ensure that US enthusiasts of both
Bentley and Crewe-built Rolls-Royce cars (19552002)
could purchase specialist, hard-to-nd parts and
accessories direct from Bentley Motors, the six-state,
8,000-mile Heritage Roadshow called at nine
participating Bentley retailers. The 1,000-strong
consignment of parts and accessories included
everything from heavyweight items like complete V8
engine blocks right through to pristine owner manuals
which were offered in original, branded wrapping.
Between August and October 2010, Bentley retailers
across North America offered customers their rst
opportunity to experience the Bentley Mulsanne.
From the canyon roads of Spring Mountain Ranch Park,
Nevada to Alligator Alley in the Everglades of Florida,
the Mulsanne made a big impression on discerning
Bentley enthusiasts and owners. Along the way
Bentley had an opportunity to highlight the pinnacle
of British motoring in metropolitan areas, including
Los Angeles, New York City and Washington DC.
Above: the Mulsanne passes the Washington Monument
in Washington DC.
CLASSICS OLD AND NEW CELEBRATED AT PEBBLE BEACH
MAINTAINING THE
HERITAGE
MULSANNES GRAND TOUR
82
THE WORLD OF BENTLEY
The performance-focused Continental Supersports, the most powerful Bentley road car ever
produced, stood proudly next to some of Greeces biggest and most prestigious yachts.
The occasion was this years Exclusive Yachting, a spectacular annual show of luxurious
yachts that took place in Athens from 16th to 20th September, 2010. Bentley Athens were
present at the show as guests of afnity partners Atalanta Marine, market leaders in the
areas of management, sales and chartering of crewed yachts in Greece. And while yachts
were, naturally, the main theme of the show, it seems the Supersports performed equally
well in attracting the visitors interest. After all, what can be better than driving to ones
new mega yacht in a Supersports Bentley?
Readers of Bentley magazine (issue 32) may recall
thatBentley designers contributed personal artworks to
aunique charity auction, held in aid of The Christie
cancer centre in Manchester. The auction raised 75,000
which has helped fund an en-suite patient room in
The Christies new patient treatment centre. The centre
is home to the largest early clinical trials unit in the
world, the biggest chemotherapy facility in the UK and
a private patients suite to boost NHS income. Supporters
toured the new centre on Monday November 8th, 2010.
On September 2nd, 2010, Bentley Vienna held a special
Summer Nights Dream Champagne reception for their
customers. The beautiful villa Calypso, in one of Viennas
nest districts, proved the perfect location for this event.
Guests were enchanted by the stylish villa and by the
range of Bentley models on show, including Bentleys
agship, the Mulsanne. Culinary delights and a live big
band kept guests dancing until the early hours, after
which non-drivers were offered a special one for the road
local nightcap or uchtachterl.
The fast-living Bentley Boys with their spirit of daring helped to establish
Bentley as much more than just a car company. Fast forward 90 years and
the Bentley spirit was rekindled at the Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit in Abu
Dhabi, as Bentley offered its Middle East customers and guests a taste of
luxury travel by road, sea and air. As a reminder of the companys roots,
a surprise guest from 1929, the Bentley 4
1
/2 litre Blower also made an
appearance. Guests were invited to take the Continental Supersports
and the Continental Flying Spur Speed around the Formula 1 track at
Yas Island, as well as enjoying a ride in the 80-year-old Bentley Blower.
They were then treated to a helicopter ride over the island to experience
a different perspective of the circuit. To round off the day, guests toured
the neighbouring waters in style on a Benetti 85 yacht.
SUMMER NIGHTS
DREAM IN VIENNA
THE CRAFT OF SPEED
SPIRITED EXPERIENCE
SUPERSPORTS STARS AT ATHENS EXCLUSIVE YACHTING SHOW
BENTLEY BOYS ETHOS IN ALL-ACTION DAY
BENTLEY DESIGNERS
RAISE 75,000
83
BENTLEY WORLD
The success of Bentley as a luxury brand in China continues apace, as Bentley China celebrated the opening of its 11th
showroom, Bentley Tianjin, on October 28th. At the dealership opening event Bentley showcased the Continental
Supersports Convertible, Continental Flying Spur and Continental Flying Spur Speed China, a special model made for
Chinese customers. Guests included Mr. Andrew Smale, Regional Franchise Development Manager, Mr Bill Cheng,
Director and General Manager of Bentley China, and Mr Raymond Leung, General Manager of Bentley Tianjin.
MULSANNE MAKES
AN IMPRESSION
VIP guests of Bentley China had their
chance to experience the unparalleled
level of luxury offered by the Bentley
Mulsanne during a series of ride events
held in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing,
Chengdu and Guangzhou starting from
September 2010. Professional test drivers
were on hand to demonstrate the unique
fusion of power, renement and elegance
of Bentleys modern agship, and the
guests of Bentley Chinas dealer network
were all deeply impressed by the pinnacle
of Bentley grand touring.
SUPERSPORTS TOURS CHINA
Following the debut of the Continental
Supersports in Guangzhou Motor Show
last year, Bentley China arranged a series
of VIP events for its extreme Bentley.
Launched progressively throughout Bentley
Chinas dealer network from September
onwards, guests were able to take a closer
look at the fastest, most powerful model
in the Bentley family. Following the tour,
Bentley dealers in China report that guests
and customers cant wait to get behind
the wheel of the 621bhp Bentley supercar.
Bentley Baku was one of the ofcial partners for
the Baku Jazz Festival, which was held from 16th
to 30th October, 2010. World-famous musicians,
performers and groups such as Al Di Meola,
Shakatak, Matt Bianco, Keiko Matsui, Isfar
Sarabski, Omar, Dianne Reeves and Jazzamor
were among those performing at the festival.
Performers were transported by Bentleys, which
were kindly provided by Bentley Baku, and a
Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed drew many
admiring glances when on display at the festival
venue. The event received extensive coverage in
local and international media.
With favourable if challenging winds prevailing,
ve of the worlds best skippers competed against
each other to win the Bentley Geneva Match Race,
with Bertrand Pac proving the eventual winner.
Switzerlands most prestigious regatta was hosted
by the Cercle de la Voile and was sponsored by
Bentleys local dealer Andr Chevalley, from
Friday 22nd October to Sunday 24th October.
Bentley Geneva, too, showed ying colours during
the regatta weekend. At an exclusive soire held
at the Societ Nautique de Genve the all-new
Continental GT celebrated its Swiss debut, admired
by 350 VIP guests.
JAMMING IN BAKU
BENTLEY BAKU AT JAZZ FESTIVAL
MASTER SKIPPERS
EXCEL IN GENEVA
BENTLEY TIANJIN OPENS FOR BUSINESS
84
THE WORLD OF BENTLEY
Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, Bentleys Member of the Board for Engineering, donned the companys famous race overalls
to underline the extreme performance credentials of the Continental Supersports at this years Cholmondeley
Pageant of Power, which took place on 17th and 18th July, 2010.
The Supersports and Dr Eichhorn provided plenty of high drama including the airborne moment pictured
as they flew round the challenging 1.2-mile circuit. Dr Eichhorn recorded a blisteringly quick time of just 67.09
seconds, beating many specialist racing cars no mean feat for a production road car featuring luxuries such as
a Naim for Bentley audio system. Having set the fourth fastest time overall, the Supersports was driven back to
Bentleys Crewe headquarters (much more sedately) after the event perfectly highlighting this Continentals
ability to combine exhilarating performance with comfort and renement.
The third edition of the Lugano Bentley Cup (Coppa
Bentley Lugano Loris Kessel) took place on 16th
October, attracting almost 90 participants despite the
forecast bad weather. The tournament, organised in
collaboration with the Golf Club of Lugano, was played
to the Stableford rules and conrmed its standing as
one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the
region. Maurizio Perugini was the overall winner, with
class wins for Giovanni Mastroddi, Jorgen Johansson
and Tommaso Petrini.
On September 23rd, the Industrieclub Potsdam hosted
a special evening in collaboration with Bentley Berlin at
Villa Arnim, the clubs wonderfully restored villa in the
heart of Potsdam. Bentleys Design Director, Dirk van
Braeckel was the guest speaker, outlining the design
DNA of Bentley throughout its history. His presentation
inspired many questions from the oor, after which
guests mingled for many hours on this beautiful
late-summers evening around the Mulsanne and
Supersports displayed in the villas courtyard.
THE FLYING DOCTOR
TEE TIME IN LUGANO
DESIGNED TO FASCINATE
SUPERSPORTS BEATS TRACK CARS AT PAGEANT OF SPEED
105011 B36 Marbella Club P85 23/11/10 16:00 Page 85
c o n t e m p o r a r y t a i l o r i n g m a d e t o m e a s u r e o r r e a d y t o w e a r
t e r e nc e t r ou t
L O N D O N
5 G R O S V E N O R S T R E E T M A Y F A I R L O N D O N W 1 K 4 D J T E L E P H O N E : 0 2 0 7 4 9 5 3 1 7 7
W W W. T E R E N C E T R O U T . C O M
105005 B35 TT Ad P62 18/8/10 14:51 Page 62
87
Acknowledgments: Issue 36
Winter 2010
Although there are too many to name
individually, our sincerest thanks and
appreciation go to all who have
contributed in Bentley magazine.
To our readers, we hope that you will
enjoy this issue of Bentley magazine.
We have listed below the contact
details for products and services
mentioned within this issue.
Front cover
Photographer: Dominic Fraser
Location: Oman
Car: The New Bentley Continental GT
Exterior paint: Moonbeam
Interior Hide: Hotspur (with Linen
contrast stitching)
Veneer: Burr Walnut
Direct Mailer
www.nmwcolony.org
Trou contentment
www.beachcomber-hotels.com
A sense of delight
www.sixsenses.com
Delights in store
www.themountstreetdeli.co.uk
Close-knit community
www.heritage-cashmere.co.uk
On course for the Loire
www.lesbordes.com
Clear thinker
www.riedel.com
Road companions
www.shanghaitang.com
www.lovetravelguides.com
www.assouline.com
Acknowledgments
Zanny Gilchrist, Sima Bibi, Nick Swallow,
Lisa Grainger, James Kaye, Mark Vickery,
Norman Vickery, Lawrence Schiller,
Roger Morris, Susan Churchill.
Competition Prize Winner
Congratulations to Mr Niels Ole
Vesterager from Kropp, Germany, who is
the winner of our Bentley 34 prize draw
Grand Bahama getaway, winning a
4-night stay at Nandana Private resort,
Grand Bahama. In this issue readers will
nd details on how to win a 5-night stay
at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam.
Good luck!
Copyright: Bentley Motors Limited
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure
that the data in this publication is accurate,
neither the publisher nor Bentley Motors
Limited nor any of its subsidiary or afliated
companies can accept, and hereby disclaim,
any liability to any party to loss or damage
caused by errors or omissions resulting
from negligence, accident or any other
cause. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in
any retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without prior
written permission of the publisher.
All material has been published in good
faith as having been supplied for
publication. Information correct at time
of going to press. Views expressed are
not necessarily those of the publisher
or Bentley Motors Limited.
Every effort has been made to trace the
copyright holders of material used in this
publication. If any copyright holder has
been overlooked, we should be pleased to
make any necessary arrangements.
Bentley Motors Limited does not ofcially
endorse any advertising material or editorials
for third party products included within
this publication. Care is taken to ensure
advertisers follow advertising codes of
practice and are of good standing, but neither
the publisher nor Bentley Motors Limited can
be held responsible for any errors.
The names Bentley, Arnage, Azure,
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OVERSEAS OFFICES
The Americas Bentley Motors Inc, 3 Copley Place,
Suite 3701, Boston, MA 02116, USA.
Tel: +1 617 488 8500 Fax: +1 617 488 8550
Europe Bentley Motors Limited, Unter den Linden 21,
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Tel: +49 30 2092 1500 Fax: +49 30 2092 1505
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Crowne Plaza Ofces, Sheikh Zayed Road,
PO Box 62425, Dubai, UAE.
Tel: +971 43 32 55 14 Fax: +971 43 29 10 98
Japan Bentley Motors Japan, 1-12-32 Akasaka
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6031 Japan.
China Bentley Motors China, Volkswagen (China)
Investment Company Limited, Volkswagen Group Centre,
Building 2, No. 3A, Xi Liu Jie, Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100027, PRC.
Australia Bentley Motors Australia, The Lakes Business Park
6 Lord Street, Botany NSW 2019, PO Box 2316
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012.
Korea Bentley Motors Korea, 3F, Shinyoung Bldg.,
68-5 Cheongdam-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, Korea 135-100
Republic of Korea.
EDITORIAL TEAM
James Pillar: Director of Marketing Communications
Julia Marozzi: Editor
Irene Mateides: FMS Publishing
WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Nick Foulkes, Julia Marozzi, Nick Swallow, John Francis,
Jonathan Bell, James Falkingham, Tim Yeo, Roger Morris,
Avis Cardella
Sub Editor: Nick Swallow
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATION
Dominic Fraser, Norman Mailer Center 2010, David Banks,
Six Senses Resorts and Spas, Riedel Crystal, MBDS,
normanvickery.com
FMS PUBLISHING
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One of my most prized possessions is a
vintage travel journal given to me over 20
years ago by a dear friend. On its dusky blue
leather cover are the words My Trip Abroad
embossed in faded gold letters. Inside,
in addition to the 100 or so lined journal
pages, now yellowed, the wallet-sized tome
offers information about everything from
how to use a watch as a compass to
understanding characteristics of lighthouse
lights and how to read buoys. Theres even an
illustration of a proper shufeboard game
and instructions for play. Obviously, my lovely
travel journal was written during the golden
age of the ocean liner.
As much as I adore this artefact, it has
never strayed far from my bookshelf. It is
delightful in its eccentricity and rarity,
but in terms of its functioning as a
modern girls travel companion, well, it is
undeniably dated.
Times have changed and so has travel.
Im more likely to nd myself on a weekend
ight to Barcelona to indulge in a molecular
cooking class than contemplating buoy
markers off the starboard deck. Consequently,
todays guidebooks reect travellers diverse
tastes, and are fascinating for both the
information thats contained within their
covers as well as the way this information
can be read: its not unusual to nd many
of todays guide books available as
downloadable apps.
Ive sifted through the offerings to cull
a few guides that are worth taking along
on your next trip, whether it be across an
ocean or just around the block!
1. DESIGNER
Louis Vuitton City Guides, launched back in
1998, have been a success from the start.
Maybe its the neat luggage brown box they
come snugly encased in, or the fact that
travel is in the brands DNA. My bet is that
the pithy and irtatious writing, as well as
the guides dedication to seeking off-the-
beaten-track treats, is the main draw. For 2011
look for the LV City Guides to include seven
new European destinations. In addition, LV
has just launched Soundwalk, a collection of
audio guides to accompany travellers
through cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and
Hong Kong.
Speaking of Shanghai, luxury label
Shanghai Tang and the acclaimed Luxe City
Guides have teamed up to celebrate the Year
of the Tiger (2011) with a limited edition
White Tiger Chest. Tooled from maple and
ebony veneer and lined in sumptuous
kumquat silk satin, this elaborate and
elegant box houses 30 fabulous Luxe City
Guides. Only 70 of these boxes are being
produced, which might make them as rare
as... a white tiger.
2. PERSONALISED
The intimacy and authenticity of a
handcrafted guidebook is what youll get
with Fiona Caulelds Love Travel Guides.
Cauleld bills her guides to Delhi, Mumbai,
Bangaluru, Jaipur Rajasthan and most
recently Goa, as handbooks for the luxury
vagabond. Indeed, there is something
luxurious about the books that both read,
and look (hand-loomed khadi covers,
graphics by local crafts workers), like
something a friend may have created with
only you in mind.
Likewise, if keeping your own travel
notes sounds appealing, Smythsons leather-
bound travel journals may do the trick.
They are available in a variety of colours, and
can be embossed with whatever phrase, or
destination, your heart desires.
3. SPECIALTY
Wallpaper City Guides (published by
Phaidon) bill themselves as tightly edited
and discreetly packaged guides for design
conscious travellers.
If that design consciousness runs
towards fashion, for example, Wallpaper
offers a boxed set featuring guides to the
worlds fashion capitals. Same for those who
might be interested in art fairs. And since
we all know that the world of design spins
on a dime, the Wallpaper guides are now
available for iphone and ipod touch, which
leaves you up-to-the-minute informed.
For those who like to take their travel tips
from the top chefs of the world, The Luxury
Collection (published by Assouline) has
launched a series of guides covering Italy,
Argentina, India, Spain, Greece and the US.
Each book features personal commentary
from star chefs illustrious names such as
Mario Batali and Jos Andrs in each region.
The six guides come in a nifty box with
vintage travel-style illustrations.
TRAVEL GUIDES THAT GO THE DISTANCE
Road companions
the last word
by Avis Cardella
88
1
2 3
Beyond Luxury
Caribbean, Villas & Mexico The Americas (Canada, North & South America) Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf & Middle East Africa Europe & North Africa Asia & Australasia Luxury Ski Luxury Cruise Space
Elegant Resorts specialises in luxury tailor-made holidays around the world for the most discerning of travellers.
Like you, we dont compromise our standards. Like you, we expect the best.
www.elegantresorts.co.uk
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