iconic Bentley car on Mount Road, Chennai

There are traffic congestions and in cities the rich-poor divide is deep.  While hundreds wait patiently for Public transport, some drive in flashy cars and such luxury cars easily attract the attention – and there could be some comments too!   In the film ‘Ninaithaale Inikkum’ – Rajni would risk his finger for a bet on a Toyota car. Those days, the word ‘toyota car’ rhymed with those ultimate mean dreams of ambitious people.  After 1985 World Series Cup, it was Audi car – there are many exotic brands ..

The comment on road could be ‘while poor suffer, rich enjoy luxury !’ – and there could be talk about Ambanis / Adanis too – same comment would not surface about local politicians, cine stars and son on .. .. there are concepts of Communism and Socialism, sometimes used interchangeably referring essentially to the economic philosophy. 

Miles away, two  iconic brands are teaming up in what seems like an unusual partnership to offer the ultimate 'Texas' SUV.Bentley Dallas and Stetson have teamed up to build the Bentayga Stetson Special Edition. The first SUV was delivered recently to the Bentley dealership in Dallas in a White Sand exterior color, which matches the "Silverbelly" color Stetson hats made famous by U.S. Presidents, artists and musicians.

The motif of Bentley is very famous.  The metal motif is designed to retract in the event of an accident but a flaw was  found that in some models can cause the mechanism to fail.The fault  prompted the company, which was created in 1919, to recall 1,426 cars across the world including 298 in Britain.The recall involved the Arnage, Azure and Brooklands models which were built between Oct 2006 and Oct 2009, costing between £183,100 and £250,400. At that time, millionaire owners of the vehicles, including  Rio Ferdinand, the former England captain, and Mark Wahlberg, the Hollywood actor, were told to bring in their cars for a one hour repair.

Walter Owen Bentley, MBE (1888 – 1971) was an English engineer who designed engines for cars and aircraft, raced cars and motorcycles, and founded Bentley Motors Limited in Cricklewood near London.He was known as "W. O." without any need to add the word Bentley.  Before World War I, Walter Owen Bentley and his brother, Horace Millner Bentley, sold French DFP cars in Cricklewood, North London, but W.O, as Walter was known, always wanted to design and build his own cars.

I was excited to see this Bentley running on Mount road – it did catch the attraction of all around.  Bentley car prices in India,  startat Rs 3.21 Cr for the most inexpensive model in its lineup, the Flying Spur. The most expensive car in Bentley's lineup is the Mulsanne, priced at Rs. 5.55 Cr for its top variant. In total, Bentley has 4 models on sale in India. The Bentley Bentayga, Bentley Continental, Bentley Flying Spur are amongst the most popular cars in their respective segments.

Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London—and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 2003.Today most Bentleys are assembled at the company's Crewe factory, with a small number assembled at Volkswagen's Dresden factory, Germany, and with bodies for the Continental manufactured in Zwickau and for the Bentayga manufactured at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant. After some mergers, Intellectual property rights to both the name Rolls-Royce as well as the company's logo had been retained not by Rolls-Royce Motors, but by aerospace company, Rolls-Royce Plc, which had continued to license both to the automotive division.

Style, tradition and innovation come together in a spectacular blend of two icons. Bentley Dallas and Stetson are combining their powerful legacies to create a timeless vehicle for discerning clients. “The Bentayga’s rugged luxury is a tailor-made match for Stetson’s unsurpassed quality. The Bentayga Stetson Special Edition combines the best of old-world craftsmanship with American history to create a distinctive and memorable motoring experience.”The Bentayga Stetson Special Edition vehicles are exclusively offered by Bentley Dallas with the first car delivered this week to Texas, the heart of modern cowboy culture.

The first special edition vehicle is offered at $246,578.00 and is available now featuring white sand exterior with camel hide interior details. Bentley Dallas will have two additional cars arriving in Texas in October and November.Rich interior leather hides are chosen carefully and crafted with precision for each vehicle. The Bentayga Stetson Special Edition will offer interior colors of a camel main hide, saddle secondary hide, and burnt oak accents. The duotone steering wheel will feature a burnt oak center, a saddle-leather outer and chrome elements.Taking cues from cowboy boots and saddles, the Bentayga Stetson Special Edition will feature “boot stitching” throughout the vehicle to create a Bespoke Bentayga that embodies the style of the Stetson brand.

This year, Bentley Motors celebrates 100 years of automotive performance, reflecting on the inspiration of founder W.O. Bentley: “Build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class.”

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

20^th Sept. 2019.