Bentley's Continental Flying Spur Speed (scroll down for more)
Dirk Van Braeckel has an enviable job. As Director of Styling and Concept Design at Bentley Motors, he's overseen the complete overhaul of one of the oldest and most esteemed brands in British motoring history. Enthusiasts have long since forgotten the initial jitters that followed the marque’s acquisition by the VW Group, thanks largely to a range of new cars that have consistently exceeded expectations.

Ever since the introduction of the Continental GT in 2003, Bentley’s sales have soared as the hefty coupé became the automotive equivalent of a Birkin bag, a style statement with a sense of scale and occasion. The GT was followed by a four-door equivalent in 2005, the Continental Flying Spur. Bentley have recently revised each model by introducing the ‘Speed’ variant, adding more power and enhanced styling. We spoke to Dirk about Bentley’s current place in the luxury market, and what the future might hold.

You've perhaps reached the ultimate manifestation of the Continental range with the new Speed models. What happens next?
I can't say much about the future, although we've now got over 110 people in the design department. Five years ago, we had eight. We're always busy shaping the future of the brand. What is the future of Bentley as a luxury brand?
I see Bentley as a unique combination of luxury and sportiness. It's this contradictory character that we play with. Our customers want performance - the proof is that we sell a lot more Speed models than standard ones. Customers really enjoy visiting the factory and specifying their cars. It tells us that you can't really pinpoint a Bentley customer.

Presumably you have a close relationship with your customers.
Yes, I'm lucky enough to call some of our customers my friends. I think we're one of the few brands that actually have customer relationships in the true sense. Some of the customers coming to Crewe are like children in a sweet shop. It's almost like building your own house, working with an architect. They see people enjoying their work in the factory and this gives the human touch to the Bentley brand.

Is their a limit on Bentley production?
It's around the 10,000 mark - the production limits of our site in Crewe (which hasn't grown since the 1940s). We do have a waiting list, which is a good position to be in.

Will it be possible to retain Bentley's sense of presence and scale in a down-sized future?
The presence of the cars comes from the design. Lightness comes from the intelligent choice of materials. A Bentley will always have to seat four in comfort with their luggage. That always makes for a big car.

What about introducing hybrid technology or a radical new style?
Our customers will be comfortable with new technology. When we created the GT we reinvented the Bentley brand. We are on an 8-year product cycle, so the second time around I don’t think it would be such a big step - customers love our cars, but they like continuity, they like evolution.

What about new global markets? How do they perceive such a British brand?
China and Russia are growing markets for us. It’s a different type of customer. They enjoy the brand but bring different cultural aspects and ways of enjoying the cars. We’re looking for the right balance between heritage and modern, contemporary, almost timeless design. It’s not easy to define. It’s all to do with feeling and execution.

How important is craft in these new markets?
If you step into a Bentley interior and see how everything is trimmed, you sense how well it is made. We manage to design the shapes in conjunction with the material, often spending up to a year refining a simple theme or form. Everything we do is done with typical Bentley understatement; subtlety is very important.

 

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