Styling Department at Crewe, 1988.

Twenty four years ago...

 

 

Some scenes and sketches from behind that old door at Crewe with the sign saying 'Knock and wait'.

 

 

Few people were admitted to their secretive Styling Department. The design work being carried out may not have seen the light of day for five to ten years, so security was vitally important.

Back then in the late eighties one of the biggest challenges was the doubled workload due to the re-establishment of Bentley as a separate marque - not just the 'badge engineering' as it had become. A road wheel that was quite satisfactory on a Rolls-Royce would not meet the more sporting criteria laid down for Bentley and both marques had their own distinctive interiors.

Unlike today, everything was designed In House.

 

 

Sketches for Bentley and Rolls-Royce air dams:

 

 

A one quarter scale clay mock up of possibly Project 90.

 

 

 

And a sketch of a Bentley concept that never was...

 

 

Bentley meets Aston Martin Bulldog, BMW 850 and Chrysler Daytona?

Very eighties - it could have been interesting.

 

(Posted by David Irvine)