Bentley’s centenary celebrations continued this week at the prestigious Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance at Blenheim Palace, with a series of debuts and events.
The 1939 Bentley Corniche – once thought lost to time but recently completely restored from ruins by Bentley Mulliner – made its global debut on the first day of the event on Thursday September 5. The Corniche is a special Bentley – one of one, and the missing link in Bentley’s design DNA between the famous Bentley Embiricos of 1935 and the R-Type Continental of 1952 – cars which still inspire the modern-day Continental GT.
Also making its UK public debut was the EXP 100 GT – Bentley’s vision of the future in concept car form, looking forward 15 years to the Bentley of 2035. “Combining extraordinary technology, breathtaking sculptural design and a selection of sustainable materials”, the EXP 100 GT is an embodiment of the future of luxury mobility.
Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive Adrian Hallmark spent Saturday as part of a team of adjudicators judging more than 50 Bentleys from across history in the Salon Privé Bentley Masters. Bentley’s own EXP2 – the oldest Bentley in the world – featured alongside an array of pre- and post-war Bentleys. That evening the Bentley Drivers Club held a Gala Dinner in Blenheim Palace itself, hosting Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing, Chris Craft.
Today (Sunday) is the climax of the event, with the Bentley Drivers Club holding their Annual Rally on-site by special permission of the Salon Privé organisers.
More than 1,000 Bentleys will travel to Blenheim Palace from across the country, and in so doing will set a new World Record for the largest gathering of Bentleys in history. From the earliest 3-litre models to the very latest third-generation Continental GT Convertible, the gathering will be a stunning visual representation of the development of Bentley over the last century.
EXP 100 GT will then make its way across the South Lawn, where it will join the 1929 4½ litre Team Blower, the Corniche and nine other key Bentleys from across the last 100 years to form ‘The Magnificent Dozen’ – the final feature celebrating the brand’s centenary.
Throughout the event, a Bentley retailer stand is showcasing the very latest Bentley models, including the all-new Flying Spur, Bentayga Hybrid and new Continental GT V8. Other iconic cars travelling from the Crewe factory to appear on the North and South lawns include the #8 2003 Speed 8 that completed the 1-2 at Le Mans that year with its #7 sister car, W.O. Bentley’s own 8-Litre and the Pikes Peak Bentayga.
