What's all this about?
Tweed is a material that, in our minds, is so entrenched with the upper classes that it's a wonder Bentley, of all car companies, hasn't done this before. But here we go: from now on, the British luxury marque will off you four different types of tweed finishes for your interior of any of the Continental GT, Flying Spur or Bentayga models, as part of the Mulliner Personal Commissioning Guide.
Tweed? What, for the seats?!
No, the door cards, most specifically, and these four finishes have been designed to showcase the epic quality that goes into each and every Bentley cabin. Cheltenham is the first option, a mix of countryside greens that has a traditional flavour, while Glen Plaid-Tolsta Beach is named after an expanse of sand on the Outer Hebrides and features a bolder check pattern for those that are up for it. The final two are Charcoal and then Sand Herringbone, respectively designed to complement darker and lighter passenger-compartment colourways and said to be more 'contemporary' in their appearance.
Is there a rationale for why Bentley has introduced tweed now?
Yes, it's to do with sustainability and environmental responsibility. While Bentley has certain standards to uphold in terms of the opulence of its cars' cabins, at the same time it recognises that finest walnut trim with the wood sourced from overseas and full leather interiors trimmed with the hides of many cows are perhaps neither the most ecological nor ethical choices in the increasingly enlightened 21st century. Therefore, this tweed fits the bill perfectly, because as a tight-knit wool it looks suitably grandiose and yet it is a sustainable, ethical material. Better still, it is sourced from Lovat Mill, in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick, and Lovat itself is a 'green' company. Fully 90 per cent of the electricity used at its 'dry' production facility comes from renewable sources and the factory is said to put out 'negligible' emissions, while its highly skilled workforce (in the main) all live locally, allowing them to walk to work and therefore help the company to limit its carbon footprint. This eco-focus from Bentley was already previewed by the EXP 100 EV concept of 2019, which used 5,000-year-old wood in its cabin construction, as well as leather made from a by-product of the wine-making industry. So tweed seems to be a completely logical step for the Crewe concern, which is making the move to more sustainable resources for car construction as part of its 'Beyond100' strategy.
Matt Robinson - 30 Nov 2020
