People love leather goods because of the way the material naturally ages and wears with time; a well-used Birkin bag is way more chic than a brand new one that’s never been held without gloves on. While not every car’s leather interior ages very well, especially not stuff from the past few decades, a worn interior in a luxury car from the 1950’s and ’60s (or even further back) can be extremely fabulous. The best categories at Concours events are always the preservation classes these days, and people really desire that lived-in look.
To capture some of that vintage leather magic, Bentley is introducing a new “Heritage Leather” option that was developed by its Mulliner division following the creation of the Blower and Speed Six Continuation cars. The Heritage leather evokes the look and feel of leather from the 1930s, using similar manufacturing techniques, and it’s sustainable to boot. To show off the leather, Bentley created a one-off Continental GT to match one of the Speed Six cars with Bedford Grey paint and the Heritage leather in Ox Blood red.
Authentic colors
The leather is supplied by Scottish company Bridge of Weir, which has been making the stuff since 1905 and providing it to car companies for over a century. In the ’30s leather was treated with natural oils, varnishes, and waxes to get a glossy smooth finish, and Mulliner and its suppliers were able to replicate the higher sheen. Slight differences in color also make the leather seem patina’d. The continuation Speed Six has fluted seats with a simple embossed B logo on the door panels, but the Continental GT got “the full range of skills offered by Mulliner,” from special embroidering and quilting to precise diamond-shaped perforations and contrasting piping and stitching colors.
Bentley
In addition to the Ox Blood color, customers will also be able to get the Heritage leather in Parsons Napier Green. Bentley went to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu to look through original specification records of ’20s and ’30s cars and pick out the colors so they’d be authentic to the time period. If this option proves to be successful, I’m sure Bentley will introduce more colors.
It’s the thinking man’s choice
You can justify the Heritage leather’s surely high price to your spouse or accountant by telling them it’s the responsible, sustainable choice. Bridge of Weir has the lowest carbon leather because of its “responsible sourcing, 100% traceability and innovative circular manufacturing process,” the supplier claims, and Bentley has this to say about how its leather is developed:
Bentley Motors works closely with its suppliers to ensure that they adhere to rigorous environmental standards, including responsible water and energy use, waste management, and chemical control. The company’s craft teams treat this natural material with respect and the result of their work can be expected to last for decades, or perhaps even a century. As an upholstery material leather is sustainable, durable and above all beautiful – qualities it shares with every Bentley.
The company has one great final quote in the release that any other automaker — or luxury fashion house — would kill to use: “A Bentley’s upholstery doesn’t wear out; it wears in.”
Bentley
