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The private Bentley Motors
opened the doors of their Crewe, England, factory to give us an inside
look at how a truly custom and hand-made luxury automobile is produced.
From the stitching on the steering wheel and seats to the interior paneling, Bentley takes true care in ensuring that each and every detail found on their vehicles has been worked and inspected by their highly trained "family" of specialists and craftsmen and women.
Their day-today work on building Bentley vehicles is unlike any manufacturer.
While love and appreciation to detail in an automobile is often seen from the exterior first, today, we profile how the interior wood paneling inside all Bentley Motor vehicles is produced through a complicated process of materials sourcing and hand crafted design.
Let us enter the Bentley Factory "Wood Shop."
Located just over 30 miles south of Manchester, Crewe is not your typical destination stop over. For those who know the hard working, blue collar town, they will mention stories of industry . During the early part of the 20th century, Crewe was known as a major junction in the railway system as well as a also as a repair and fabrication point for Crewe Works. From the stitching on the steering wheel and seats to the interior paneling, Bentley takes true care in ensuring that each and every detail found on their vehicles has been worked and inspected by their highly trained "family" of specialists and craftsmen and women.
Their day-today work on building Bentley vehicles is unlike any manufacturer.
While love and appreciation to detail in an automobile is often seen from the exterior first, today, we profile how the interior wood paneling inside all Bentley Motor vehicles is produced through a complicated process of materials sourcing and hand crafted design.
Let us enter the Bentley Factory "Wood Shop."
Others will immediately bring to mind the history of Rolls Royce company and the engines and vehicles built within the town's borders throughout the 1900's and even the early portion of this century.
Today, the focus of industry and pride for Crewe, and the various communities surrounding it, resides on the west side of the town on Pyms Lane. Once the manufacturing point for Rolls Royce, today, it is the exclusive world-wide manufacturer of Bentley Motors vehicles.
The Bentley factory is of enormous importance and pride to Crewe and the surrounding neighborhoods. Locals recognize the historic and significant importance of the Bentley name, and while the laws in England may control many from pushing the limits on a Bentley, the town of Crewe is fine with it.
The locals do not need to be reminded as to what goes into a Bentley vehicle. More than likely they themselves work at the Pyms Lane factory or have a strong family connection to the many thousands of craftsmen and women, as well as engineers who help design, fabricate, manufacture, and deliver what many consider to be the most luxurious of automobiles to owners and drivers across the globe.
The citizens of Crewe understand why the average Bentley owner continues to return to the brand vehicle after vehicle.
What many outside of Crew may not recognize is exactly how hands on each and every build of a Bentley Motor vehicle is. You may not sense it on quick glance, but when you pay attention to the details inside of a Bentley automobile you will recognize the level of detail involved.
We were invited recently to explore the various aspects in the production of a Bentley when we visited the Pyms Lane factory. What we discovered was that each and every step in the production of a Bentley was touched by the hands of their craftsmen.
We talked to many of the fine craftsmen who have worked in the Bentley factory; some for more than four generations. They, like all employees before them, see their work at Bentley, not as a job, but as a craft.
While every department inside Bentley is equally important in building their motor vehicles, we focus in on the men and women working in the Bentley "Wood Shop where more than 30 individual wood panels are hand fabricated to complete an install inside a Bentley.
A craftsman in the Bentley Motors "Wood Shop" finishes off one of the many wood inlays found in the interior of a Bentley automobile.
As the old saying goes: "the client always comes first." Walk the floors of the Bentley Motors "Wood Shop" and you will understand why. Unlike most automakers, the wood interior and paneling in a Bentley Motors vehicle is hand-produced on site. The factory dedicates a full building to the hand-fabrication of their woods.
The "Wood Shop" at their Crewe factory is the clearest indicator in understanding how many man hours go into building their vehicle. The "Wood Shop" is at the heart of the Bentley interiors process. Each and every wood panel is cut and machined with the guiding hand of their craftsmen.
The inlays are not composites but true veneer finishes which are hand worked on the lathe until the craftsman deems it ready for installation.
Inside the walls of the "Wood Shop" craftsmen work on producing each and even panel and veneer inside the Bentley vehicle. While machines are lathes are on hand to assist, the process remains incredibly manual and time intensive.
Once the client has determines which of a handful of veneer options appeals to their needs, the process of fabrication begins. Veneer is selected and sourced from various sustainable forests across the globe. From there, make their way into a giant humidor that keeps the veneers at optimal temperature to be worked.
At each and every step, the veneer panels are closely inspected and checked to ensure that no corner has been cut and that no match line is found. It is with this close inspection that you begin to understand what luxury options truly are as well as understanding the work and dedication that every employee puts into the development of the Bentley interior.
Be it stitching or the hand work used in polishing the metal that builds the body, Bentley looks to ensure that no detail on their automobiles is left untouched.
In choosing the interior veneer, a Bentley buyer has more than a handful of options in woods.
One of many veneer options stored inside the Bentley Motor Wood Shop's temperature controlled humidor.
As mentioned, Bentley employs a giant humidor on site inside the Wood Shop to store and prepare their veneers for fabrication.
To ensure the very best wood veneers are used, Bentley sources their woods from across the globe and ships them to Spain for preparation under strict guidance by the automaker. The final product, shown above, delivers the veneer in stacks through quality control checks before their use in Bentley interior applications.
All the veneers used in modern Bentley Motors vehicles are sourced from sustainable forests.
At any given time, the Bentley Wood Shop humidor has more than six variations of veneer sourced from a
As the old saying goes: "the client always comes first." Walk the floors of the Bentley Motors "Wood Shop" and you will understand why. Unlike most automakers, the wood interior and paneling in a Bentley Motors vehicle is hand-produced on site. The factory dedicates a full building to the hand-fabrication of their woods.
The "Wood Shop" at their Crewe factory is the clearest indicator in understanding how many man hours go into building their vehicle. The "Wood Shop" is at the heart of the Bentley interiors process. Each and every wood panel is cut and machined with the guiding hand of their craftsmen.
The inlays are not composites but true veneer finishes which are hand worked on the lathe until the craftsman deems it ready for installation.
Inside the walls of the "Wood Shop" craftsmen work on producing each and even panel and veneer inside the Bentley vehicle. While machines are lathes are on hand to assist, the process remains incredibly manual and time intensive.
Once the client has determines which of a handful of veneer options appeals to their needs, the process of fabrication begins. Veneer is selected and sourced from various sustainable forests across the globe. From there, make their way into a giant humidor that keeps the veneers at optimal temperature to be worked.
At each and every step, the veneer panels are closely inspected and checked to ensure that no corner has been cut and that no match line is found. It is with this close inspection that you begin to understand what luxury options truly are as well as understanding the work and dedication that every employee puts into the development of the Bentley interior.
Be it stitching or the hand work used in polishing the metal that builds the body, Bentley looks to ensure that no detail on their automobiles is left untouched.
In choosing the interior veneer, a Bentley buyer has more than a handful of options in woods.
As mentioned, Bentley employs a giant humidor on site inside the Wood Shop to store and prepare their veneers for fabrication.
To ensure the very best wood veneers are used, Bentley sources their woods from across the globe and ships them to Spain for preparation under strict guidance by the automaker. The final product, shown above, delivers the veneer in stacks through quality control checks before their use in Bentley interior applications.
All the veneers used in modern Bentley Motors vehicles are sourced from sustainable forests.
At any given time, the Bentley Wood Shop humidor has more than six variations of veneer sourced from a
round the world. Walnut burr, Maple and Madrona arrive from North America, while Chestnut, Burr Oak, and Olive Ash arrive from European points.
Only the very best can be used in the interior of a Bentley, as demanded by their clients.
Only the very best can be used in the interior of a Bentley, as demanded by their clients.
Veneer matching ensure both the balance and placement of a Bentley's interior panels. As shown on the right, craftsmen work in preparing veneer for fabrication and placement on their wood block backing. The manual, detailed work in processing each veneer ensure that final product is well fit for inclusion in a new Bentley vehicle.
All of this work takes time of course. The number of hours needed to prepare just one set of wood paneling for a Bentley vehicle is well beyond the average manufacturing process. To many automakers, the labor and man hours necessary would make such fabrication cost prohibitive. In the case of Bentley, this attention to every detail is demanded and expected. The results clearly speak for themselves and set the automaker apart from other luxury brands. These and many other details are what compel Bentley buyers and owners to only accept the very best in detail and customization. |
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The panels above show the fine figuring which the Bentley veneers accentuate. It is a signature of the wood work found inside a Bentley Motors vehicle.
The door panels shown above in their finished pre-installed state, so how far the process goes in manufacturing Bentley Motors interior panels. Rather than leave the non-veneered end unfinished, Bentley ensure that the paneling is fully processed throughout.
As you can also see the veneer is formed over a full block of wood. No filler or composite is used on the backend of the panel. This is just another example of how Bentley refuses to cut a single corner in their production.
This is how corners are not cut in the Bentley Motors process.
Everything is considered in the process as expected by their owners and drivers.
The final result of the no-compromise approach to fabrication is clearly seen on the inside of the Bentley Motor vehicle.
The finished product, tailored and customized to the owner's personal specification is not only representation of their personal tastes but also of the work and labor involved in manufacturing JUST ONE aspect of a Bentley automobile.
The same pride and dedication to craftsmanship is found within all aspects of the Bentley production line: from the paint department, to the stitching on the steering wheel and leather seats, to the aggressive quality control checks.
Nothing is left untouched inside nor outside a Bentley Motors vehicle and this is why their drivers and owners keep returning to the luxury automaker.
Bentley drivers and owners expect an exceptional product and this is what they receive.
In our next installment:
We test drive the new Bentley Continental GT around the windy roads of West England and Wales.
Quite possibly the most fun we've had in an automobile this year...
Visit Bentley Motors at
www.bentleymotors.com
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