"There Is Not a Single Identical Bentley in the World"…The World of Bespoke Design

Bentley Motors Korea Design Talk on the 16th

"There is not a single identical Bentley in the world. If safety permits, we will make anything customized for you."

Christian Schlick, Managing Director of Bentley Motors Korea, emphasized this at the 'Bentley Design Talk' event held on the 16th at Bentley Tower in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. What makes Bentley special as a high-end car brand lies in its bespoke (customized) production.

Bentley's bespoke division, 'Mulliner,' is the oldest organization in the automotive bespoke industry. Mulliner started as a company making saddles in 1599 and began producing carriages in the 1760s. With the advent of automobiles in the late 19th century, Mulliner started making car bodies. At that time, it was common in the British luxury car market to manufacture the engine and body separately.

Christian Schlick, Executive Director (left in the photo), and designer Eo Junhyuk are discussing Bentley's design heritage.
[Photo by Bentley Motors Korea]

Mulliner built the body for Bentley's S1 Continental Flying Spur and earned a reputation as a coachbuilder (a manufacturer producing customized vehicles based on another company's engine or chassis). Later, in 1959, Bentley acquired Mulliner, incorporating it as part of Bentley's organization.

Currently, when ordering a Bentley Mulliner model, the owner is directly involved in the design and production of the car. Bentley actively reflects the customer's preferences within the limits of safety. Customers can choose the color of the wheels, select special materials, or even engrave desired logos or images.

Through the samples revealed that day, various Mulliner projects reflecting buyers' tastes were showcased. A buyer from Dubai had the Dubai skyline logo engraved on the seats, and a Hollywood Collection customer chose retro colors popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

Bentley Korea Limited Edition [Photo by Bentley Motors Korea]

Bentley Korea Limited Edition Seat
[Photo by Bentley Motors Korea]

There is also a Mulliner project for Koreans. It is the Continental GT Korea Limited Edition, created in collaboration with Korean abstract artist Ha Tae-im. Produced as a limited edition of 10 units, this model features the signature color band design engraved throughout the vehicle, including the interior and door tread plates (the lower part of the car door floor).

Managing Director Schlick said, "Korean customers have high standards for luxury and excellent aesthetic sensibility. We prepared a limited edition for Koreans to showcase Bentley's unique sensibility," adding, "It seems delivery will be possible around next spring."

Bentley Korea Limited Edition Interior
Photo by Bentley Motors Korea

Meanwhile, Korean Bentley designer Oh Jun-hyuk also participated in the event. Oh, who played a leading role in the interior design of the 3rd generation Flying Spur, emphasized Bentley's design heritage, the harmony of performance, and luxurious design. Designer Oh said, "Bentley's approach from the product planning and development stage to creating the best high-end products is different from existing luxury brands," and added, "Please watch with interest how Bentley's consumer experience, satisfying all five senses?sight, touch, hearing, etc.?will be reflected in electric vehicles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.