Crewe, Cheshire.
Sirloin steak, a tenner, pork steaks, a tenner.
A Victorian railway town built on its transport links.
And home to Bentley Motors.
It is just totally unique within the automotive industry.
The company's been here for over 70 years,
during which, its luxury cars have evolved from these...
..into these.
It's the dog's bollocks.
But for this iconic brand, one thing hasn't changed.
All their cars are hand-built - in Britain.
It's just amazing, the amount of craftsmanship
that goes into creating a Bentley.
Everything is about luxury, uncompromising luxury.
I love to get hands-on with the wood.
Try and stop me sometime.
The people who have been through these doors,
from rap stars to royalty.
Now Bentley have taken on their biggest challenge to date.
The quest to create the perfect luxury off-road vehicle -
the Bentayga.
It is the most challenging car we've ever made.
Something that will push their skilled work force
to the absolute limit.
We have to ensure we achieve quality right first time, every time.
The options that they could have are endless.
Money generally, I can say, is no object.
Ah, that was definitely driver error.
Bentayga to me is fine, wild smoked salmon with some caviar.
I'm going to begin the tour talking to you about
a lovely man called Walter Owen Bentley.
Mr Bentley's dream was to build a fast car, a good car,
the best in its class.
Every new starter is given a guided tour of the factory by Nigel,
a Bentley veteran of 44 years' standing.
So, there you have it, the oldest surviving Bentley.
Many of our customers can buy many expensive products,
but the reason people buy Bentley today is not just because
it's a great product, it's because of the history.
Now, the factory wasn't built to build motor cars.
It was built in 1938 to build aircraft engines
for the Second World War.
ARCHIVE: In 1938, work began on the erection of
a large ultra-modern plant at Crewe.
For decades, the factory built Bentleys and Rolls-Royces,
until the two companies parted ways in the '90s.
Today, it remains home to some of the most expensive motors
money can buy.
And now I've told you about the history of Bentley,
now let's go into the present.
After you.
The new starters are joining a 4,000-strong workforce
that make cars the way they've always done -
by hand.
If you get into the car, this is a deeper experience of everything,
you celebrate the materials, you celebrate the smell,
the touch, the sound, everything.
Of course, you have all the hidden delights with Bentley.
You can... HE SNIFFS
You smell the leather, you have this wonderful carpet.
Wow.
This is nature.
This is what all our guys create and put together with love.
The special thing is we take care of every single detail.
Bentley built their reputation
on delivering high-end luxury to their customers.
Behind these closed doors are where
the most extravagant upgrades are created.
There are several levels of security and confidentiality within Bentley,
and we obviously sit at the very high level.
It's the 1% of the 1% that we cater to.
Here, in the Mulliner department, your wish is their command.
What are you working on here, Nathan?
I'm just modifying these wires to add the illuminated treadplates.
One big part of my job...
..fortunately or unfortunately, is the confidentiality aspect.
Without sounding like, you know, MI5 and CIA here,
it takes a lot to keep these details to yourself
because the details are very, very exciting.
If someone likes to enjoy their drink,
they could commission a drinks cabinet hidden away,
but when you want it, it's there.
Why shouldn't the juniors enjoy the luxury of a Bentley?
That is the level of intricate details that we can go to.
Cars are not just things that you drive in from one place to another,
cars can be far more than that.
So, we created the Mulsanne Grande Limousine.
This is a truly unique creation.
This is about creating your own personal bespoke object.
Money is no object.
Four years ago, the factory began a dramatic expansion
to accommodate Bentleys move into unfamiliar territory.
One that came with the seal of Government approval.
DAVID CAMERON: I think it's fantastic news for Crewe,
fantastic news for Britain,
that the Bentley SUV is going to be made here.
It means, obviously, hundreds of jobs here in Crewe,
but it also means around 1,000 jobs across the country
because of the impact of this decision.
We have a rather traditional portfolio so far,
and the big discussion was,
does it make sense to have a new family member?
Bentley plan to build the world's fastest,
most luxurious off-road vehicle.
CAR HORN PARPS
A four-wheel drive, £800-million gamble.
Is it even possible to do something like a SUV
in a typical Bentley design?
As you know, SUV is much taller, it's a different architecture,
so we had to do quite a lot of exploration.
I mean, the first rough drafts are always, kind of, way out there.
When you're doing these initial sketches,
it's about finding a spirit.
It has to be a Bentley at its core,
and if you can't recognise that immediately,
then I think, as a designer, you've failed.
This is the final design that was chosen.
So, all the elements that you see on the car on the street,
the power line, the haunch,
that come from the continental Type-R of the '50s, you know?
The same language, instantly recognisable. Iconic, almost.
I have two surface-change requests to discuss today
both relating to the head lamp bezel feature on the car.
Designers can't just draw a car, then have them made.
Don't you think it looks like it's pinching a bit round here?
During the creation of any new model,
the creatives must face off against logic...
Nice gap, nice gap, nice gap, nice gap,
and then it feathers down a bit.
..the engineers responsible for building it.
You might expect designers to be the emotional characters
in the design process, but it's not just designers -
the engineers can be quite fiery as well.
Obviously, it's got to look right, yeah?
It's got to not look strange,
but, if I can do it in one set of tools, that's what I'd like.
I'm sure it's cheaper, but it just looks more fake.
Every decision made here could cost the company millions
and delay delivery.
We want to give the ultimate in terms of the luxury and performance,
but at the same time, we're here to make a profit.
I want to see what the alternatives look like, cos at the moment,
we've got a strong target that we've got to achieve
and we're not just walking in extra tools.
I think everybody in engineering understands that,
at the end of the day, design is king.
Any more than this, it would cross the threshold between being,
kind of, a nice piece of jewellery to being too excessive.
We always come together in the end,
even if there may be a few disagreements along the way.
I absolutely know for certain that there's no other team
in the industry could deliver a car like you can deliver this Bentayga.
The new model's launch was marked with fireworks.
And the start of a recruitment drive,
which meant job opportunities for the locals.
I've been a housewife for about 15 years.
I like it in engine, cos it's a bit more technical,
it's a bit more interesting.
This is good work that's local to the area, you know?
My husband works here, I've got me brother works here,
and I'm sure there's a few cousins that I don't know.
Years ago, I heard that women are quite dextrous, so they like to give
us the fiddly bits and the blokes can do the mauling.
So, we're the brains and they're the brawn.
LAUGHTER
Nicely put!
How's that, then?
But without the customers willing to buy it,
the new Bentayga could be a very expensive mistake.
Cor, blimey, look at that.
Some of these wheels are just amazing.
Millionaire Bentley aficionado Charlie Mullins
is considering parting with £200,000.
When I was a plumber, I used to be coming to work, freezing cold
in the winter about six o'clock in the morning in a dirty old van,
and I'd see these people driving in in, like, a Bentley or Rolls-Royce,
and I used to say to all the guys in the van, you know,
"That'll be me one day, going to work in a Bentley."
Going to get it a lot more personalised this time.
I think you can get your monogram on the seats.
Libs, come and have a look at this motor.
That looks like a Rolls-Royce, doesn't it?
It's like a Rolls-Royce. Better than a Rolls-Royce.
My mum's partner's got one of these ones, but not this one.
Like, the one like yours. Your mum's partner's got one? Mm.
What's he, a plumber? No...
Is he? No, he's not a plumber.
That's incredible that, innit?
Bentley's luxury motors have had the Royal seal of approval for 62 years.
NEWS ARCHIVE: This is the Queen's favoured car for next week's journey
to St Paul's, state Bentley number one,
one of a pair especially built for the Golden Jubilee.
And while the likes of the Queen enjoy the more traditional models,
Bentley are venturing into pastures new.
It's taken years to bring the world's fastest off-roader, the Bentayga,
into production.
And in Mayfair, the oldest Bentley showroom in the world...
PHONE RINGS
Good morning, Jack Barclay Bentley, Louise speaking, how may I help you?
..is gearing up to welcome a new breed of customer.
It's a very special place to come and work.
You don't know who's going to walk through the door on a daily basis.
This is our most luxurious, fastest SUV on the market.
Have a sit in it. It is definitely... Superb, isn't it?
It has that wow factor.
That's the only thing I can actually say.
It's all about means and desire and actually, we have a very desirable
product which you need the means and every car,
fundamentally, will do the same job but actually, this will do it in a
unique way.
What do you think?
I can't put into words.
It is...
It by far exceeds my expectation.
How many would you like?
But it's difficult to tell who belongs to the planet's financial elite
and who just wants a picture to put up on Instagram.
There we go, one for the album.
People come in here to have their pictures taken all the time.
OK.
You might want to take it from the back, actually.
I'm thinking of becoming a professional photographer.
There you go, perfect.
Thank you. OK, no problem at all.
You can never tell who's going to buy a car or not.
We can give it our best guess but actually, you don't know who they are.
Customers who do part with their money get the full VIP treatment.
I don't want to scratch it.
When you're buying a brand-new Bentley, it can't just be,
"Here's your keys, goodbye."
We have to add the theatre to this whole experience.
Yay!
We've just put this cover on my customer's car ready for his collection in about an hours' time.
He doesn't know it's going to be in the showroom.
Wonderful.
We're going to unveil his new car. Do you ever say, "Ta-dah"?
Ta-dah?
Er, yes.
Yes, we do. Yep, yep, all the time.
In Crewe, it's Shaun's job to ensure that everything under the Bentayga
bonnet is showroom-ready.
Dan, how far are we off from engraving?
We've only just really started.
Have you? Eight/ten minutes?
Eight/ten minutes. It's the most technically-advanced W12 engine
within the world and it is the heartbeat of the car.
I mean, as W.O. Bentley would say, you know, a good car, a fast car,
best in its class.
This is where each car begins its life - with the creation of its engine.
We have 24 different stations and we produce an engine every 15 and a half minutes.
The engine takes five and a half hours to produce.
We work a nine and a quarter-hour day
and within that, we can produce 33 engines at 100%.
So, around about 150 engines per week.
We have to ensure that we achieve quality right first time, every time.
For almost a century, Bentley have only ever made petrol engines.
But the new Bentayga heralds a revolution.
I've built petrol engines all my life here, you know.
I'm nearly 60 and I'm sort of just starting to work on diesels in my
career, so.
What would you have said 40 years ago if somebody had said Bentley
would be making diesel cars?
I'd have probably laughed at them.
The engines here might all be hand-built, but new technology does get the occasional look in.
So, what we have here, we have automated AGVs to reduce the walking time for the operator because
his valuable time is doing work on the engine and that's where his skill is.
We don't want to pay him to walk,
we want to pay him to build the engine.
So these various sounds you can hear, each one means something different.
What's that one? I ain't got a clue.
I thought it was a fire alarm, I thought I was going to have to run.
Since the 1920s, Bentley built their reputation on making the fastest
engines in the world.
ARCHIVE: They have driven 1,777 miles at an average speed of 74mph,
a new world record.
The company invests millions in motorsport for a simple reason -
the more high profile races they win, the more cars they're likely to sell.
Our customers see Bentley as a performance brand as well as a
luxury brand.
The performance side we can best demonstrate on the track.
We have Lamborghini challenging us to compete against our rivals in the
showroom. That's what we really like doing, beating our rivals.
With Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini creating their own 4x4s to rival the
Bentayga, the pressure is on Bentley to convert the prestige of victory
into showroom sales.
COMMENTATOR: Welcome to the Circuit de Catalunya on a grey Sunday morning.
But with competition fierce and your race cars on the line,
it's a high-risk strategy, especially when it's pouring with rain.
It doesn't look very good, does it?
The track's quite damp and there's clouds everywhere.
So, we'll see. We could do with it drying out, really.
We're not going to go too well if it's wet.
I think we should try and go for slicks as soon as we can to set a
banker and like that we are safe.
The conditions are the same for everyone but in the wet,
we don't have the ideal set-up.
COMMENTATOR: I think these are almost the sacrificial lambs, if you
will, because the track will not be at its best.
Bentley's investment in their race team looks unlikely to pay off today.
It's certainly a murky morning here at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Oh, dear!
Oh!
Look at the bits of the car.
Absolutely outstanding performance from the Lamborghini crew.
What a great job they have done.
Motorsport is a lot of ups, a lot of downs.
Sometimes it's a dream, sometimes it's a nightmare.
Although Bentley did win the manufacturer's trophy in Barcelona,
the real battle is back in Cheshire.
Where is this place we're going to, Pete?
And how to make the brand appeal to a younger generation.
Driven by an electric hybrid motor,
this prototype needs 18 months of testing before it's ready.
It's our first step into the new world, if you like,
the new future of alternative power.
Today, Peter and Paul are taking it to their top-secret Cheshire testing
ground to see what it's made of.
The kind of customers that we have, the choices are a luxury holiday,
a painting, a yacht.
They don't have to choose one car.
Now we're getting interesting, Pete.
What's interesting, I mean, all the places we've been in the world,
what we've found is THE most challenging environment is a wet,
muddy field.
Whether it's towing a horsebox, whether it's going to a shoot,
whatever they may be doing, we've got to make sure the car can do it.
On standard road tyres, the electric Bentayga is on a slippery slope.
Fiver says it makes it.
How hard can it be?
Ah, I didn't give it enough!
Nah, that was definitely driver error.
I had it going. Over-confidence. Yeah.
It's not just the vehicle they're testing - Paul wants to prove he's a
better driver.
Heavy-footed, weren't you?
We weren't paid to cut the grass in this field.
You know that, don't you? I know!
The new Bentayga may be a rugged off-roader,
but its luxury leather interior still has to meet Bentley's exacting standards.
We had a couple of seats back yesterday with scratches on them,
so we've just got an investigation underway just to see where they're coming back at the moment.
Our goal is to produce the most luxurious sporting interior,
you know, that we can possibly make.
When our customer sits in a seat,
it needs to be a seat that not only looks fantastic,
it needs to be a seat that's comfortable.
When their hands are on the steering wheel, they need to be able to feel the leather,
they need to be able to smell the leather,
and just really have that wow factor that you would associate with the
inside of a Bentley.
I love leather.
This is cross-stitch and it's an optional extra and it's a
decorative feature.
Bentayga takes a long time because the seats are bigger,
there's more seats, the doors are longer.
There's a team of six and every car that's on the road today,
one of us has actually done that car and I'd like to touch it to see if
I've done it but obviously it's somebody's car and you can't go and
touch somebody's car, can you?
One thing that keeps the leather shop focused is the knowledge that
the seats they're making might be sat on by some very important bottoms.
We've had a few famous people round.
David Beckham. We actually made a car for David Beckham and his wife,
so it's quite nice to say, "I made a car for David Beckham."
I've seen Ian Wright walk around, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew,
Steven Gerrard, David Dickinson.
One of my favourite celebrities!
Who else have we had, Kate? Paddy McGuinness.
Paddy McGuinness, that was one of Kate's favourites.
When someone says there's a celebrity coming round now,
you just take it in your stride and you think,
"Oh," and just carry on with your job.
In total, the new model uses 65 square metres of leather and every
inch of it has to be perfect.
What are you sewing? Oh, right, OK.
It starts with the raw hide.
Approximately 13 hides go into each Bentley.
I was inspecting the leather, looking for scars, blemishes,
marking them up properly.
We do come across the odd one where it's got a few more scars than
normal but you'll get that.
You can't get a perfect cow.
If we did, we'd be out of a job.
What we recognise is that somebody's spending a lot of money for our cars
and we want to make sure that, you know, we give them what they pay for.
That's a very good cow.
Been looked after, that one has.
That's it, job done.
Ready for the next customer.
The new Bentayga brings new opportunities and local entrepreneur
Afzal Kahn recons he's spotted a gap in the market.
Craig, there's a mark here, mate.
Can you have a look at that? Of course.
And on the rear spoiler. It will be done.
Kahn's plan is to capitalise on the Bentayga by giving it an urban
makeover and sell it for a profit to his client base of celebrities.
Bentley's a company which I've kind of sort of followed their styling
for quite a while now. When they launched this Bentley Bentayga,
I wasn't a great fan of it.
I looked at it just as being a Bentley GT that's on stilts.
But the uglier they are the better it is for me,
because this is what we're good at, we're stylists.
We've created a front spoiler for it and that's a small enhancement which
makes a huge difference.
The styling that we've done on this car really is quite simple and
sophisticated. We haven't gone very heavy with it.
Just even changing the colour and getting rid of some of the heavy
chrome on the vehicle, that's a huge change but yet a simple change for
us and it transforms the way this car looks.
It's certainly different, yeah.
We've redesigned the interior trim.
The Bentley interior is more your traditional customer.
Ours is new money.
4x4s have become more of an everyday vehicle.
Bentley had to come out with a 4x4.
Rolls-Royce are doing exactly the same thing,
so you can see with the top-end car manufacturers,
this is the way forward for them.
Bentley Motors have moved into a brand-new market.
They've invested £800 million to make their new off-roader,
the Bentayga.
With footballers to financiers queuing up to buy it,
the top secret Mulliner department have created a range of bespoke
extras for those who love the outdoors.
This is about having a successful day at fly fishing.
Here we created the master tackle station,
where effectively you've got everything in terms of the kit
that you would need to go and do fly fishing from.
The Burr Walnut that we've used in the case itself is also matched to
the Burr Walnut in the car.
Every detail has been covered here.
The Bentayga picnic hamper set comprises of three unique boxes.
One is a champagne cooler unit.
Again, as I said, being manufactured here.
One is a cutlery and crockery hamper unit and then a stowage unit
which is Nick is working here.
They're quite heavy, quite sturdy,
and you can put them on the floor and actually use them as a seat...
..or try and stand on them and...
..watch an event from here.
This feature has been replicated...
I wouldn't go into a number, but almost shy of 100 units.
It's priced over £20,000.
The accessories are designed to cater for a new breed of outdoorsy
Bentley customers like the Chase farming dynasty,
who have just received a brand-new Bentayga to test drive.
What do you think? A Bentley on steroids.
Yeah. OK, let's go for a spin. Come on, dogs.
Oh, that's nice, isn't it?
This is something you can use as a special car and you can go and do
your farming in it as well if you want to.
You would not go and do your farming in this, that's for sure.
I definitely wasn't a Bentley fan two or three years ago.
With a lot of those super-luxurious cars,
whether it was a Rolls-Royce or a Maybach, you know,
you would very rarely want to drive those cars,
but definitely in that Bentayga, you'd want to get behind the wheel and drive it.
Bentleys used to be for the old boys in the blazers with the brass
buckles on them and off down to the golf course. Hello!
Shall we try it in sport? Are we in sport now?
Wow! That's good, isn't it?
It really does crack on.
Oh, forgot the dogs were in the back.
Sorry, everybody.
So, if a Range Rover with all the specs is a cote de bouef,
medium-rare with chips and an amazing salad
and a great glass of red wine,
what is the Bentayga?
The Bentayga to me is fine wild smoked salmon,
so pure you can see through it,
with some caviar and some Saint Aubin white.
Back in Crewe it's the factory wood shop that fashions the finest
ingredients that give the Bentayga its handmade feel.
The Bentayga facia and console set is probably the most complex
that we've had for some time.
We go from a convex to a concave to a convexed to a concaved area
and requires quite a lot of craftsmanship and skill.
It is amazing.
I don't think there's anywhere like it where you'd see old technology
meeting new technology, traditional skills.
In here at any one time,
there's round about £500,000 worth of veneer stock.
We've got about another £2 million of pre-selected veneer
that's ready to come in and replace this stock.
Not everyone is trusted with shaping and sanding the most expensive
wooden veneers available.
Apprenticeships last three years with the company and one of the
current crop of trainee carpenters is local lad Lewis.
I used to make bespoke furniture in Crewe, only around the corner.
But I've always wanted to work at Bentley,
so when I got an apprenticeship, I thought, "Yeah, get in there quick,"
and so I'm over the moon.
Happy as Larry.
This is the man Lewis must impress -
woodwork veteran of 30 years, Paul.
You're getting rid of all the glue bleed.
I'm a hard taskmaster.
Just got to get rid of those scratches now that are in there.
It's a good time to get hold of them, train them in the key skills,
see them develop as individuals.
So, it's about making them Bentley, what we expect.
I always say, "This is just the start of your career.
"You've got another 40 years ahead of you."
How we doing?
When the apprentices finally graduate onto the shop floor,
their boss will be John, Paul's older brother,
who is even more of a stickler for detail.
Everything OK? Yeah, yeah.
Quality all right? Yeah.
No, run-throughs? No, not yet.
Good stuff. Wood is a great passion of mine.
I never tire of seeing it and I never tire of the new challenges.
This is a Bentayga, a special request.
It's got mother of pearl inlayed into the veneer.
It is a one-off. You've got to have that love of wood and appreciation.
I love to get hands-on with the wood, try and stop me sometimes.
If I've got the time,
there's nothing I like more than going and getting on the bench,
sanding the wood or coming out to this end of the shop where I can
flat the wood.
Some people would probably accuse us of over-training,
but it's all about that depth of knowledge.
I'm here until I die now.
With the price of a new Bentayga starting at £135,000,
it's a car that's only affordable for those with a healthy bank account.
When I win the lottery,
I'm going to get a convertible
and it's going to be kingfisher-blue body,
which is a really nice, bright blue.
I mean, I'd never be able to afford a car like a Bentley but to say that
I've actually, you know, sewn a car, that's quite something, I think.
On some rare occasion I get to drive the actual vehicle itself, yeah,
it makes you feel like a million dollars when you're driving that product.
Unfortunately, I've not ever got chance to try one out but I've sat
in one and looked at one and they are a beautiful car.
It's got to be a convertible cos when I win the lottery,
I'm living abroad, somewhere nice and warm, so that's my car.
Someone who can do more than dream of owning a Bentayga is self-made
millionaire Charlie Mullins.
Morning, Charlie. You all right, son? Jack Bartley dropped your motor off this morning.
I've just got Richard to go over it and just get it cleaned up.
That's gorgeous that, eh?
Look, Bentley shoes.
Cor, mate, look at that. Dog can go in there.
I like this bit. That's the nuts, isn't it?
Get me a beer.
Cor, it's lovely that, isn't it? I think it's a bit more sporty.
I can also take the Mrs shopping.
It's got a big boot, so I'm sure she can spend a few quid and fill the
boot up so... What you laughing at?
What you laughing at?
This is just what I need, isn't it?
Another one of these.
This has blown me out the car. How do you make this go?
What do you want, the air-con on? Off.
It'll take my wig off.
It's touch-screen. Touch-screen, that's new.
With the technology tamed,
what does a long-standing Bentley owner think of the new off-roader?
It's the dog's bollocks.
I can't wait to drive it, I think it's the nuts.
In London, at Bentley's flagship Mayfair showroom,
it ISN'T business as usual.
We are stripping back the Mayfair showroom back to a bare shell,
so from the floor, unfortunately, to the walls is going back to concrete.
With the brand hoping to attract a new breed of customer with the
Bentayga, change is afoot.
That's evolution, isn't it?
It is very nostalgic, yes, world-famous Bentley dealer being
brought, you know, up to the 21st century and beyond.
It's for the best. Hey ho!
People that have been through these doors - from rap stars to royalty.
It's like the end of an era.
Across town in fashionable Chelsea,
unofficial car customiser Afzal Khan is busy at his showroom, too.
Ganster innit, gangster!
His 170-grand modified Bentayga is being delivered.
All the team have to do now is get it safely off the low loader.
Too much stress.
London traffic. It's just getting a few people attracted to it.
Straighten.
Too much.
Keep going at that, keep going, keep going, keep going, keep it straight,
keep it straight, straight.
Beautiful car. I wish I have it, for only one night.
Finally, they must maneouvre two and a half tonnes of luxury motor inside.
We're a bit short for time for getting it cleaned, so fingers crossed.
It was a nightmare.
First one on the turntable and it was the closest one yet,
it's usually a much smoother operation, but we got there in the end.
My panic's off now. My heart can beat again.
My life is mine.
Back at the Bentley dealership in Mayfair,
they're facing parking problems of their own.
We've had to move the entire business into the basement, which, in itself,
is not too serious but you'll see a much brighter,
much cleaner environment when upstairs is finished.
With space at a premium,
the challenge is to position the latest display model without
scratching the paintwork.
I wouldn't fancy attempting that, to be honest.
That being the most challenging vehicle to get in the showroom,
to see it in here finally is very pleasing.
He's made that look very simple.
Yeah.
But the real priority is to finish the building works on time.
How's it going? Yes, it's coming on.
Obviously, what I'm interested in is being operational again.
How long? We have extended it a little - about another four weeks.
So, we've got a lot to do.
The modernisation is, you know,
exactly where Bentley are with their product line-up and we need to
follow suit. We need to make sure we can cater for everybody.
The transformation of the world's oldest Bentley dealership began six
months ago.
How are we getting on? Yes, I must say, it's been, um...
..a very, very busy few weeks.
Now it's time for the boss from Bentley HQ to inspect the results.
We're in the final, final furlong now and we are about a week away
from completion. Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
Today I'm here just to have a look at progress and make sure that we're
going to be open on time.
Do you want to give us a walk round then, John?
Absolutely. Show us what we've done so far. Thank you.
Our customers, they're used to having the best in life,
visiting the most luxurious retailers, the best hotels.
Come on, look busy, look busy, sell, sell, sell.
Everything is about luxury, uncompromising luxury.
This whole lighting system,
what's gone into that is absolutely incredible.
We can change these colours to absolutely any colour that you like.
So far, so good.
So, not quite as finished up here yet, John.
Well, we needed to look after everything.
It really is the final throes.
Obviously, this is the new bar.
We are very, very close to schedule.
I'm certainly not disappointed with the progress because it had to be right.
To balance the heritage and to be forward-looking at the same time
it's a very difficult mix of both, but, yes, it has been a,
it has been a challenge.
Time to deliver the verdict.
It's been a long time in the making but once this is finished and this
floor comes up and we get the cars in, and you're sitting at that bar,
it's going to look really great and I can't wait for our customers to see it.
Spin it around. You're like that, John, aren't you?
And you can have any colour you like.
With their flagship dealers almost ready to attract new customers...
Bentayga's now account for half the cars the Bentley factory produces.
It is the most challenging car we've ever made because it is an SUV.
Currently, our programme is to deliver 22 of these a day.
We operate on a 16.8 minute tack time at the moment.
To put that into laymen's terms, every 17 minutes,
a car's coming off the end of the track.
Simon's job is to ensure that every one that leaves the factory is perfect.
Hmm, it is out slightly.
It's out, but you've got a good condition here.
So, this is in the eye of the customer, typically, especially when they're washing their car,
that's the gap they're going to see.
How many Bentley owners wash their car?
It's not a case of how many Bentley owners wash their cars,
but as soon as their car's washed,
you can guarantee they're going to check it's clean and they're not just
looking to see if there's dirt on it, they want to make sure that
their Bentley looks as good as it can possibly look.
Leather shop boss Lee is also on the lookout for imperfections.
So, I'm looking for the creasing,
I'm looking for areas where potentially the sewing is to the correct standard.
The back of the seat, what we call the squab, the seat insert,
the shoulder area, and making sure, for example,
that there isn't a big scar in that area of the leather.
I think this is a good example of what we do very well.
We produce,
what I would say is the best seat in the world.
I'm proud of this, very proud.
Lee may not know this...
..but Bentley seats don't always end up in the cars.
Hi George, how are you? Are you OK?
Good to see you.
In London's Soho,
you don't have to pay £200,000 to sit on one either.
What we wanted to create is the ultimate men's barber shop.
To win over a future generation of customers,
Bentley are getting their name in all the right places.
I put the idea to them that the chair would make a perfect barber chair.
For a guy to sit in a Bentley and have a whisky while he's having his hair cut.
I have this lovely lady behind me styling me
in the comfort of a Bentley chair. Can't ask for much more.
It makes you feel like James Bond.
How's that feel?
Yep, perfect.
We often get clients asking if they can take one home.
The new Bentayga was launched to attract this new generation.
But what do the old guard of Bentley fans make of it?
I would definitely go for a classic Bentley.
The older Bentleys are definitely more special.
They're more elite.
The modern variants I'm not quite so keen on those.
At classic auctions like this,
a 50-year-old Bentley can go for more than a new one.
I think if you drive a modern Bentley,
you might be looked at as a footballer, possibly.
OK, so, we're going to get the sale underway today,
the '49 Bentley Mark 6 special.
So, shall we say £40,000. No entries. I tell you what,
we'll start at a thousand pounds, see how we go!
Everybody's hand went up, right.
Bentleys are very special vehicles.
They're British, you know, and we're British.
The third and final time, at £23,750.
697, thank you.
Dad's 80 and he's actually made a purchase today, yes.
He'll be delighted with it. You'll probably see him out.
In decades to come,
will the new Bentayga be coveted at auctions like this?
When you have the right light on the cars, it's amazing.
In Crewe, Bentayga head designer Romulus believes his work will stand
the test of time.
If we have a look at this car, it's such a unique colour combination,
light blue and the purple.
And I love this black.
It's super cool!
In the end, it makes us so proud to see it after four years.
Being able to touch it, it's a
finish of a story.
It makes me very, very proud.
For every car business though,
the future lies in the hands of its adoring customers.
It's what a Bentley's all about. Whatever you want, you can have.
We've got a well-known still premiership footballer who actually cut the tree down in his garden
and said, "That's what I want in my vehicle," and we did that.
If you want it subtle, you can have it subtle.
If you want pink flashing lights on it,
I'm sure you can have it because that's what I'd have.
For Bentley customer Will it's quantity as well as quality that matters.
Massive fan of this car.
Absolutely ridiculous, very, very naughty.
My father always said if you're really successful, you drive a Bentley.
Went out and bought a Bentley Mulsanne Turbo.
REVS ENGINE That's a bit too much like fun.
And then we bought another one, and then we bought another one.
Ha-ha!
Currently, we've got seven, which is way too many, clearly too many,
but it's more than I need.
The latest addition to the collection, a Bentayga.
This car in particular was one about which I wasn't nearly as sure.
This is too much money to spend on a family car.
I feel uncomfortable at times because, yeah,
we put stuff in this car that should never go near a Bentley.
It's definitely too good for the school run, but hey, yeah,
we're lucky we've been able to have one, we're able to drive one, why not?
I tell you what, this is nice because you're a lot higher up, so all of a sudden,
you're noticing more things.
I ain't the best driver in the world,
but even this is making me look like a good driver.
I have to say that I turn up at a restaurant in the West End in, like,
a normal car, they don't even want to let you in.
Turn up in this, they want to get you the best table.
I think it's wrong, but that's how it is.
Lovely car, isn't it? It's very nice.
Lovely mate, see you later!