Bentley’s second-gen Continental broke with tradition, in order to offer customers a modern, stylish side of luxury. The model now comes with a wide array of light-colored paint options and exotic materials, but this particular Continental GT V8 S Convertible might just be the most colorful one yet.
But that’s because it has been through Sir Peter Blake’s hands – a man considered to be the grandfather of British pop art. The British car manufacturer says it commissioned the artist to deliver the world’s first pop art Bentley – although we can think of at least one example bearing a similar “title”.
The car comes bearing Sir Peter’s trademark motif – St James Red heart – painted onto a “Continental Yellow” bonnet, representing a symbol in-keeping with the compassionate work of hospices.
Bentley actually donated the car to the Care2Save Charitable Trust, which provides palliative and hospice care around the world.
“Sir Peter has designed a strikingly colourful car, encapsulating exactly why he is thought of as one of Britain’s leading artists. It was a fascinating project to be part of, particularly for the skilled artisans in our bespoke Mulliner division, who worked closely with Sir Peter to bring this design to life. We have proudly supported the Care2Save Charitable Trust and the hospice movement for more than 25 years and so take great delight from donating this inimitable car for such a worthwhile cause”, said Kevin Rose, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, says.
Everything on the bespoke vehicle is designed to pay homage to various hospices, including Bentley’s exterior “St Luke’s Blue” hue – a custom color introduced by Sir Peter, named in homage to Bentley’s local St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice. The car’s cabin is an expression of individuality, with each seat trimmed in a different hide color; the same hues are mirrored on the sports steering wheel.
Sir Peter Blake, known for designing the sleeve for The Beatles iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, said:
“I am proud to have been involved with transforming this beautiful car, and have enormous admiration for the people at Bentley who brought my design into being, to produce this one-off lovely car.”