From pen-and-ink sketches and watercolours to the latest immersive virtual reality technology, Bentley is celebrating 70 years of its design department — as it prepares to relocate to a new site to create luxury electric limousines. 

The first Crewe-designed Bentley was the R-Type Continental in 1951.
The company's design department has already grown tenfold to 50 in less than three decades. 

Bentley's director of design Andreas Mindt said: 'Iconic Bentleys were created here — beautiful cars that have stood the test of time, and which inspire our styling cues to this day. 

'Our team of designers is now engaged with their next opportunity — creating our first battery electric vehicle (BEV), which must translate and reshape those classic forms and details to a truly future-facing design.' 

Bentley said: manfaat tidur 'When it was founded in 1951, the design department's key responsibility was to communicate ideas and design proposals and share their vision with other areas of the business.

'This was achieved by capturing design sketches as watercolour artworks, painted by hand - beautifully crafted yet with no opportunity to click an 'undo' button if a mistake was made'.

It explained: 'The watercolour renders were then reproduced in scale or full size technical drawings depicting side, front, rear, plan elevations and sectional views along the body to describe to the model makers the form of the new car.'

But in the 21st century techniques have accelerated rapidly, said Bentley: 'The latest era of design is now highly computer dependent and can be represented in virtual reality. 

'Designers can now sketch in a virtual world that can be experienced regardless of geographical location on screens or through headsets and augmented reality.

Even with new tools and techniques, once the design has reached full maturity a full size model will still be made, ensuring all of the fine details are perfect before release for production.'

Bentley said the Pyms Lane site has remained the focal point for Bentley's headquarters in Crewe since the factory was built in 1938, noting: 'This focus will only increase with Bentley's plans to develop further areas of the site to support Bentley's journey towards electrification. 

'After 70 years of design, it would only be appropriate that one of the most inspirational areas of the business is set to relocate to one of the most iconic buildings on the campus for the next era, with the build of a new Design Studio in the months to come.'

Classic cars must embrace challenge of 'green' agenda 

Classic and historic vehicles can still be 'green' and must embrace the challenge of the environmental agenda, says the new head of the campaign group recently set up to promote their future. 

Garry Wilson, who becomes the first chief executive of the Historic and ClassicVehicles Alliance, said: 'I think we need to embrace the environmental challenge and work with legislators to identify solutions, while demonstrating clearly the environmental credentials of the classic movement.' 

The classic and heritage sector contributes an estimated £18.3billion to the economy and £3billion tax to the Treasury. 

Garry started as a Rover apprentice in the 1980s and worked his way up, recently helping establish the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre and Advanced Propulsion Centre, based at Warwick University, to boost UK-based green projects.