As the editor of Wallpaper* magazine, the global design authority, Jonathan Bell knows what true artistry looks like. For one indulgent week this summer, he found inspiration at the wealth of Bentley events at the exclusive Monterey Car Week.

This year, Bentley’s presence in Monterey was as high profile as ever, with involvement across every facet of the event. It was a chance to present the new Azure derivatives of the Continental GT, GT Convertible and Flying Spur, an American debut for Bentley’s new High Performance Hybrid powertrain. Alongside these models, Bentley’s in-house bespoke and coachbuilding division, Mulliner, also had an example of the Batur Convertible, one of just 16 built and the model’s first appearance at Monterey.

The Batur sat alongside another very special Bentley, one that dated back almost a century. Visiting Monterey Car Week for the very first time was the 1930’s Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupe, the renowned ‘Blue Train’ car. Fresh from a spell at Bentley’s HQ in Crewe, the Speed Six cut an imposing figure alongside a car park filled with Bugattis, rare Porsches and exotic off-roaders.

The Blue Train car served as one of the inspirations for Bentley’s newest design vision concept, the EXP 15. This contemporary take on a luxurious, high-riding electric grand-tourer made its public debut right before me, on the Concept Lawn display at Pebble Beach, garnering huge amounts of attention for its forward-looking presence and scale.

As the sun beat down from above, all eyes turned to the vibrant paint of the Continental GT Speed in admiration.

In the lead up to Pebble Beach, I soaked up the atmosphere of Bentley’s presence at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, the high-end auto show that has become a major venue for launches from luxury and sports car manufacturers. On a spectacularly sunny day, it was time for Mulliner to shine, with a Continental GT Speed finished in the new ‘ombre’ paint finish. The careful blend takes some 56 hours to hand apply at Bentley’s Dream Factory and features the integration of two contrasting paint colors.

At The Quail, the ombre process used Topaz and Azure paint, together with Topaz hide at the front and a darker Beluga hide in the rear compartment, accented with Dragonfly. As the sun beat down from above, all eyes turned to the vibrant paint of the Continental GT Speed in admiration. Three unique fades are available on special order through Mulliner.

Bonhams chose its Monterey sale to auction a one-off handcrafted Bentley Surfboard that was made with Koa veneer from Bentley’s own extensive wood shop. Proceeds from the sale have gone to UK charity SurfabilityUK, the country’s first adaptive surf school. As a final reminder of the company’s rich heritage, Bentley exhibited the 1939 Mark V Corniche at Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show field. Despite the destruction of the initial bodywork, the car on display was meticulously recreated from drawings and photographs using the original chassis, completed in-house at Crewe in 2019.

As the sound of a lone bagpiper played out across the links at The Spanish Inn – a nightly ritual for the hotel – I considered the scope of the organization required to present the brand on such a scale. For guests, potential customers, visitors and admirers, Bentley brought generations of British style and innovation to these meticulously manicured lawns.

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