Unfazed
In the auto industry, it’s not uncommon to see brands emulate what works and put their own spin on it. You could say that Bentley is one such brand that inspires others. As a premier purveyor of luxury automobiles, the British brand remains comfortable with its heritage and its uniqueness, so much so that other automakers may look to it for some design inspiration.
Some cars out there may be trying to “copy” or take heavy inspiration from luxury marques such as Bentley. Hongqi springs to mind, and you could argue that the Chinese brand also managed to carve out its own identity but take inspiration from Bentley at the same time. The kicker here is that Bentley’s design boss seems to be okay with it, and while he didn’t say it, I guess he implied that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Bentley
“A Pinnacle Brand”
T. Jon Mayer, head of Bentley Motors’ design, spoke with Car Expert about this topic after the global reveal of the Bentley Torcal, the brand’s first-ever EV and electric SUV.
“We are a pinnacle brand,” Mayer told the publication, “so a lot of brands do look to us. I wouldn’t say necessarily there was ‘copying,’ but definitely taking heavy inspiration from certain areas, particularly around the interior as well as the exterior.”
“But I think that happens throughout the industry when you have a design-led focus, and you do something that’s fresh or new,” he continued. “Others will then kind of build off your idea that you’ve introduced, but it’s always getting to the next one and the next development.” That said, Mayer doesn’t seem insecure that other brands are looking at what Bentley is doing and putting their own spin on it.
Bentley
“Getting to the Next One”
Instead of chasing the copycats and cheaper alternatives, Mayer looks at what’s next for the brand. You could say that’s a very confident way to handle things. Mayer substantiates, stating: “So it’s like chasing a milestone that will never end. So how do we make our designs? Adapt them to be fresher, but it’s always going back to our principles and DNA – always making sure it’s a Bentley.”
Mayer also mentioned Bentley’s heritage and how his team and other departments keep innovating while staying in line with the brand’s heritage, history, and identity. They consider many things instead of blindly adopting and adapting their cars to the hottest new design element, feature, or segment. Bentley is very comfortable with its brand image and reputation, and according to what Mayer said to Car Expert, “We can do some wild, crazy stuff. We have plenty of talented team [members]. We could make the car look like whatever, but then it wouldn’t be a Bentley.”
While other brands may copy and take inspiration from Bentley, the brand has a certain way of doing things, and even Bentley’s product line director for the Torcal, Marti Page, was also in sync, stating: “Our job is to control what we’re about.”
Bentley
A New EV, A New Bentley
Page went on to say that they cannot control what other brands do, and while other brands may take elements from Bentley’s design, like the long hood, long wheelbase, and opulent interiors, he thinks that “we’re always true to what the brand represents and that’s part of the value in the brand.”
Bentley does things the Bentley way, “a way that some other brands don’t choose to go and aren’t able to go,” Page stated. In short, Bentley isn’t insecure about other brands and is confident in how it executes its designs. Whether we’re talking about how it builds its cars with uncompromising attention to detail and a laser focus on what made the brand as famous as it is today.
The Torcal adopts new energy tech and thinks beyond what a “standard” Bentley employs, but the team believes it is still distinctly Bentley. Page did mention that “it almost feels like handcuffs sometimes to be honest, as a designer. Your creative box gets harder and stricter, which actually needs more creativity than just going off in the deep end in some other direction.”
Exotic materials, a keen eye for detail, and uncompromising build quality are just a few hallmarks of a Bentley. While other brands can try and copy, Bentley’s designers and product folk don’t seem to mind. You could say that the copycats have their work cut out for them to even come close.
Bentley
