Though the covid-19 pandemic has brought the motor manufacturing sector to a close, things are beginning to look brighter for the future. The rainbow has been widely adopted as a symbol of hope during this troubled and worrying time, and a recent competition run by Bentley motors brought this appropriate symbol to the fore.
The Bentley Bacalar, the exclusive sports Barchetta of which only 12 examples will be made, was the subject of the competition, with entrants invited to use Bentley’s extensive palette of vibrant, exclusive colours to create their own virtual Bacalar. The judge – Bentley Director of Design Stefan Sielaff – thought that the design by Eleanor, who used the full spectrum to create a rainbow-themed Bacalar, was an appropriate winner, and an apt reflection of the times we are in.
Vibrant and shimmering, Eleanor’s design uses the colours of the rainbow chosen from the Bentley range of diverse and original colours, which the fortunate owners of the real Bacalars can also specify, both inside and out.
Help in the Community
The rainbow design features everything from Bentley’s magnificent ‘Dragon Red II’, a deep and rich metallic red that is a beautiful shade, right through to the other side of the rainbow where Azure Purple – a colour that was specified by a client to match the colour of the African Violet – is an appropriate border enclosing the other five colours of the rainbow.
Bentley’s involvement in helping the community is ably represented by the rainbow symbol. During this time of crisis, Bentley Motors has turned the Crewe factory over to the manufacture, using state of the art 3D printing machines, of more than 30,000 face shields for use by local care homes, NHS staff and others in the care sector in Cheshire. Bentley has also donated more than 20,000 pairs of gloves plus other essential PPE including face masks and safety glasses, all necessary in the fight to stem the spread of covid-19.
Furthermore, many of the furloughed staff from the Crewe factory have been manning the ‘Meals on 22 Inch Meals’ service, voluntarily delivering food parcels and vital medical supplies in the local community.
The Bentley Motors factory began limited production again in early May, with revised health and safety practices to keep the workforce safe.
