25x20.7cm • 176 pages • 100 colour and b&w pictures
ISBN: 978-1-845846-01-5
Features
• Unique insider’s story of styling Rolls-Royce & Bentley cars
• How special commissions saved the company in the 1990s
• Previously unseen renderings of special commission and concept vehicles
• Bentley’s extraordinary re-birth, from barely 3% of production to the entire factory
• Fly-on-the wall view of the VW take over
• Candid reflections on the seven Managing Directors, from 1971-2001
• Describes project charts from the period
• The untold Corniche story – the last Crewe-built Rolls-Royce
• The untold story of the evolution of the Silver Seraph/Arnage
• The importance of Crewe’s interior design department
Description
A unique and personal account of young designer’s journey after joining that most prestigious of marques, Rolls-Royce. Sometimes eccentric, often humorous, the workings of this uniquely British institution during a period of immense change are described in detail. Generously supported by previously unseen illustrations, the author’s story, from designer to Chief Stylist, pulls back the curtain concealing an idiosyncratic institution, motivated as much by pride, as the bottom-line.
Synopsis
From a small design team working on the Silver Spirit/Mulsanne, to becoming Chief Stylist, Graham Hull peels back the curtain on an idiosyncratic institution during his time at Crewe. Throwing light on a factory motivated as much by pride, as the bottom-line, all the projects, whether production, special commission, or aborted designs, are covered, and the often unique styling process is explored. This process was a key element in the resurgence of the dormant Bentley marque, that, with its fortunes on the rise, became the star of the Geneva Motor Show, attracting commissions from wealthy enthusiasts for totally bespoke vehicles. Founding fathers Royce and Rolls melded engineering with marketing, but as marketing took over, this union fractured. The drama of how this British institution was divided between BMW and VW, and how aesthetic design, never cherished by British management, was increasingly recognised, is fundamental to the story. The bewildering number of projects during the 1990s is a genuine eye-opener and a phenomena that demanded unique peoples, skills, and facilities.
Independent Reviews
Author Graham Hunt – ex-chief stylist at Rolls and Bentley – reveals lots of detail about the brands in the frantic nineties, leading up to the BMW and VW divide. Plenty of pictures and sketches ...
Auto Express
The world of Rolls-Royce and Bentley is at your fingertips in a stunning new book from the man who worked on them for 30 years.
Sunday Mail
One of the constant gripes we have when reviewing books is how most new ‘must-reads’ offer nothing new, but this compelling effort is anything but a soulless cash-in.
Octane
This is a well produced book with good illustrations ... to anyone with an interest in either marque, this book represents a new insightful approach from an interestingly different viewpoint, with some excellent renderings and illustrations along the way.
BDC Review
Fascinating study of concepts and the odd doomsday scenario from Crewe.
Classic Cars
Additional Information
Covers the period 1971-2001, and RR Silver Shadow, RR Corniche, RR Camargue, RR Silver Spirit (and variants), Bentley Continental R (and variants), RR Silver Seraph (and variants), RR Corniche 2000.
Also includes details of special commission cars, and styling mock-ups.
