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 of 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 people, skills, and facilities.
The two decades between 1945 and 1965 saw some remarkable motor cars emerge from the new Rolls-Royce factory at Crewe. The Mark VI Bentley was the first model to be built entirely by Rolls-Royce, using a body supplied by Pressed Steel, although coachbuilt cars were still available. The Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn version followed in 1949, this and its Bentley sister both receiving 'big boot' bodies in 1952. Meanwhile the 120mph Continental appeared. The entirely new Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-series, almost identical to each other, arrived in 1955, and from 1959 a V8 was installed. By their side, coachbuilt S-series Continentals continued. Original Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1946-65 is the essential companion to these cars. The aim of this book is to reveal, in words and color photographs, how the various models altered through the course of production. Drawing on factory records, parts lists, catalogs and other data, the author has provided a meticulous survey of the standard steel cars built at Crewe. Over 250 specially commissioned color photographs, showing the detail changes to these cars, accompany the authoritative text.