Bentley lands in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - “You could buy many sports cars that go very fast and give you an amazing driving experience. You could also buy cars that are very luxurious, have the best interiors, and give you the best experience as a passenger. What you can’t do is bring those things together—unless you do it with a Bentley.”

Geoff Dowding, regional director of Bentley Motors Limited for the UK, Middle East, and Asia, seems to agree with our view that the Crewe-headquartered premium carmaker is awash with dichotomies—seemingly contradictory qualities that the UK company nonetheless pulls off with aplomb through its cars.

Speaking at the opening of the country’s first Bentley showroom on the second floor of the PGA Cars building on 201 EDSA in Quezon City, he continues to prove the quality. “We’re a global company; we’re also very small,” Dowding says.

He adds that even as the Manila outlet is Bentley’s 183rd shop in 52 countries, the number of cars it sells remains at a very exclusive and small number. Last year, around 8,510 units (which nonetheless represent a 22-percent growth) were delivered—with almost nine of 10 exported to foreign markets.

Meanwhile, PGA Cars chairman Robert Coyiuto, Jr. terms the entry of the luxury brand “a new adventure—surely another impressive feather in the hat for an already formidable portfolio of car brands PGA makes available to well-heeled, discriminating buyers.

Coyiuto is on hand to witness the historic two-tiered launch (one with the media, and one with PGA friends and dealers), along with UK Ambassador Stephen Lillie, Bentley operations director for Middle East and Asia Dave Hayter, Bentley marketing and communications head for Asia-Pacific Robin Peel, Bentley Asia-Pacific regional sales manager Dave Jackson, Bentley commercial training manager Alistair McCallum, and Bentley franchise development manager Derrick Fraesdorf.

In a one-on-one interview with STAR Motoring, Robin Peel asserts: “There is no other brand that combines supercar performance with hand-built luxury comfort.”

Pointing to the ultra-luxurious, four-door Mulsanne on the showroom floor, Peel says there are an impressive 17 hides used in total to furnish its interiors, and that the wood featured in the car is only wood; there is no substrate. Metal is metal—and not plastic made to look like metal. That’s part of the Bentley ethos.

“Attention to detail is above and beyond any other manufacturer’s,” he underscores. The same Bentley commitment holds true for any car in the stable—all of which will be made available for customers here. Chris Chan, Bentley Manila marketing manager, tells us that each Bentley can be highly customized to the preferences of its buyer.

Peel also reassures customers who may be anxious about how the Bentleys hold up to the infamous Manila heat, traffic, and less-than-pristine fuel quality.

“We test our cars to both extremities of temperature,” he explains. “We do cold-weather testing in the Arctic Circle. We do hot-weather testing at the Death Valley (which, incidentally, has a record high of 57 degrees Celsius) and the Middle East. As for the traffic, we build cars that are designed to cocoon and hide the customer from horrendous traffic conditions. They can relax and enjoy what in any other car would be a very unpleasant situation. Our chassis and suspension engineers are second to none.”

Finally, Peel says that Bentleys “are built to manage fuel conditions prevalent around the world… the tolerances of engine make allow them to manage even when fuels are not ideal.”

After his speech, Dowding sat down with STAR Motoring and declared: “Probably the single biggest thing that has impacted the brand in the last 10 years was the launch of the Continental GT—a car that opened up a completely new segment within in the marketplace. (It’s) a luxury, high-performance coupé that attracted buyers… it basically gave us a new generation of customers.”

Indeed, the Continental GT family (comprised of the V8, Convertible V8, GT Convertible W12, GT W12, and the GT Speed) have veritably brought the “winged B” into more rarefied yet robust performance—drawing in a set that loves to drive rather than just ride.

You would be right in saying that Bentley is rediscovering the verve of its famous founder and namesake engineer, designer, and motor racer Walter Owen “WO” Bentley.

“He had a mantra and quote,” shares Dowding: “The mission of the company is to build a good car, a fast car, the best in its class.”

These terms are obviously not mutually exclusive terms for the brand handpicked by Queen Elizabeth, for which Bentley makes the one-off State Limousine. The English monarch chose to stay with Bentley over long-time royal carrier Rolls-Royce when the Volkswagen group acquired Bentley in 1998. On the other hand, Bentley is successfully reliving its racing heritage at Le Mans where it notched wins in 1924 and consecutively from 1927 to 1930.

“At the end of the day, we’re a luxury brand, and we’re offering something that is the best of both worlds,” says Dowding. “Our job is to get people to understand that. Once you’ve experienced the car, you’ll understand.”

At the regional launch of the GT Speed at Singapore sometime ago, this writer was able to get behind the wheel of the GT Speed, V8, and even the ultra-luxe limo Mulsanne. Suffice it to say, the Bentley is more than a dichotomy on wheels. It’s like having your cake and eating it, too.