TOP MARQUES FOR STYLING
Aesthetic design was a latecomer to the company created by engineer Royce and salesman Rolls, who later acquired Bentley and added this great name to their portfolio. Rolls-Royce's legendary status was based on chassis and running gear dressed by independent coachbuilders, so the aesthetic component was a kind of 'bolt-on' firstly to engineering, then to marketing. Although maintained as a core requirement, the styling department was a tiny team compared to the others.
That was perhaps understandable when designs remained little changed for many years, but the period 1970-2000 saw a doubling of the aesthetic requirement as Bentley was reborn, then it doubled again when marketing realised that one-offs and limited runs were attractive to special customers. It was an extraordinary period, and despite the challenges and changes, a privilege to be involved in it. Of course, behind any classic car there is a classic story – or two.
Personal background
Learning to drive on a game little Austin A30 and a first job designing supermarket trolleys hardly prepared me for 30 years in Rolls-Royce and Bentley design, but apart from great parents, fate dealt me several lucky hands. An Industrial Design tutor at London's Central School of Art and Design taught me that functionalism also needed a touch of style. This tutor was Peter Cambridge, one of Colin Chapman's chosen few who created the original Lotus Elite.
There were other great influences, too. One engineering tutor had worked with Sir Alec Issigonis, while Roy Axe (head of Chrysler UK and later Rover Design) sponsored me following an interview at the Royal College of Art's new Automotive course. Initiated by Ford, this combined art and engineering to teach car styling. I
