Rare English Elm Makes This Limited Edition Bentley Even More British

As storied as is the British automotive industry and as vibrant as it remains today, few automobiles could be as quintessentially British as a Bentley. And the automaker is underlining that point with this latest special edition.

Based on the Flying Spur, this limited edition from Mulliner is painted a special shade of Peacock Blue accented with polished brightwork. It also features split-seven-spoke alloys in two-tone black and polished finished. But it’s inside where Crewe’s latest really drives home its national pride.

The cabin is upholstered in cream and blue leather with quilted stitching reminiscent of the Union Jack on the door panels. There’s even flag-embroidered throw cushions for the back seat and a champagne cooler in the back. The most unique element, however, is the wood veneer.

The interior space is positively enveloped in a rare English Elm which was painstakingly kept alive on the private estate of a British aristocrat through regular injections. Now if you’re balking at the thought that Bentley would cut down such a rare tree to use in its automobiles, don’t worry: the wood was only taken after the tree fell, and proceeds from its sale are earmarked towards reintroducing the species into the world.

Short of (or far from) the more obvious flag painted atop a Mini Cooper, this is as British as it gets. And we’d calmly argue that its subtlety – in so far as a three-ton luxury sedan could be considered “subtle” – only makes it more so.