Two members of the Bentley Motors design team at the home of the world’s leading luxury car maker in Crewe, England, have been honoured by the German Design Council, in the only international design competition for automotive marques.
John-Paul Gregory, Head of Exterior Design, and Chris Cooke, Lead designer, were winners in the Automotive Brand Contest 2019 for the Continental GT Convertible 2018 and for the Graf von Faber-Castell for Bentley Collection pen partnership.
This special recognition for Outstanding Product and Communication Design was awarded in the Best of Best category ‘Exterior Premium Brand’, and in the category ‘Parts and Accessories’, respectively.
After receiving the award in Frankfurt last night, John-Paul Gregory commented, “We are really excited to receive such a prestigious award on behalf of Bentley and the design team. The Continental GT Convertible is a car we are truly proud of, and for it to be recognised by the automotive brand council is an honour.”
After the ceremony, Chris Cooke added: “It’s always great to receive recognition for the design work we are producing especially from the prestigious Automotive Design Council. This award is testament to the successful collaboration and hard work from both teams at Bentley and Faber-Castell. We look forward to continuing this success and momentum into our products of the future.”
The design team, under its director Stefan Sielaff, was noted for being able to find a self-contained and impressive form for the Continental GT Convertible that would point the way from its proud heritage confidently into the future – an exterior design destined to remain in existence.
As Jurgen Lewandowski, a member of the jury, put it: “Whenever the venerable Bentley – which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year – presents another variant of its new Continental series, the jury is impressed by the elegance and perfectly balanced proportions of these creations. The new convertible also impresses with a shape that shows no weaknesses open or closed – just perfection.”
The Design Council noted that Bentley’s new partnership with Graf von Faber-Castell displayed a collection of writing instruments “combining timeless design, passion for precision and extraordinary craftsmanship. The range of instruments is available in colours which match perfectly with Bentley’s exterior paints. The design is elegantly simple, combining knurled detailing with balanced proportions, ensuring Bentley’s design language is fully reflected throughout the collection.” The pens are available now from the Bentley Collection.
The Automotive Brand Contest is the only international design competition for automobile marques and has emerged as the most important event in the sector. Through the competition the German Design Council honours outstanding product and communication design and draws attention to the fundamental importance of brand and brand design in the automotive industry.
The focus of the awards is on the integral and consistent use of the brand across all media and products. The Automotive Brand Contest offers companies in the automotive industry and their partners in the supply industry, in design and in brand communication a platform that reaches a wide audience and allows them to compare and position themselves internationally on the basis of their achievements.
The awards are given in 12 different categories and four special categories. The categories cover the entire design spectrum and range from vehicle design and concepts via brand design and multimedia networking, through to campaigns and events.
