Bentley Motors and Steinway & Sons sync up craft, design and out-of-the-box thinking to chime in perfect harmony.
If Bentley and Steinway seem unlikely bedfellows, consider their respective approaches to wood. The former, when it comes to interior veneers, cuts 0.6 mm thick sections of timber, which are opened like a butterfly’s wings and placed side-by-side, ensuring perfect grain pattern symmetry inside the car. Pianos made by the latter deliver their nuanced resonance thanks to the Sitka spruce from Alaska’s Tongass National Forest—close-grained, quartersawn— specialist makers in Hamburg and New York use for their soundboards.
This obsession with craft was just one of the starting points for a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the two storied houses, which was unveiled at Steinway’s Hamburg HQ last year: A bespoke Flying Spur Speed in ultra-chic Arctic White, complete with sleek Piano Black veneer interior. This one-off piece is currently touring the world, stopping in the UK this spring. Accompanying the ultra performance hybrid V8 were two limited-edition Steinway grand pianos.
The instruments comprise just 18 Model B Concert Grands and eight Model D Concert Grands, designed for both collectors and concert halls. The slick, monochrome minimalism of their appearance belies uncompromising musical standards: expect exactly the sonic richness that persuades around 97 percent of concert pianists, according to Steinway, to favour their wares.
There’s a reminder of Mother Nature’s role in artisanal endeavour—providing raw materials that offer excellence at a cellular level—in the fact that craftspeople from both houses visited each other’s factories before production, sharing insights into wood selection and handling.
“Our collaboration with Steinway & Sons is a meeting of worlds, where craftsmanship connects music and motion,” comments Wayne Bruce, Bentley’s Chief Communications and D&I Officer. Guido Zimmermann, President of Steinway & Sons Europe, adds: “The Ultra Black and Ultra White editions embody Steinway’s ability to honour our heritage while exploring new expressions of design.”
