Bentley Azure

Exciting new Bentley for Geneva

Extracts from the press release:

One of the most exciting newcomers from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was revealed on 7 March 1995 at the Geneva Motorshow.
The Bentley Azure combines style and craftsmanship, elegance and power with the latest automotive technology, making it one of the most desirable, yet exclusive motor cars available.
The Bentley Azure is expected to receive the same worldwide acclaim that both the Bentley concept car Java, unveiled in 1994, and the Bentley Continental R, launched in 1991, have attracted.
As the ultimate in convertible motoring, this elegant motor car was conceived and built by the technicians and craftsmen at Crewe, with the added expertise of Pininfarina of Italy, the world leader in convertible styling. The combined skills of Bentley and Pininfarina have produced a powered soft top that is both visually inspiring and leading edge in performance.
The Bentley Azure is designed to appeal to both the established aficionados of the marque and to a new generation, who will find the chic elegance of this powerful four-seater irresistible.
Priced at 182,978 pound before tax, the Bentley Azure will be produced in limited numbers; only 118 vehicles are available worldwide this year.
Chris Woodwark, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is justifiably delighted by the new Bentley. "We have shown how we continue to develop new models that exceed the highest expectations of our customers and set new standards at the peak of the luxury and performance car market.

"Great credit is due to the Bentley design team at Crewe and our colleagues at Pininfarina. We will continue to use the best skills and materials worldwide, in order to enhance the desirability of this and all our motor cars."
Sergio Pininfarina, President of Pininfarina added, "This is a proud day for me and my company. Once again, we have enjoyed the opportunity of combining our world class skills with those of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It has been a privilege to work with the craftsmen at Crewe to produce a truly beautiful motor car. The Bentley Azure will surely become one of the most sought after possessions of exclusive motor car buyers around the world. To be part of this is wonderful."
Chris Woodwark summed up the feelings of all the team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, "We believe this to be the most exciting product announcement in recent years. It represents another major step forward for this company, and one in which we can all take great pride".

THE BENTLEY AZURE

The Bentley Azure enters the sporting marque offering a uniquely responsive driving experience together with fhe chic sophistication of Bentley styling and leading edge convertible technology. The Bentley Azure is the latest addition to the highly desirable Bentley marque.

Key features of the Bentley Azure

Two door open tourer, with accommodation for four adults.
Fully powered hood with single button operation.
New style 17 inch vented aluminium alloy wheels with 255l55 WR 17 tyres.
Automatic tilt steering column permits easy driver entry and best possible driving position. Motorised front seats with integral safety belts permit easy entry and exit for rear seat passengers.
Driver's and front passenger's seat fitted with 3 position memory for seat position, tilt steering column and mirror settings.
Split level air conditioning.
Centre console-mounted gearshift with sport/standard gear change pattern selector.
Full size airbags for driver and front passenger.
Radio cassette player and separate CD player with 6-disc magazine mounted in the centre compartment. 4x25 watt amplification, 8 speaker sound system.
Bentley 6.75 litre V8, turbocharged and equipped with liquid-cooled intercooler and transient boost control.
Four-speed automatic transmission with torque converter lock-up in fourth gear. Shift energy management system smoothes gear changes.
Viscous differential permitting full utilisation of the engine's power output with optimum traction and control.
Automatic ride control automatically adjusts suspension settings, responding to cornering load in thousandths of a second.

Performance

Top Speed - mph: 150, Acceleration: 0- 60mph in seconds 6.3,
Fuel Consumption :

Urban            28.51/100km.
Extra Urban           12.81/100km.
Combined              18.61/100km.

Urban               9.9 mpg.
Extra Urban         22.1 mpg.
Combined       15.2 mpg.

The naming of the Bentley Azure

The French Cote d'Azur offers a perfect example of the ideal climate in which to enjoy the pleasures of open motoring. Also, the region has particular relevance to a Bentley design, by virtue of its chic, its elegance, and its particular lifestyle. There are associations with the Bentley Boys:
men like Sammy Davis, Tim Birkin, and of course Woolf Barnato, whose epic drive from Cannes to London in a Bentley Speed Six Saloon beat the time taken by the Blue Train from Cannes to Calais.
Azure is defined as the blue colour of clear skies. It is suggestive of the soft and comfortable climate in which the convertible motor car comes into its own, with the unique pleasure of driving under the blue sky.

The links with Bentley go even farther back, as far as W. O. Bentley's 'Experimental Number One', the first of many Bentley motor cars to sport a blue-enamelled 'winged B' badge.
Since the time of the pharaohs of Egypt, the rich blue azure stone ('lapis lazuli') has been prized for its use in decorative work. This precious mineral was ground down to form a very attractive sky blue pigment for use in fine art, in heraldry, and as an inly on items of fine furniture. Gradually, over the centuries, the scacity of azure stone has increased to the point that it is now onne of the most valuable ornamental materials, and rarely seen in any quantity.

Let's go back to the Geneva page.

Paul Negyesi

I'm no way related to this company or their products. I have no responsibility for the accuracy of the above info. This document or parts of it cannot be used for commercial purposes.