Bentley “Toy Box” Celebrates First Live Event Since the Beginning of COVID

Bentley celebrates first live event since February with a drive day and a few Bentley Heritage Fleet cars from their “toy box.”

After a few very long months (eight to be precise), Bentley has finally had the chance to celebrate the renewal of its complete model range with the hosting of its first live driving event since February.

Held at The Falcon at Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire, Bentley brought along the entire model range, including the complete Continental GT family (coupe, convertible, V8 and W12) along with the latest Flying Spur W12 and the new GT Mulliner and Bentayga V8 for their drive-day debut.

Along with the Continental, Flying Spur, and Bentayga models, Bentley also gave guests rare driving access to an extraordinary selection of cars from their Heritage Fleet, aka the “Toy Box.”

These included models that showcased the evolution of Bentley’s Grand Tourer across its lifetime:

• The 1 of 208 1952 R-Type Continental, Bentley’s own car and the fastest four-door coupe in the world when launched (also the most expensive car of its time)
• The 1 of 11 2003 Bentley Continental R Mulliner Final Series (last two-door car to be built by Bentley before the Continental GT)
• A first-generation Continental Supersports car (the last to be built in 2012)
• One-off 2019 Pikes Peak Bentley Continental GT as driven by Rhys Millen when he set a new Production Class record of 10:18:4888 at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2019

Also on display but (unfortunately not for driving) were other prized cars from the “Toy Box” that included:

• A supercharged 4½-litre Bentley ‘Blower’ (Bentley’s own road-going homologation demonstrator from 1930)
• A limited-edition Bentley Mulliner Bacalar (only 12 to be built)
• The #7 Bentley Speed 8 which won Le Mans in 2003

Guests were also given a chance to experience the Bentayga Hybrids powered solely by electric power while being chauffeured to a specially designed off-road track. Here they were able to put the new Bentayga V8 to the test and see how it handled steep inclines and descents, descents up to 32°, and wading through deep water.

As the first event Bentley had held since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, every measure was taken to ensure both guests and staff were safe. The entire event was run under strict COVID protocols and all staff, including all hotel personnel, were antigen-tested before, during, and immediately afterward.

Meanwhile, guests were required to have their temperatures recorded on arrival and were paired and placed in micro-bubbles with hosts as they joined the event. Facemasks were worn indoors and outdoors at all times, and every car received an immediate and thorough sterilization after each usage, using a powerful aerosol disinfectant.

Through these measures, Bentley was able to allow more than 70 guests to experience the very best Bentleys from past and present.