In a unique collaboration between three of Britain’s iconic brands – James Bond,
Bentley Motors and Penguin Books - a special, limited edition of the new Bond
book Devil May Care will be published on 28th May. Written by Sebastian Faulks
at the invitation of Ian Fleming Publications to celebrate the Ian Fleming
centenary, Devil May Care is one of the most eagerly anticipated publications of
2008.
Cars and James Bond have always had a strong association
and, contrary to popular belief, Bond’s preference has historically been firmly
with Bentley Motors. He owned three Bentleys in the course of the fourteen
original novels written by Ian Fleming. It is fitting therefore that in Devil
May Care - published to coincide with the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth -
Bond is found once again in the driving seat of his favourite
car.
To mark the
reunion, Penguin approached Bentley to produce a luxury, limited edition of
Devil May Care. The result is a beautiful and striking edition which takes its
inspiration from hard-covers of the original 1950s and 1960s Bond books combined
with the stylish Bentley owner’s manuals and handbooks of the era. Inside the
book is a specially designed model pewter Bentley, described in detail by
Fleming in Thunderball.
Bentley Chief
Designer Dirk van Braeckel says, “Transferring our design knowledge from the car
world to a book was a new challenge for us, but working closely with Penguin, we
think we have come up with a unique product which is complementary to the
history of Bentley and Bond that can be appreciated by all.”
Only 300 copies of
the Special Series edition will be produced, costing £750 each, available
exclusively from the Penguin James Bond books website (www.penguin007.com).
The
design
Evoking the feeling
of the Cold War period in which Devil May Care is set, the edition is bound in
Bodoniana style cases and finished in burnt oak leather sourced from the tannery
in Italy which provides the hides for Bentley’s interiors. The iconic Bentley
diamond pattern found on the radiator grille and upholstery of modern Bentley’s,
is hand-stitched on the leather casing and the front cover and spine is finished
with the silver Bentley ‘Flying B’ – the radiator cap of the Bentley’s of Bond’s
time.
The inside of the
casing is trimmed in deep red hotspur leather and has the striking fluting used
on the 1950’s and 1960’s Bentley interior upholstery. Each book has a unique
edition number embossed on a black aluminium plate produced the same company
that makes the Bentley engine plates.
Fleming described
in detail a modified Bentley R type in Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret
Service which Bond loving called ‘the Locomotive’. The car never existed but,
using Fleming’s exact specifications, a cast and polished 1:43 scale model of
the car has been hand crafted by Bentley for this edition. The miniature is
inserted into the book in a car-shaped hole and is individually numbered to
match the plate on the inside cover. Each book is protected by a custom-made
Plexiglass slip case, which will be sealed in protective and numbered
wrapping.
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Bentley Bond Special Series edition of Devil May Care |
Q&A with Chief Designer at Bentley, Dirk van Braeckel
What was the design philosophy for the
cover?
The design captures traditional craftsmanship qualities and techniques
and reveals design cues we are passionate about, while also paying homage to the
first edition Ian Fleming books. It was important that the design was
complimentary to both Bentley and Bond and the history behind both brands meant
that the book should be something to be admired and cherished
forever.
How did you capture the spirit of Bond and the spirit of
Bentley
Marrying Bond and Bentley had to derive from themes that linked both
entities: passion, adventure and appreciation for the finer things in life. This
helped shape the book into an item which would please people through an element
of surprise but could also be admired as something which is unique and
unobtainable to everyone.
How does the use of materials reflect
materials in Bentley cars?
The choice of materials had to demonstrate the
high quality and finishing evident in our cars. It was an opportunity to reflect
on historical themes, for example the fluting on the inside book cover, along
with the diamond stitching we use on the sport theme seat covers today. The
juxtaposition of metal and leather is a theme we work with everyday, and is
naturally explored in the design.
How did the idea for the pewter model
Continental car come about?
Kate Whatmore, one of our young designers, is
very proud of this feature. She wanted the book to have a feel of sophistication
and history but to make it “Bond” it had to have something that was a bit
unexpected. The element of surprise created from opening the book to find the
car within allowed us to carry the Bond–Bentley theme throughout. The model car
is handmade and numbered to the book, which makes it a complete entity
especially as the model is the car featured in the book.
How closely did
you work with Penguin?
Working with Penguin was a unique experience. We
learned a lot from designing around an unfamiliar product and certainly learned
a lot technically about Bentley craftsmanship in relation to a product other
than a car. The people we met and worked with from Penguin were very supportive
and enthusiastic about the prospect of the book, Bentley and Kate’s ideas for
the design. It was a very positive experience.
What challenges did you face in both design and
production?
In all areas of design there are problems that challenge you as a
designer to produce the best solution you can. The feasibility of a design idea
is always the greater challenge to achieve the best aesthetics and quality.
Transferring our design knowledge from the car world to a book was a new
challenge for us, but working closely with Penguin, we think we have come up
with a unique product which is complementary to the history of Bentley and Bond
that can be appreciated by all audiences.
Who at Bentley was involved in the
project?
We always start a project in the Bentley design studio by giving all
designers a chance to have an idea input and then proceed with the selected work
and the designer behind it. In this case it was Kate Whatmore, our lady in
exterior design, who came up with the goods. Crispin Marshfield was at hand to
help with the right process to follow and link with Penguin. I, as always, had
the overview and the pleasure to select and guide the ideas and take them to
fruition.
Dirk van Braeckel April 2008
