Bentley unveils Jurassic period stone veneer interiors

The UK carmaker's Bentley Continental and Flying Spur models built by its Mulliner coach building team are available with bespoke stone veneer trims for the interiors. Sourced from Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, the slate and quartzite veneers are split from larger blocks of stone that have taken as long as 200 million years to form.

At just 0.1mm, the material is so thin that it’s both light and translucent, allowing the stone’s natural grain and pattern to be visible. The stone is cured using fibreglass and a bespoke resin, before being shaped and hand-finished in a choice of four colours: galaxy, autumn white, terra red or copper. The stone veneer serves as an alternative to conventional finishes such as wood and metal. This is the first time that Bentley has offered such a finish in its cars.

“Bentley is exploring new, fine and rare materials to offer our customers even more bespoke tailoring and choice," said Geoff Dowding, Director of Mulliner Operations. "Stone veneers are only the beginning of what we plan to do with this luxurious and unique material.” Customers can opt to have their car’s entire dash fascia covered in stone, or have smaller sections of interior trim made of the material. Pricing for the stone veneer will vary depending on the amount specified in each order. The new stone veneers are available on select Bentley cars. The Bentley website does not reveal when the models will be available in India.