From the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupé, through the later Corniche and Continental eras, up to the magnificent Azure of 1995, an entire portfolio of unashamedly glamorous and wonderfully desirable cars meant that Bentley retained its reputation as the creator of the world’s most elegant convertibles.

Now that reputation has grown once more with the unveiling of the new Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupé show car at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. It is a true four-seater convertible for the 21st century: a unique blend of classic Bentley design and craftsmanship married to a high-technology platform sourced from the 2005 Model Year Arnage. As such, it is the perfect natural successor to the Bentley Azure, whose eight-year lifespan cemented the marque’s status as the prime provider of four-seater convertibles to this sector of the market.

First and foremost, the design is unmistakeably Bentley – it shares the same front end as the current Arnage range and its platform ensures it seats four adults in complete comfort. But it is also unmistakeably unique. The entire cabin and rear section of the car are newly designed, with a stunning new interior that has been influenced by contemporary furniture design; the objective being to create an opulent and inviting seating area that reflects its status as a car that is at home in Palm Springs or the Riviera.

The Arnage Drophead Coupé show car is more than just a conceptual design study, however. Its unveiling in Los Angeles represents the culmination of a truly innovative development programme that means the car is entirely production viable, as Bentley’s chairman DR Franz-Josef Paefgen explains:

“We had such amazing success with the Bentley Azure, which has developed a cult following although production stopped in 2003. There’s no reason why this new Arnage derivative couldn’t fill the gap left by the Azure. If customer demand is there, it could go into production within a very short space of time – as early as Spring 2006.”


OVERVIEW
- The world’s most elegant four-seater convertible that provides a powerful and refined open-top driving experience.

- Accommodation for four adults in complete comfort. The interior cabin is wider in the front and rear than the previous Bentley Azure convertible – the rear by 20%.

- New streamlined convertible body style with raked windscreen and fully automated canvas roof that stows perfectly flush in 25 seconds.

- Shares the Bentley Arnage’s state-of-the-art platform, wheelbase and powertrain with 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 450bhp (336Kw) and 875Nm (645lb ft) torque.

- Benefits from the comfort suspension recently introduced on the Bentley

Arnage R.

- Pop-up rollover protection system for occupant safety in the event of over-turning.

- Unique interior styling with new seats, ‘floating’ armrests and mood lighting. Show car trimmed in Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather and Burr Oak veneer with a Boxwood inlay.

- Full production capability by Spring 2006 depending on market reaction.

Design
Bentley’s design team cites the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupé and 1995 Azure as its main influences for the Arnage Drophead Coupé show car. Like the ’50s convertible, the car has a deep body with a single feature line that runs along both flanks and rises at the powerful rear haunches before spearing off at the rear of the car. Similarly, the Azure’s fast and flowing roofline is echoed in the show car’s stunning seven-bow canvas roof that gives the car such a visible sporting profile when raised.

A new rear boot section also helps to accentuate the contemporary feel of the new convertible. Prominent wheel arches grace a slender, narrowing boot that results in a ‘horse shoe’ trailing edge. This graceful shape is reminiscent of the first Crewe-built Bentley, the 1946 MK6.

New LED rear tail-lamps use technology borrowed from the Continental GT coupé range; while a chrome surround echoes the Arnage front head-lamp units. Further brightwork is found in the form of chrome exhaust finishers and handcrafted chrome bumpers and sills that extend around the entire car and sit alongside unique, six-spoke, 19-inch chrome-finished alloy wheels.