Bentley designers create one-off pieces to benefit The Prince's Trust

Bentley Motors graduates are to stage an auction of handcrafted collector's items in a fundraising event for The Prince's Trust.

Workers from the Tooling, Woodshop and Styling teams at the manufacturer have crafted around 20 different stylish and high-end products to auction off online in aid of the UK youth charity, which is headed by the Prince of Wales and provides practical and financial support to 14 to 30-year-olds.

Display items include a chess set with pieces tooled from aluminum set on a classy veneered board and a table crafted from a polished V8 engine from the Bentley Mulsanne and a cutlery set commissioned by Robert Welch, engraved with the Bentley emblem. Other than the Robert Welch cutlery set, all pieces up for grabs have been designed and created at the Bentley factory in Crewe.

Michael Straughan, Bentley's Member of the Board for Manufacturing says, "The design brief for the auction was to create a unique and desirable item based upon the core materials, parts and processes that are used to build cars such as the Mulsanne and the Continental GT.

"The results are exquisite and the auction is a rare opportunity for Bentley lovers to own a one-off handcrafted piece of Bentley memorabilia," he adds.

After the auction the items will also be available for viewing at Bentley dealerships later in the year, as well as being exhibited at the Goodwood Revival Festival on 16-18 September. Guests will be able to learn about the products' creation, talk to the Bentley graduates behind the project and place bids.

Bidding is due to start on 1 September at www.bentleybespokeauction.com

By Rufus Thompson