Bentley Motors recently supported the Manchester Pride event with a uniquely wrapped Bentley Continental GTC. Designed by Rich Morris, the brightly-colored convertible is part of the Bentley’s Heritage Collection and was created to reaffirm the automaker’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Featuring a rainbow stripe pattern, the Bentley Continental GTC made a striking addition to the parade, which is held to showcase solidarity and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. Manchester Pride is one of the UK’s largest Pride events to promote a world where all people are free to live and love without prejudice. The parade celebrates the progress made while continuing to raise awareness, bringing hope, and inspiring others to challenge discrimination.
Rick Morris, a CGI artist and designer at Bentley, focused on the classic Pride colors to create a statement that was simple but bold and direct. He wanted people who see the Continental GTC to understand what the car stands for, regardless of their knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community. Using the lines and shape of the GTC, Morris designed the artwork in which multiple lines intersect to create a diamond pattern representing Bentley’s interior quilt patterns.
In addition to the Continental GTC, 75 Bentley associates, including partners and allies, attended Manchester Pride. This turnout helped reinforce the message that the automaker is striving to create a culture where all employees feel comfortable bringing their true, authentic selves to the workplace.
According to Karen Lange, a member of the Board for Human Resources at Bentley Motors, the colorfully wrapped Continental GTC reflects the company’s diversity at its headquarters and around the world. “Inclusion remains a year-round commitment for Bentley,” she said.
Bentley’s Crewe headquarters is approximately 35 miles from Manchester and employs 4,000 people. In addition to its support for LGBTQ+ rights, the automaker has implemented changes for environmental sustainability, including making its factory carbon-neutral and establishing bee colonies on the company’s grounds. Additionally, the company plans to begin producing electric vehicles, which in some cases will double the power of the current W12 models.
