There’s nothing unusual in a car re-spray, but when one of Britain’s most celebrated and inspired contemporary artists gets involved, the outcome is anything but predictable. Paul Karslake FRSA, is best-known for his striking portraiture of the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Keith Richards and the Kray twins. As a staunch British patriot he wanted to celebrate great stanzas of British military success in a painting to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The problem was finding a canvas that was the most appropriate for his creation. Demonstrating the creative flair for which he is famous, Paul decided the ‘canvas’ should take a whole new dimension – in the shape of another British icon … a 1990 Bentley Mulsanne ‘S’. The result is as much a tribute to his considerable airbrush skills as it is to the patriotic British themes portrayed on the car, which will be auctioned at Historics at Brooklands’ major auction in Surrey on Saturday, November 30th.
Cameos that Paul has painstakingly painted on the car in the most minute of detail include, on the bonnet, a depiction of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whilst the boot portrays Sir Winston Churchill, the Battle of Britain and the Falklands War. The offside rear pillar carries a portrait of The Duke of Wellington with scenes of the Battle of Waterloo along the off-side rear wings, whilst the nearside rear pillar includes a portrait of Admiral Nelson together with scenes of the Battle of Trafalgar. The entire roof is adorned with the dramatic and rich rendering of the Union flag with a WWII Lancaster bomber flying over it.
Closer scrutiny reveals many more extraordinarily detailed cameos, all of which depict a different chapter in British military history, with both front wings reflecting scenes from the First World War, with the poignant addition of poppies adorning the wheel arches. In contrast to the rich opulence of the cameos, his signature appears discreetly on the front door mirrors.
Paul said emphatically “I am sick and tired of wishy-washy art. I wanted to do something that was detailed, concise and patriotic and I think this ticks all the boxes. Never Surrender! Haha!”
The overall quality of the coachwork in its original factory livery is described as exemplary, contrasting superbly with the magnolia leather interior and walnut trim.
Since Paul completed the project in 2012, the Bentley has been driven as daily transport, has covered a total of 108,000 miles and is reported to run very well. Hardly surprising, considering Bentley’s exacting engineers tested the 6 ¾ V8 engine to withstand 400 hours of continuous running at full power, believed to be the approximate equivalent of 54,000 miles at full speed. A recent MoT test has been carried out and the road fund licence is valid until the end of April 2014.
At an estimate of £10,000-£15,000, the car could just be a dark horse investment, though we’d very surprised if it doesn’t make considerably more. Historics anticipate very significant interest in this unique motor car when it comes to auction at Historics on Saturday, 30th November.
More details at Historics
We’ve always loved the original 6.75 V8’s and right now they seem very good value for money. This car would be a very nice addition to any Bentley enthusiasts garage.
