When a tiny part of Crewe relocates to the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed

• Bentley colleagues bring the spirit of Crewe to Goodwood, from hand-trimming steering wheels to preparing heritage cars for the Hill
• Visitors can meet the people behind Bentley’s design, craft, engineering, retail and customer experiences

It is no surprise that the cars take most of the limelight at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. From the latest cars to historic models, on display and running up the famous Hill, extraordinary machinery is what draws thousands of enthusiasts to the famous West Sussex estate each summer. But behind the scenes, another story is playing out: that of a small team of Bentley colleagues who travel south from Crewe to make the Bentley experience at Goodwood different and special. For a few days, a tiny part of Crewe relocates to Goodwood, bringing with it the standards, skills and pride that define Bentley’s factory in the North West.

Visitors to the stand will be greeted with a big smile by James Haywood, Senior Marketing Manager, standing behind the Lounge Reception Desk. Like so many others, he has travelled down from Crewe to assist.

‘It is all about authenticity – not just as a brand but as people. It’s how we engage with customers and members of the public – and it’s easy to embrace because it allows us to channel our inner passion for Bentley.’

For Phill Dean, Bespoke Design Manager for Mulliner, Goodwood is where customers can experience the full breadth of Bentley personalisation. Now in his 17th year with the company, and attending his seventh Festival of Speed, Dean is based in The Studio on the Bentley stand, where customers can commission their next car.

Mulliner is Bentley’s bespoke division, responsible for turning personal ideas into carefully realised details. Bentley’s online configurator already allows an extraordinary array of combinations; Mulliner takes that choice even further.

‘Our website allows billions of configurations,’ says Dean. ‘Mulliner makes that endless.’

At Goodwood, that means a steady flow of co-creation sessions, often arranged by retailers who bring customers from around the world to the Festival.

Dean adds: ‘Every customer is different: some want something sporty, others discreet, and some arrive with highly personal requests, from leather to match a watch strap to a finish no one else has. Bentley offers 14 core leathers, but Mulliner can draw from many more options and, where required, work across the full RGB spectrum to create an exact match.’

The hands behind the wheel

Elsewhere on the stand, visitors can see Bentley craftsmanship taking place in front of them. For Alison Bourne, Goodwood is an opportunity to show the skill and care that normally takes place inside the Crewe factory.

Bourne has worked at Bentley for 23 years and has spent the past 19 of those trimming and sewing steering wheels. This is her second Goodwood, and she is demonstrating the materials, techniques and hand skills involved in one of the most tactile parts of any Bentley interior.

‘I love my job,’ she says. ‘Every wheel is different. Leather is a natural material, so no single steering wheel is the same. I love the quality of the materials we use, they’re so soft and wonderful to manipulate.’

There are 17 colleagues working on steering wheels at Bentley, and each takes personal responsibility for their own work. Bourne hand-signs every wheel she completes, a small mark of pride hidden within the finished component. She also invented a new stitch for Bentley steering wheels: the box stitch, which she has been enjoying demonstrating to visitors to the stand.

‘I’m so proud of my work,’ she says. ‘I also love being here at Goodwood, it’s meeting so many different people and being able to answer questions from people interested in what we do.’

Keeping Bentley on the Hill

The same pride runs through the technical team keeping Bentley’s cars ready for display and action. For Callum Downham, a 27-year-old Vehicle Technician in the Press and Special Division, this is his first Goodwood working with Bentley. Having joined the company in 2021, he looks after cars on the stand and those heading up the Hill.

While Downham’s job involves checks that rarely attract attention, they are vital when cars are driven at speed in front of huge crowds.

‘The atmosphere and the cars,’ he says, breaking off as something howls past the Bentley stand in a roar of engine noise and smoke. ‘It’s mega. I’m a petrolhead, so it doesn’t get any better than this as a place to work.’

That sense of shared purpose extends to Bentley’s heritage fleet. Adam Critchley, Mulliner Technician, looks after the historic cars at the festival, which he has attended many times as a spectator, as well as twice with work.

‘There’s nowhere with the same variety of cars and people. The atmosphere is incredible.’

Critchley checks the heritage cars before they go up the Hill and fixes anything that might arise. With cars up to 100 years old, the job requires skill and experience but he says he prefers to see them being driven hard.

‘They were built as racing cars and really love being driven fast, like they are here. It’s great to see them driven like they were designed to be. I’m not driving this time but I would really love to be behind the wheel next year.’

A story beyond the cars

Not every role at Goodwood is directly connected to the cars themselves. Caitlyn Murrell, a Project Management Degree Apprentice based in Crewe, volunteered to join the team selling Bentley Official Merchandise on the stand.

‘I am loving this,’ she says. ‘The energy from the crew on the stand is really high.’

Among the most popular items is the 1919 Collection, a limited-volume range available only at Goodwood and Monterey Car Week. Demand has been strong, with some visitors coming to the Festival specifically to buy it.

‘Volume is limited, and there’s a new allocation of stock every day, so it’s best to come early in the morning if people want to make sure that they can get what they want.’

The people behind Bentley

Together, these colleagues represent a cross-section of Bentley life: design, craft, engineering, heritage and customer experience. Their roles are different, but the common thread is pride in the company, pride in Crewe and pride in the details that make a Bentley so special.

At the Festival of Speed, the cars will always take the headlines. But for those who look closer, the Bentley presence tells another story too: of the people who make the cars, and the company that builds them, what it is.
Photo credit: Bentley
Posted on Autotech-plus.com

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