Bespoke, British Bespoke

While nearly every luxury carmaker offers some degree of customization to their best clients, there is something about the legendary British atelier/studios of Goodwood (Rolls-Royce), Gaydon (Aston Martin), and Crewe (Bentley) that takes the concept of “my car” to a whole new level.

Rolls-Royce

In the modern era of the illustrious carmaker, every new Rolls-Royce, in practical purposes, can be called bespoke. That is because every commissioned automobile manufactured is based on the exacting specifications of the buyer, no matter how humble or elaborate. Even in the days when you could theoretically go to a dealer and purchase a production Rolls-Royce, many customers opted to customize their automobiles via the bespoke artisan workshops at the brand’s factory in Goodwood, located in Chichester, England. A 350-million dollar investment to expand those facilities was just announced in January.

While the latest released model from Rolls, the sporty 2024 two-door Spectre (from $420,000) is the world’s first all-electric true luxury vehicle, that innovation in power train in no way limits the sheer possibilities of additional bespoke customization.

The brand’s exclusively bespoke nature is reflected in a series of Rolls-Royce Private Office showrooms/studios scattered around the globe, which can assist new customers with the myriad possibilities in person and direct them toward their final, perfect vehicle choices. There are four such facilities currently: Dubai and Shanghai, a marvelous new Private Office in Manhattan’s chic Meatpacking District that opened last fall, and the newest facility in Seoul, Korea, which debuted just before the New Year in November.

The final price you pay is determined by the model you choose, the level of customization, and the labor and materials involved, but, in general, your Rolls-Royce will take about six months to receive, at the quickest. rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Aston Martin

The latest news from the 007-beloved carmaker is the re-introduction of its Vanquish super-GT flagship for 2025: a thrumming $427,700 rear-wheel beast equipped with a 5.2-liter V12 that puts out 824hp and really taps back into the performance spirit of the automaker, who, of late, had been focusing on its DBX luxury crossovers.

Perhaps in deference to customers who would want to make the upcoming Vanquish truly their own, Aston Martin opened a new Manhattan-based ultra-luxury showroom dubbed (of course) Q Branch by Aston Martin, in 2023. However, it is the first and only facility of its kind (currently), and also services the bespoke programs for all of Aston Martin’s models. This Q Branch outpost augments the carmaker’s already established bespoke process involving its global dealership network and the company headquarters in Gaydon, located near Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire.

Your personal selections will determine the wait time for your bespoke vehicle. Aston Martin does not publish an average time, as it can vary greatly. But consider, at full-capacity, the maker can produce only 15 standard DB11s in one day. Any wait will be worth it. astonmartin.com

Bentley

Like Rolls-Royce, Bentley has always performed bespoke customization for its discerning clients, with communication flowing between its global dealership network and the production headquarters (for the past 75 years) in Crewe in Cheshire. While the custom Mulliner workshops are housed at the maker’s main production site in a former Spitfire engine factory, inside the peaked brick exterior, a clean, modern, scientific vibe permeates the production floors.

In the section of the workshops that house the maker’s selections of fine burled walnut, oak, and koa wood veneers, a temperature- and humidity-controlled cigar storage angle joins the artful mix. Bentley’s reigning “wood man” is Richard Bell, manager of manufacturing and overseer of the legendary Bentley Wood Shop (he has spent 12 of his 14 years at the company dedicated to the department). Veneer customization is sourced from the maker’s exquisite collection of pattern-matched options (including specially patterned burl veneer pieces held aside for special clients). But even more out-of-the-box special requests are certainly not out-of-the-question, including at least one Mulliner customer who supplied wood from a tree felled on his own property to include in his bespoke automobile.

Like all Bentley models, the recently announced 2025 Bentley Flying Spur (a fourth-generation performance sedan starting at $276,450 featuring the marque’s most powerful engine ever in the form of a hybrid power train that pumps out 771bhp) is available to undergo a bespoke Mulliner glow-up.

Again, delivery dates encompass all the factors mentioned above, but Bentley lists its special order vehicle turn-around at eight to ten months. bentleymotors.com