1998-2010 Rolls-Royce & Bentley
Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph; Bentley Arnage, Azure, Brookland
Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles continued to reflect a transitional era in manufacturing at the turn of the century, blending traditional hand-built craftsmanship with newer engineering technologies introduced during changes in ownership and modernization of the brands. The Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph (1998–2002) represented the final Rolls-Royce developed under the original Rolls-Royce Motors era before BMW assumed full control of the marque in 2003. It was built with a rigid steel monocoque body and featured a BMW-sourced 5.4-liter V12 engine, marking a significant shift from the long-standing Rolls-Royce V8. The car retained traditional construction values such as extensive hand-fitted leather interiors, real wood veneers, and meticulous finishing.
Bentley’s flagship of the period, the Bentley Arnage (1998–2009), shared much of its basic platform with the Silver Seraph but evolved into a distinctly performance-oriented luxury sedan. Early versions used a BMW V8 engine, but later models returned to a heavily developed twin-turbocharged version of Bentley’s classic 6.75-liter V8, requiring significant reinforcement of the chassis and cooling systems. The Bentley Azure (1995–2003) continued as a coachbuilt luxury convertible based on the Continental platform, with large structural reinforcements to maintain rigidity in its open-top design and extensive hand assembly.
The Bentley Brooklands, particularly the later Brooklands Coupe (2008–2011), represented one of the last traditionally built Bentleys at Crewe, featuring a large two-door body, powerful twin-turbo V8, and a structure engineered for high torque and grand-touring performance. Across these models, the build philosophy maintained the long-standing emphasis on strong steel construction, powerful engines, and labor-intensive interior craftsmanship while gradually incorporating modern electronics, improved safety engineering, and contemporary manufacturing methods.
