The Man Behind Bentley's Sexiest Concept Now Has Even More Control Over the Brand's Looks
There’s a new guy in charge of sculpting Bentley’s voluptuous British bodies.
The automaker announced today that John Paul Gregory has been appointed Head of Exterior Design, putting him in charge of the team crafting future Bentley models. An eight-year veteran of the company, Gregory replaces Sangyup Lee, who jumped ship to the new Genesis brand back in May.
Prior to this, Gregory served as Advanced Exterior Design Leader, working with a “skunk works” team at the brand’s Coventry, England design studio.
Under his guidance, the studio cranked out perhaps the sexiest vehicle in the brand’s history. The Bentley EXP-10 Speed 6 concept appeared at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show sporting two seats, a hybrid drivetrain, and all the styling cues a Bentley buyer demands.
A two-seater based on the concept is now headed for production as the Bentley Barnato, and is expected to arrive in 2019. The trademarked name honors former Bentley chairman Woolf Barnato, who won the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1928, 1929 and 1930.
Risk-taking efforts like the EXP-10 Speed 6 shows what Gregory is capable of. That’s assuming he isn’t poached by Genesis before the products start flowing.
In a statement, Bentley design director Stefan Sielaff stated, “John Paul’s experience at Bentley is invaluable. He brings a passion for the brand and a deep understanding of the direction we wish to go in. This is an important time for the company as we look ahead to new models with John Paul, alongside our highly-skilled design team, bringing many insights and ideas to inspire the next great Bentley.”
[Images: Bentley Motors]
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So the guy who designed the Camaro got ousted for a guy who designed a Bentley with the rear haunches of a Mustang.
Personally I like it. Bunter