The Bentley brigade rolled into Abu Dhabi this week to celebrate the British marque unveiling its new showroom in the UAE capital. Potential punters and brand fans alike piled into the Khalidiya venue, amid a maelstrom of canapes and mocktails, keen to have a look at the selection of shiny, pricey vehicles featured in the new space. There was also plenty of merchandise on display in the guise of clothing, soft toys, purses, fragrances and the like for anyone who wasn’t quite ready to shell out for a top-level (or, indeed, lesser spec) Mulsanne, Continental, Flying Spur or Bentayga just yet. Applause rippled out as the outside of the building, decorated in a crisscross pattern resembling tyre tracks, lit up in pink, blue and mauve, indicating that what the marketing people have dubbed the Extraordinary World of Bentley was open for business. Actors drafted in for the occasion graced the models on display, entertaining the assembled crowds with occasional dancing and general preening, though most of the spectators seemed keener on the cars themselves. The unveiling of the new venue follows Bentley’s year-long centennial celebration, which culminated in enthusiasts from around the world descending on Port Rashid in Dubai to take part in a spectacular 100-car gathering. The cavalcade, which was the biggest gathering of its kind in Middle East history, amused onlookers by taking a trip through the city, ending up at Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club. New Bentleys range from around Dh1,080,000 for a Flying Spur, though the pick of the models on display at the Bentley Emirates showroom was a luxury Mulsanne at around Dh2.2 million.
