Style, Tradition and Innovation Come Together in a Spectacular Blend of Two Icons
Stetson, an iconic American brand since 1865, has been the headwear of choice for presidents and patriots, artists and musicians, mavericks and historical figures from all around the world. Worn by culture setters from Buffalo Bill Cody to Ronald Reagan to Waylon Jennings, Stetson is forever woven into the fabric of America. It is said that it takes 200 hands to make a Stetson hat. Indeed, much of the hat-making process remains the same since 1865—human-operated machinery remains the standard here!
A like-minded believer in handcraftsmanship vs. machinery, Bentley celebrates 100 years of automotive performance and luxury. Every Bentley is hand-made at the factory in Crewe (in the northwest of England). Again, the hours and hands on the Bentley assembly line are unsurpassed by any other automotive maker. Like the Stetson factory in Dallas, in Crewe you’ll find third and fourth generation descendants of the same families working there, people sitting behind sewing machines and details carefully handled by gloved experts.
The Bentayga Stetson Special Edition is the remarkable result of two icons coming together to create a timeless vehicle for discerning clients. Bentayga, the first SUV from Bentley, has set a new bar for prestige, refinement and performance in the luxury SUV segment. And now Mulliner, Bentley’s Bespoke workshop, has beautifully merged the culture of Stetson with the sophisticated design of Bentley to deliver luxury on a new level as never before seen.
The first special edition vehicle is offered at $246,578 and features White Sand exterior matching Stetson’s Silverbelly hat, with camel hide interior details. A Dark Cashmere model was influenced by the Stetson Boss of the Plains hat and Onyx embodyies the classic Stetson black 100X El Presidente hat. Rich interior leather hides are chosen carefully and crafted with precision for each vehicle’s cabin. Exteriors feature a distinctive Stetson badge, and the Stetson logo is stitched on headrests inside. Treadplate inserts carved with “MULLINER STETSON” mark each vehicle as a special edition. But it’s more than beautiful and luxurious. Sporting Bentley’s 4.0L V8 twin-turbo engine, the Bentayga is rated at 542 hp with a top speed of 180 mph, sprinting 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds with 568 lb ft torque at 1,960 rpm, and has capability of towing over 7,000 lbs.
Hey y’all—If you want to get one of these, you’ll have to make the trip to Bentley Dallas. Make sure you ask that they throw in a classic Fur Felt Stetson hat!
Beverly & Steve Smirnis are members of the Texas Auto Writers Association and the Texas Motor Press Association, reviewing vehicles and casting their votes at driving events where the Truck of Texas, Car of Texas and Off-Road Truck of Texas are some of the titles awarded. Follow their automotive blog here
