Bentley Motors is proud to announce the limited edition one-of-one Private White V.C. Bentayga, by Mulliner. This bespoke Bentayga commissioned by Bentley Manchester and Mulliner is a true expression of British heritage, handmade craftsmanship, and luxury fashion that both Private White V.C. and Bentley Motors represent. This unique specification of Bentayga has already secured its home, having been sold to a local enthusiast. Private Jack White was born in 1896 and enlisted to help the war effort in World War 1. He returned to Manchester as a war hero after being awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in saving an officer, men, and equipment by tying a copper telephone line around himself and swimming across a river under heavy gunfire to rescue others.
Taking inspiration from the courage of Private White and today’s clothing line, the specially commissioned Bentayga Azure uses multiple copper detailing throughout the cabin including seat piping, embroidery, and bespoke features, representing the copper telephone line. Additionally, to the seats and door interiors, clean purposeful sewing lines reflect the style and functionality of military-inspired clothing. Bespoke embroidery including the Victoria Cross emblem to the headrests and Private White V.C. lettering finishes the cabin details off perfectly. Loose cushions to the rear have been crafted from a Lancashire-woven cashmere cloth commissioned exclusively to commemorate Jack White’s regimental blanket stripe.
The dashboard includes organ stops finished in anodized copper and a silhouette of ‘Cottenham House’, the Private White V.C. factory built in 1853, to the passenger fascia. As a hidden delight not only are there bespoke treadplates, but in the door pockets a subtle embroidered bulldog represents the company’s unofficial mascot which can often be seen at the factory today. The exterior of the Bentayga is finished in Dark Sapphire with contemporary Blackline Specification and rear privacy glass. The bespoke 22” bright machined color-matched wheels provide a dark canvas for the Private White V.C. bespoke badging and subtle copper accents. The final highlight of this bespoke collaboration is that the customer for the limited edition will also receive a capsule collection of bespoke clothing from Private White V.C. as part of this unique curation.
Jack White was born Jacob Weiss on 23 December 1896 in Leeds. At the outbreak of war, he was in Sweden but returned, enlisted in the 6th (Service) Battalion King’s Own, and served throughout the war in the Middle East – at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia (Iraq). He was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during an attempted crossing of the Dialah River by Captain S. Patterson and 60 men of the Battalion, including White, on the night of 7/8 March 1917.
“No. 18105 Pte. Jack White, R. Lanc. R.
For most conspicuous bravery and resource.
This signaller during an attempt to cross a river saw the two Pontoons ahead of him come under heavy machine-gun fire, with disastrous results. When his own Pontoon had reached midstream, with every man except himself either dead or wounded, finding that he was unable to control the Pontoon, Pte. White promptly tied a telephone wire to the Pontoon, jumped overboard, and towed it to the shore, thereby saving an officer’s life and bringing to land the rifles and equipment of the other men in the boat, who were either dead or dying”
After his military service, Jack White began an apprenticeship as a pattern cutter in his local raincoat factory. He quickly rose up the ranks and in 1934 was appointed general manager. In 1937, after less than twenty years of service, he became the sole owner of the factory. In 1916, Private White V.C. supplied the Allied Forces with cotton gabardine trench coats, and in the 1940s were commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to supply the RAF with waterproof parkas. Private White V.C., based in Manchester has been established for over 100 years and offers high-quality and stylish garments made from the finest materials and craftsmanship.
In 2020, to help combat the global pandemic of COVID-19, Private White V.C. volunteered its services at the Department of Health & Social Care and quickly became the largest manufacturer of medical-grade gowns and surgical masks in the country. Straddling the banks of the River Irwell, the Private White V.C. factory continues to flourish thanks to its remarkable workforce’s relentless drive and steadfast determination. The team of over 100 personalities across 13 different nationalities, strives each day to produce the highest quality garments using only the finest regionally sourced cloths and materials.
