Bentley has unveiled two specially commissioned Remembrance cars: a Bentayga Extended Wheelbase Artenara and a Supersports. Created by its design team with the colleague-led BeReady network, the pair honour the Armed Forces community and the people whose lives were lost in conflict.
Known within Bentley as the “Poppy Cars”, the 2026 cars take their inspiration from John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields. Poppies and larks form part of an exterior design that moves between loss, resilience, hope and the responsibility to remember.
A tribute designed in Crewe
The project brings Bentley’s designers together with BeReady, a colleague network supporting veterans, reservists and their families. Rather than a new production specification or a sales edition, these are individual commemorative cars with a purpose beyond their appearance.
Robin Page, Director of Design at Bentley Motors, said:
“Design is often judged by what it looks like, but its greatest value lies in how it makes us feel. These cars were created to inspire reflection, serving as a visible reminder that remembrance is not confined to a single day, but is a legacy that must be carried forward and shared by each generation.”
Bentley describes the artwork as a journey from resilience and hope to remembrance and responsibility. Poppies blooming across a battlefield and larks overhead represent life enduring through adversity. At its centre is a reminder that the fallen were ordinary people who loved and were loved, as well as people who served.
Remembering the people behind the factory
The connection is personal for Crewe. Bentley says the annual tribute also remembers 17 colleagues who lost their lives in a wartime bombing while building Merlin aero engines. It is a reminder that the history of the factory includes more than the cars that have left its gates.
The company reports that the cars played a part in commemorative activities at Crewe and at Mission Motorsport’s Race of Remembrance at Anglesey. The race’s organiser, the British Racing & Sports Car Club, listed this year’s event for November 6-8, 2026. It is an endurance meeting built around a pit-lane service, with racing paused for an act of remembrance.
Bentley’s onsite service brought together representatives from the Ministry of Defence, the local Royal British Legion and Crewe Town Council. Manufacturing colleagues also crocheted handmade poppies to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.
Supporting the Armed Forces community
The cars arrive in the year Bentley received Gold Employer Recognition Scheme status for its support of the Armed Forces community.
Chris Cole, Bentley’s Product Line Director, said:
“The Remembrance vehicles demonstrate how craftsmanship can be used to tell stories that matter. Every detail has been thoughtfully created to honour those who served, creating a lasting symbol of remembrance, respect and appreciation.”
For a British marque whose Crewe factory has its own wartime history, the two cars bring design, remembrance and the experiences of colleagues together. The tribute is directed both to those who died and to the veterans, reservists and families who remain part of the community today.
Sources: Bentley Motors, November 11, 2026; BRSCC, 2026 Race of Remembrance. Images supplied by Bentley Motors for editorial use.
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