[google5c69d2d86a1bf98c.html] Autos, Test Drive, Noticias y mucho más.: diciembre 2009

miércoles, diciembre 02, 2009

Bentley Styling and Design Art Project raises £70,000 for The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.

‘Design is our passion. This is our Art’

Bentley Styling and Design Art Project raises £70,000 for The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.

London, 2nd December 2009

An invitation-only gala auction of artworks by the men and women of Bentley’s design and styling team last night raised more than £70,000 for The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.

Bonhams the auctioneer donated its premises and services in Bond St, London, to host this exclusive event for over 300 guests. The auction was conducted by James Knight, international managing director of Collectors Cars at Bonhams.


The Bentley Styling and Design Art Project was the brainchild of Bentley designer Rich Gilmartin who has been supported by enthusiastic colleagues in the styling studio all of whom have been showcasing their artistic talents. Rich has now raised over £100,000 for the Christie since 2001 in recognition of the care given to his mother by staff at the hospital when she was suffering from cancer.


The collection included a vast array of sculptures, painting, digital art and photography all created by Bentley’s in-house design team, who are better known for the creation of iconic cars such as the Continental GT and the new Bentley Mulsanne.


A mixture of live bidding and silent auction attracted tremendous interest from Bentley owners and enthusiasts both in the UK and abroad. Fierce but good-natured bidding drove up the price of many pieces beyond that expected by the artists themselves. One sculpture alone raised over £20,000 for the Christie.

Dr Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley said:

“It is a pleasure and a source of great pride to see the creativity of our design team applied beyond our motor cars. This artistic skill is rarely seen outside the design studio so this unique collection has provided Bentley enthusiasts with the opportunity to own a real piece of Bentley design history.”


Christine Gaskell, Member of the Board for Personnel said:

“The Christie is the leading centre for cancer research and treatment in the northwest of England and has touched the lives of many Bentley employees. Everyone at Bentley welcomed the opportunity to support this project and we have been overwhelmed by the interest in the collection.”

Toni Leden, Appeals Director at the Christie said:

“The dedication and inspiration of the Bentley design and styling team has resulted in a stunning contribution to the work we do in cancer research and treatment. The collaboration with Bentley has been very successful and we are thrilled that the art works have raised so much money to support the Christie.”


Rich Gilmartin, the designer from whom the concept originated, said:

“The Christie cared for my mother during her illness and I was truly inspired by the care and empathy shown to her by staff at the hospital. Because I was there at the time my connection to the hospital goes very deep and this project has been a very good, positive step to go forward and do something different.”
Links:
(Info. Bentley)

Lotus HQ and Test Track is now on Google Street View


The iconic British sports car manufacturer opens its doors for an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the site and a virtual drive around the famous Lotus Test Track.
Lotus invited Google to record a testing session of selected Lotus cars and to give fans of the legendary British sports car brand a chance to look around normally hidden areas of the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk. On the Lotus test track, sharp eyed Street View users will spot the Lotus 2-Eleven being driven quickly and enthusiastically (just as it is intended to be!), a research and development Lotus Exige 265E which is fuelled by sustainable, environmentally friendly ethanol and a number of prototypes of the new Lotus Evora.
Nigel Marshall, Head of Facilities Management for Lotus said, “We decided to give Street View users an opportunity to look around part of the Lotus HQ and to virtually drive the Hethel Test Track. Only a select number of drivers have driven the Lotus circuit over the years, but now anyone can get a closer look at where some of the most iconic British sports and racing cars have been tested and developed. To see some dynamic track driving of the Lotus 2-Eleven just check out the North Hairpin!”
Matthew Prestopino, Google's Head of Street View Operations in Europe said, "Being invited to come and drive alongside some of the UK's coolest cars was a real treat. This is the first ever circuit in the UK to be photographed for Street View and car fans are going to love taking a virtual tour and locating their favourite Lotus cars in action on the track".
The Street View of the Lotus Headquarters can be viewed here:
http://3.ly/LotusCarFactoryGoogleStreetView
Users can access street-level imagery of the Lotus site by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange "Pegman" icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted road such as the Lotus test track.


Lo más nuevo de Lotus, "Evora" para el 2009. (Blog)

www.lotuscars.co.uk

(Info. Lotus)