
Casino Royale: Bentley Edition
Written by Ian Fleming
Publisher - Vintage
This striking, special edition of Casino Royale is beautifully illustrated and evokes the quality and craftsmanship associated with the Bentley brand.
Quality and Craftsmanship
This special edition of Casino Royale is produced using only the finest materials. The case and cover are bound in beluga leather, sourced from the tannery in Italy which provides the hides for Bentley’s interiors. It features the iconic double stitching and signature winged Bentley logo, all hand stitched on the leather casing. Bentley’s trademark knurling adorns the book’s metal spine, inspired by the Bentley steel tread plate. Throughout the book are evocative brush illustrations by the award-winning illustrator Damian Gascoigne. Removing the book from the clamshell reveals a secret compartment which houses a leather-bound case containing two bespoke packs of Bentley Bond playing cards.
Bond and Bentley
The Bentley is James Bond’s car of choice in several of Fleming’s novels and this partnership with Bentley goes straight to both Fleming’s and Bond’s love of cars: “Bond’s car was his only personal hobby. One of the last of the 4.5 litre Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst Villiers, he had bought it almost new in 1933 and had kept it in careful storage throughout the war… and drove it hard and well and with an almost sensual pleasure.” (Casino Royale, 1953) This special edition was inspired both by a trip to the Bentley Motors HQ to witness their craftsmanship, and the storyline of Casino Royale. The striking red, white and black colouring is a nod to the gambling theme of the novel, where Bond famously takes on his adversary, Le Chiffre, over a game of baccarat.