"LIQUID AMBER" – THE NEW VENEER IN EXQUISITE BENTLEY

Beautiful, like liquid amber

Valuable veneers shine in the cockpits of many luxury cars. Bentley Motors even sends its own team of veneer hunters into the woods to find the finest logs for its vehicles. Axel Groh, one of the two managing directors of the South German veneer specialist Schorn & Groh, who has been advising Bentley for many years and is happy to share his extensive experience in all aspects of roundwood purchasing, is the part of the team.

Veneer hunters rarely choose a new type of wood for the Bentley collection. Now the time has come again: "Liquid Amber" is the first veneer to make the leap into a luxury vehicle in five years. It is the seventh exclusive veneer of this British brand. The name refers to the tree's resin, called Liquid Amber, a reference to its perfumed scent. The veneer is extracted from the "American Red Gum Tree" (satin walnut). It is a tree that prefers to grow along the rich, moist soils of the Mississippi in the southeastern states of America.

Supplier of the raw veneers is Schorn & Groh. The wood is processed into veneer after harvesting and then undergoes a natural, environmentally friendly smoking process that takes several weeks. This gives the veneer a deep, rich brown shine while maintaining its warm red colour. The liquid amber veneer is then transported to the team of experts at the Bentley wood factory in Crewe (England), where it is carefully inspected by them.

All raw veneers must have a high burr density, minimal sapwood and no bark growth or structural defects. Each bundle of raw veneers must pass another rigorous Bentley test. It is a process that takes at least 18 months. The long way is worthwhile: the fine veneers with their different grains and color nuances convey a wonderful lounge atmosphere and are the icing on the cake for many Bentleys. Who doesn't want to get in and drive?!?

Veneer hunters from Bentley Motors in the forest, with Axel Groh.