- Torcal electric SUV production moves into a renovated 1938 factory at Crewe.
- The hand-built model runs down a new line using autonomous guided vehicles.
- A 2025 design studio and British suppliers tie the project closely to the UK.
Bentley Motors is putting the finishing touches on a new production line at its Crewe headquarters, built specifically to handle the Torcal, the automaker's fourth model line and first electric car. The line sits inside a factory building that dates to 1938, and Bentley plans to reveal the finished car at 19:19 on September 23.
The Torcal will be assembled by hand, and the new line forms part of a £350 million (about $472 million) self-funded investment Bentley is making across the Crewe site.
Gallery: Bentley Torcal Interior Materials
Inside the new production line
The building housing the line has a long history at Crewe. It served first as a machining shop, then more recently as Bentley's research and development workshop, before being cleared out for its new role.
Workers fitted the space with a precisely level floor, a requirement for the autonomous guided vehicles that will ferry partially built Torcals between stations. According to Bentley, the production line is nearing completion ahead of next week's reveal.
The Torcal joins a lineup that already includes the Continental GT family, the Flying Spur and the Bentayga, all built at Crewe. Mulliner, Bentley's bespoke department, also produces hand-beaten continuation models there, including the Speed Six.
Bentley has occupied the Crewe site for 80 years, and the company frames the new line as evidence that model development, engineering and assembly all remain in-house. The Torcal's interior was also designed at the site.
Design Studio And Suppliers
The Torcal is among the first vehicles to benefit from a new design studio that opened at Crewe in 2025. That facility also occupies a renovated building from 1938, and it houses the team responsible for Bentley's upcoming models as well as Mulliner's bespoke commissions.
British suppliers back the car's construction, including Fox Brothers of Somerset, which is a textile mill that provides the wool used in the Torcal's cabin. Bentley has not named other suppliers involved in the build.
More than 4,000 people work at the Crewe site, which spans 521,111 square meters in total, with 166,930 square meters of that space indoors. That footprint makes Crewe one of the larger employers in the surrounding area.
Bentley previously marked its Crewe anniversary with a one-off Continental GTC, and the Torcal's curved center screen has already surfaced in prior previews. The September 23 reveal will confirm full specifications and pricing.
Motor1's Take: The reveal will show whether buyers accept Bentley's EV strategy and support local suppliers. If demand lags, the self-funded rollout becomes a tougher test.
Pricing and range will show whether Bentley positions the Torcal as an entry EV or a range-topping flagship. Dealer orders and supplier announcements after launch will reveal if Crewe's upgrade pays.
