Bentley, Elizabeth Arden Ignore Recession, Have Luxury One-Nighter

2009 Bentley Flying Spur Speed

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Gathering Depression be damned (right along with sinking Bentley sales): last Thursday, Bentley Motors teamed up with Elizabeth Arden to present the Luxury Limited Edition Night against "the suggestive backdrop of the Bentley Motors showroom in Rome." If you're going to have an over-the-top one-nighter, make it count, right?

The centerpieces of the night were Arden's Grey Flannel Value Set and the Rome intro of the 2009 Bentley Flying Spur Speed. Exactly what the setting suggested we're not sure, though outlandish and conspicuous consumption come to mind. While the value of Arden's Gray Flannel limited edition package (price not given) is presumably quite subjective, no doubt an evening in Rome spent sipping champagne, tasting "delicacies made with violet flowers," indulging in cigars and whiskey, and playing blackjack are luxuries just about anyone could enjoy. Well, the violet flowers might be a touch femme for the manliest of men, but the Flying Spur Speed's twin-turbo W-12 and top speed north of 195 mph seem plenty burly.

Bentley Luxury Limited Edition Night

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Grey Flannel cologne, created in the '70s, a time "when men's fragrances were extremely masculine, predictable and simple in their olfactory structures" (and fashions were extremely plaid, outlandish, and rococo), was also rolled out during the evening's festivities in a leather-boxed Value Set. The set contains a 240 ml bottle and a companion 60 ml refillable flask for "freshness on the go." From the humiliating exit interview right to the soup line, we imagine.

We're with you: we had to read this press release twice to make sure they weren't talking about the chairman's offices at Bank of America.